Gulf Coast Florida Diving

[Aquafemme]

I will be spending 2 weeks in the Fort Myers Beach/Sanibel Island area and am hoping to get some feedback on dives and also companies to take me out into the great blue! Please let me know what you know!!

 

[offroaddiver]

I was just in that area in early june in Port Charlotte,FL. http://www.puntagordavisitor.info/ This is a link for punta gorda.

The charters that I was refered to by almost every dive shop I inquired about...
http://www.spair-time.com/

The best food and shopping was...
http://www.fishville.com/index.html

There were two dive shops other than the one at fisherman's village I visited...
http://www.fantaseascuba.com/
http://www.depthfinders.com/
Fantasea scuba was a larger dive shop than the other. Neither one had their own charters when I was there. Fantasea said something about their usual guy on vacation.

If you want any more info I'll try my best to help ya out.

 

[del_mo]

Consider http://floridawestscuba.com/ out of Venice. They do fossil dives and you will definately find some cool stuff....like megladon teeth.

 

[JustJoe]

The dive shops and charters mentioned are 45 minutes to an hour North of Fort Myers, more from Sanibel. If I was going to drive, I would go the extra hour (or hour and a half according to how fast you drive) to Fort Lauderdale. But that is just me.

Diving in the Gulf is a whole 'nother ball game. The Gulf is shallow and murky for the most part. A good vis is 30' with averages being much lower (10' maybe). We don't have much in the way to look at either if you are interested in reefs and such. What the Gulf does offer is excellent spearfishing and fossil hunting, if that is what floats your boat. Otherwise, go to Ft Lauderdale.

Area dive shops.

Joe

 

[Aquafemme]

Thanks for all of the feedback...I will check it all out. I am used to diving in the Northwest (Seattle), so 30' vis sounds great to me!! Please keep the advice coming! How far of a drive is Fort Lauderdale from Sanibel?

Thanks again!!
Kimberly