LiteHedded
Contributor
I've had similar experiences there.scubaforyou:
he has a cute dog though
Going to Orlando- Plan to go diving
- Thread starter justagirl992
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he has a cute dog though
Hey justagirl,
I think it might be helpful if you posted the duration of your trip to Orlando, the general area of Orlando you are staying in, etc. If you are close to someone geographically and the timing is right, you may be able to drop in on a dive day-trip with someone. Be careful about your expectations though - If you are here for two days and need to fit your dive into a slot between a theme park on Saturday and the beach on Sunday afternoon you might be trying to do too much. Also, do you have gear that you are bringing along, or do you need to rent? Make sure you bring your c-card and try to make arrangements ahead of time.
The diveshops you are close to will make a difference also and you might be able to tag along with someone to nearby (2-3hours) dives. There are cool dives on both coasts, and at the springs North of Orlando in Central/NorthCentral FL.
There are a few of us here in Orlando/Kissimmee area that don't mind a passenger/dive buddy tagging along, and some of the dive shops are a good hookup (Diver's Direct, Kissimmee Pro Dive, etc). Some shops have trips scheduled that if you sign up for the trip one of the attendees might be willing to give you a ride for a share of the gas money.
Just be careful about bouncing off with someone you don't know though:
twenty-something girl alone + unknown companion + new to the area = possible milk carton picture. The world is full of cancers and caution is warranted.
There are a lot of cool people on this board and some are more than willing to go a little out of their way to help a fellow diver out. Just make sure you get some type of referral (e.g. on this board) about your companion before you get into a van with taped off windows. Also, if you make arrangements, make them very public by posting them to this board, including the name of the person you are going with departure date/time and return date. Also, keeping everything public can diffuse a possible situation with a girlfriend/wife for us male divers, Thank You Very Much .
Just be careful and make sure the arrangements and expectations (its a dive, not a date) are stated up front, especially if your companion is male. I have a daughter, and I am sure your parents don't want to worry or to have to deal with a missing daughter - don't put that on them. Don't mean to be rude, just blunt. If it saves you trouble then we are all better for it.
Good luck with it though - Given the right conditions, I am sure you will find a buddy while you are here. This is a great and friendly group and there are a lot of cool places here.
Cheers!
I think it might be helpful if you posted the duration of your trip to Orlando, the general area of Orlando you are staying in, etc. If you are close to someone geographically and the timing is right, you may be able to drop in on a dive day-trip with someone. Be careful about your expectations though - If you are here for two days and need to fit your dive into a slot between a theme park on Saturday and the beach on Sunday afternoon you might be trying to do too much. Also, do you have gear that you are bringing along, or do you need to rent? Make sure you bring your c-card and try to make arrangements ahead of time.
The diveshops you are close to will make a difference also and you might be able to tag along with someone to nearby (2-3hours) dives. There are cool dives on both coasts, and at the springs North of Orlando in Central/NorthCentral FL.
There are a few of us here in Orlando/Kissimmee area that don't mind a passenger/dive buddy tagging along, and some of the dive shops are a good hookup (Diver's Direct, Kissimmee Pro Dive, etc). Some shops have trips scheduled that if you sign up for the trip one of the attendees might be willing to give you a ride for a share of the gas money.
Just be careful about bouncing off with someone you don't know though:
twenty-something girl alone + unknown companion + new to the area = possible milk carton picture. The world is full of cancers and caution is warranted.
There are a lot of cool people on this board and some are more than willing to go a little out of their way to help a fellow diver out. Just make sure you get some type of referral (e.g. on this board) about your companion before you get into a van with taped off windows. Also, if you make arrangements, make them very public by posting them to this board, including the name of the person you are going with departure date/time and return date. Also, keeping everything public can diffuse a possible situation with a girlfriend/wife for us male divers, Thank You Very Much
.Just be careful and make sure the arrangements and expectations (its a dive, not a date) are stated up front, especially if your companion is male. I have a daughter, and I am sure your parents don't want to worry or to have to deal with a missing daughter - don't put that on them. Don't mean to be rude, just blunt. If it saves you trouble then we are all better for it.
Good luck with it though - Given the right conditions, I am sure you will find a buddy while you are here. This is a great and friendly group and there are a lot of cool places here.
Cheers!
Incidentally,
Divers Direct is on International Drive on the SW side of Orlando, and Kissimmee Pro Dive is South of Orlando on the East side of Kissimmee. Someone posted the # for Divers Direct, and the # for KPD is (407) 933-5090. Both are on the web.
At Divers Direct the staff is great and my wife prefers to talk to Jessica. At KPD Ron (former owner) or Gary (current owner) are good to talk to. I'm not affiliated with either shop in any way, I just finished paying for certs and full gear for both wife and daughter and was pleased with the treatment we got at both shops.
Divers Direct is on International Drive on the SW side of Orlando, and Kissimmee Pro Dive is South of Orlando on the East side of Kissimmee. Someone posted the # for Divers Direct, and the # for KPD is (407) 933-5090. Both are on the web.
At Divers Direct the staff is great and my wife prefers to talk to Jessica. At KPD Ron (former owner) or Gary (current owner) are good to talk to. I'm not affiliated with either shop in any way, I just finished paying for certs and full gear for both wife and daughter and was pleased with the treatment we got at both shops.
Sea Dog is a great op, they have to go out a little to get to the nice drop off where the wrecks are. The only other options that close are the springs up in Ocala, otherwise the turnpike is your friend as others have said.
In July there is a large meet and greet in the Key Largo area which might be worth going to if you can swing the trip.
In July there is a large meet and greet in the Key Largo area which might be worth going to if you can swing the trip.
scubafool
Contributor
I can recommend SeaDogs. If you want a buddy, which I would reccomend anyway, try to line one up beforehand, as SeaDogs caters to spearfishing, and not all spearfisherfolks are willing to dive with a boat buddy. Your other option in the area is Blue Springs. You need a buddy there also. Depths are to 60', with lots of upward flow from the spring. The hike down to the entry is rather long. Cost is around $10.
hagsc01
Registered
I am not sure what happened scubaforyou, but my wife and I have taken our OW cert. at different times at ScubaDiversions and have not had a problem with Kevin. He was suggested to me by other co-workers. We are in the process of buying gear and Kevin had the lowest price we found. I have not noticed the attitude. I think he has been teaching for like 30 years, I hope he does know a lot. I recommend him, for honest opinions, Some shops only tell you what it takes to sell their stuff, Kevin would not sell you something or lose the sale rather than sell you something you don't need.
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
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