Ft Lauderdale area in Apr

[sylvester]

Fla Divers, I will be in Fla for a job interview in Apr and plan to try and spend a few days diving prior to my appointment. So a few questions for you;

Hows the diving shore and boat in Apr near FT Lauderdale?

When traveling on a budget where or what hotel would you recommend near the Lauderdale dive locations?

Wife is novice open water diver so easy shore dives are prefered as a warm up for her confidence building.

 

[JRScuba]

There are quite a few spots to do shore dives and dive boats run about 45 - 50.
send me a post or email, me when you get closer April.

Joe

 

[MikeJacobs]

Hi, Joe... we'll all be here. Start a thread when you know your dates (and post the dates IN the thread like we do) and you'll find a few buddies no problem.

Boat dives are quick & easy, 15 minutes max from the outlet you'll be tying off to a wreck bouy or anchoring for a reef dive. You usually get two dives AM or PM for 45 or so. 4 dives in a day is not a problem. Book through Lighthouse Dive Center and get discounts on your air. They'll place you with a good outfit.

Shore dives are more weather-sensitive but we're all optimistic. There are a lot of relatively inexpensive motels at Lauderdale by the Sea, where you can dive right from your room... just gear up and walk out. I think April is off-season, so rates should be lower. Use something like Yahoo maps to be sure you're ON the beach, tho. I have no suggestions; just shop for any even-numbered address on El Mar Drive and you'll be on the beach.

It's prudent to think of your wife's confidence, since I see a LOT of divers blowing shore dives lately during our winter conditions.

The biggest mistake many make is to put fins on while on the beach, and then try to walk out backward - our waves during "satisfactory" shore dive weather are only 3 feet or so MAX, and the walk is maybe 20 yards during high tide before you're chest-deep. Regardless of wave conditions, you need to walk out with your fins with an arm through the straps, taking any breakers sideways (thanks Walter), and then once chest deep inflate your bc, turn your back to the surf and put your fins on then (mask on so you can see what you're doing).

The rest is easy - kick out past the cans, drop down and if you're not already on the reef head east - you can't miss it. Then just take your time exploring into the current (it will be north or south), turning and drifting back when ready... often there's no current. The sooner you are underwater the better.

I assure you that this is an easy shore dive as long as conditions are satisfactory... if they're not, we don't dive because the shallow water (20 ft max) picks up a lot of silt on bad days.

That's all for now. Start a new thread for the day you're coming and if conditions are OK you'll have no problem getting some buddies.

There are quite a few spots to do shore dives and dive boats run about 45 - 50.
send me a post or email, me when you get closer April.

Joe

 

[Fishermark]

Hi Joe,
As was mentioned, as long as the weather holds up your wife should be fine. I did all of my certification dives off the beach in Lauderdale. We went in south of the Commercial pier. As Mike said, just go in and watch for the reef. It is easier on the bottom, but you can also snorkle out and drop down when you are over the reef.

Another good place I always enjoyed, especially for novice divers is Barracuda Reef south of the Port Everglades inlet. There are mooring buoys over the reef. It is a little far out for a beach dive, but a good place to go on a boat.

Have fun!

 

[amelo1999]

Yep I'm a shore dive freak myself. So if you need a buddy come April let me know and I'll give you the underwater tour

 

[simbrooks]

Some useful info, we are also considering making a weekend long trip of shore diving sometime this spring - will start a thread if there isnt one going as soon as we know what we are up to and the weather conditions. Apart from westerly winds, what else might be useful to guess if conditions are good?? Better at high tide? Does the current run in different directions? Mike Jacobs "The rest is easy - kick out past the cans, drop down and if you're not already on the reef head east - you can't miss it. Then just take your time exploring into the current (it will be north or south), turning and drifting back when ready... often there's no current. The sooner you are underwater the better." When at Jupiter we had south to north current, shouldnt it be the same there as well?

 

[MikeJacobs]

Like I said, it's easy diving. The shore current is generally gentle and changes north/south from time to time, and tides really don't effect degree of difficulty or what you'll see - not enough to plan a dive around, anyway. Jupiter may be different, but perhaps the shore current changes there, too.

BTW, we had good conditions last week with east winds; it's only when they get upward of 10-15 mph that we get white caps and surge, and the water silts up. West winds are typically quieter.

Tide may effect what you'll see while entering. A neighbor tells me that fish come closer to shore when the tide is coming in; they don't like to get stuck in shallow water when its going out. I'm sure that's just along the beach, though, and doesn't have much to do with the reef.

To start a "trip" just post the date and place, or date(s) if you don't know the place... best with a complete title, however, so nobody gets confused or has to dig through the thread.

Some useful info, we are also considering making a weekend long trip of shore diving sometime this spring - will start a thread if there isnt one going as soon as we know what we are up to and the weather conditions. Apart from westerly winds, what else might be useful to guess if conditions are good?? Better at high tide? Does the current run in different directions? Mike Jacobs "The rest is easy - kick out past the cans, drop down and if you're not already on the reef head east - you can't miss it. Then just take your time exploring into the current (it will be north or south), turning and drifting back when ready... often there's no current. The sooner you are underwater the better." When at Jupiter we had south to north current, shouldnt it be the same there as well?