Ft. Lauderdale By the Sea First Time Questions

[atagirl]

If there is a running thread for this site, my apologies, I could not find it.
I am spending next week in LBTS. This will be my first time in the area. My buddy and I are experienced shore divers will have a flag, etc.
I have seen some posts saying you dive high tide at this site? Why? It does not sound like current is a problem and visibility could depend on wind more than tide? What am I missing?
I am staying walking distance to the site, where is the best place for tanks and fills?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Surf conditions look brutal next week. Conditions have been pretty awful since Hurricane Milton. Strong east winds forecasted through at least next weekend. You will want to have alternative plans lined up for stuff to do because diving looks highly unlikely all along the SE coast of FL.

5-10’ seas all week.

 

[Tournesol2000]

My go to place for anything scuba while at LBTS is AQUI water sports. Great place, great service.
You could also do their shore dive with them.

 

[ShallowSeasGallery]

I am a LBTS resident and go shore diving at least a couple times a week (when the ocean cooperates!) A couple things:
- I don't bother looking at the tide for beach dives. Yes the water will be clearer on High tide but the difference will be 15ft vs 17.5ft.
- Aqui is by far the most competent shop in LBTS proper, and typically services tech divers and DIR style divers. It would be remiss not to include Force-E (FTL or Pompano) as a larger good value but not low quality option.
- Waves are gonna be nuts so nobody is beach diving next week. Maybe the clarity at the Blue Heron Bridge might relent in time but its been less than 3ft of viz for like two weeks straight.

 

[VsubT]

Pretty sure the Pompano Beach pier cam is the closest underwater camera to LBTS for visibility checks. Take a look and you'll see more of what folks are talking about for current conditions, vis is almost non-existent right now.

Lance

 

[atagirl]

Wow! Not what I was hoping for but thanks for the heads up! We had damage to our place on the Gulf from Helene and Milton and have been focused only on that. My week away will be very very relaxing if we can't even dive. It looks like a nice walkable area I am sure we will make the best of it.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Wow! Not what I was hoping for but thanks for the heads up! We had damage to our place on the Gulf from Helene and Milton and have been focused only on that. My week away will be very very relaxing if we can't even dive. It looks like a nice walkable area I am sure we will make the best of it.

Sorry about the damage you had and to be the bearer of bad news. Plenty to do in coastal Broward and southern Palm Beach county. Visit Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. Beautiful area right by Red Reef Park right on A1A. They have 4 nice aquariums to get a bit of a sea life fix!

Also, bring your gear just in case the conditions clear up faster than forecasted. It has happened before.

 

[NothingClever]

Pretty sure the Pompano Beach pier cam is the closest underwater camera to LBTS for visibility checks. Take a look and you'll see more of what folks are talking about for current conditions, vis is almost non-existent right now.

Lance

Thanks for sharing the link, Lance!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

^^^ Everything.. All very good advice.
If you want to travel to BHB, an hour north, that is dived on the high tide. But conditions have been close to pea soup. Though I just heard from friends who are up there now that the water is blue, and maybe vis is starting to open up.. fingers crossed!

 

[hilljo88]

Spent last week attempting to dive BHB. Only us northeast divers considered it diveable. Minimum visibility. Macro photographers got a few shots from very close range. Boats were all cancelled. Plan B surface intervals extended to include field trips to Jupiter Inlet, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellington Environmental Preserve, Daggerwing Nature Center in Boca, etc.