Ft. Lauderdale Dive Boats Banter

[wb221]

I appreciate the recommendations who to charter. My wife and I are making our first trip to SE Florida in January for a week. Being new divers, with our only experience in the cold waters of Puget Sound we have no idea which charter to use and which to avoid. As of now I have plane tickets and a time share condo twenty-five miles from Ft. Lauderdale. Since we have our own gear I was expecting to haul all of it except tanks, weights, and drysuits. So I would be interested in any information to make this trip one with pleasant memories instead of bad. Also aren’t the “cattle-boat” dive charters something to be generally avoided?

 

[MikeJacobs]

wb, you are probably right, there should be a rating system, however....there are so many dive boats down here, if one gets mentioned as top notch, I would believe it...

Marc, your original idea has taken on a life of its own. Doesn't that feel good?

I'm not sure how it works, but isn't there a survey function here? If I recall, surveying permitted only one vote per, unless somebody would actually register several names.

Seems like there could be several polls, one per area. Also, to help the reader, include the phone number (and website?) of those proposed for easy reference in the name. This could be a problem, of course, but maybe we begin with those already mentioned.

AND, perhaps it would be a good idea to re-do this at the beginning of the season just to keep it up to date.

If we could "play" with the poll knowing we could delete the survey and start over if it goes sideways (a prototype of sorts), it would be safer to get started.

Finally, IMVHO this should be a local's only thing to make it more reliable - a visitor who dives one boat shouldn't really be able to cast a vote. It's just my vision, of course, but I think it's too easy to get enthusiastic about one boat if that's all you know. An objective "vote" would require several visits to several operators.

 

[MikeJacobs]

SNIP...I would be interested in any information to make this trip one with pleasant memories instead of bad. Also aren’t the “cattle-boat” dive charters something to be generally avoided?

Cattle-boat charters are not necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, people define cattle boat differently - some consider anything more than a 6-pack a cattle boat, but 6-packs get tossed about quite a bit and there's less room to gear-up. All of the operators in the SE Florida area I know about are regarded by most as cattle boats... I'm sure there are exceptions.

For another, cattle-boat operators have outfit their boats for large charters and rarely fill up. Therefore, you typically have more room to spread out.

Finally, all of the boats I know about seem to have effective management policies and separate students from the advanced divers. Students, being slow going down and back up can tie up the line on a wreck and kick up a lot of silt. I don't like it when a boat is FULL to the brim with divers, but if you're boat-diving on a holiday weekend during the season that's what you get.

Another finally, the larger operators have considerable experience locally. This is not to say that a 6-pack won't, but I think the ability of American Dream II to manage different levels of divers on the same trip amazed me... they're probably the largest boat but have an amazing ability to "do it right" IMO.

Last note - stay away from Scubatyme in Pompano Beach.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Cattle-boat charters are not necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, people define cattle boat differently - some consider anything more than a 6-pack a cattle boat, but 6-packs get tossed about quite a bit and there's less room to gear-up. All of the operators in the SE Florida area I know about are regarded by most as cattle boats... I'm sure there are exceptions.

For another, cattle-boat operators have outfit their boats for large charters and rarely fill up. Therefore, you typically have more room to spread out.

Mike's got it pegged. South Florida Diving Headquarters is a prime example of this. They've got the biggest boats, rated for 35 (!) divers. But the times I've used them the most I've had on the boat was 20, leaving plenty of space to move around and spread your stuff out. On reef drift dives you rarely see anyone else once your group goes in.

The large 45 ft. cats they use are extremely stable as well - folks don't experience seasickness as much in choppy water. And the staff is always friendly and professional - especially Capt. Dave who is a character in his own right.

Marc

 

[del_mo]

Call me silly, but it would also be nice if the various charter boats could be labeled as "green" or not. Something very depressing about being aboard a boat with a bunch of dead fish being shown off.

 

[golfcart]

Thanks Marc from a new diver that really appreciate a list like this! Hope to see you down under

People keep asking about dive boats in the Ft. Lauderdale area. I've consolidated the lists I had and have come up with what is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a start.

Marc

New list with additions added 5/9/04