If anybody is going to Florida (springs or east coast) during November or December and needs a dive buddy, let me know. I'm going to be in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area until a week before Christmas, and will be hitting the springs for at least one weekend.
As a few of you know, I'm from Charlotte, was promoted to my corporate office in Miami Beach last winter, resigned and moved back to Charlotte this past summer, and have now been hired as a consultant by my old company to live in Charlotte and work in Miami! I spend approximately 50% of my time just north of Miami beach. (Time to park a second set of gear down there, I think!) When I'm here, I'm based in Charlotte, with most of my clients in the RTP area.
I do lots of local 6-pack boat diving and shore diving, the latter usually from Hollywood to Pompano Beach, where the reef is ~100 yards from shore. (I like the shore diving because the schedule is so flexible.) I know that most local folks from up here like WPB, but there are some magnificent dives just a little farther south with boat trips that average around $40, so most of the local Conchs tend to use them to maximize the bang for the diving buck.
I'm planning a multi-spring trip with my family for the second week in December. We're probably going to hit Troy and Ginnie springs, Crystal River, and maybe do a drift snorkel/dive on Rainbow River. I'm the only diver in the family at this point, so I'd welcome a buddy if anybody's going to be in the area.
Key Largo's also nice this time of year, but the seas tend to pick up a bit in the winter, so you're typically looking at 3-4 ft seas in December/January. Nothing too bad, but you need to have your sea legs.
If you're into fossil shark teeth, Venice is also nice, but the viz is more on the lines of quarry viz, rather than ocean. (15-20 ft is considered very good.)
Hope to bump into a fellow North Carolinian or two down there,
Grier
As a few of you know, I'm from Charlotte, was promoted to my corporate office in Miami Beach last winter, resigned and moved back to Charlotte this past summer, and have now been hired as a consultant by my old company to live in Charlotte and work in Miami! I spend approximately 50% of my time just north of Miami beach. (Time to park a second set of gear down there, I think!) When I'm here, I'm based in Charlotte, with most of my clients in the RTP area.
I do lots of local 6-pack boat diving and shore diving, the latter usually from Hollywood to Pompano Beach, where the reef is ~100 yards from shore. (I like the shore diving because the schedule is so flexible.) I know that most local folks from up here like WPB, but there are some magnificent dives just a little farther south with boat trips that average around $40, so most of the local Conchs tend to use them to maximize the bang for the diving buck.
I'm planning a multi-spring trip with my family for the second week in December. We're probably going to hit Troy and Ginnie springs, Crystal River, and maybe do a drift snorkel/dive on Rainbow River. I'm the only diver in the family at this point, so I'd welcome a buddy if anybody's going to be in the area.
Key Largo's also nice this time of year, but the seas tend to pick up a bit in the winter, so you're typically looking at 3-4 ft seas in December/January. Nothing too bad, but you need to have your sea legs.
If you're into fossil shark teeth, Venice is also nice, but the viz is more on the lines of quarry viz, rather than ocean. (15-20 ft is considered very good.)
Hope to bump into a fellow North Carolinian or two down there,
Grier
