Headed for Destin!

[Guba]

I made reservations today for a long weekend of diving in Destin, Fl, for October 1-4. My buddy and I decided to change plans from a Cozumel trip to a road trip to Florida for several reasons...
1. As much as we love Cozumel, we've been there before, and we thought we'd try something new.
2. It IS the hurricane season, and if we got very unlucky in Coz, about the best we could do is head for home (providing we could actually fly out). If the Gulf is waved out, we can still find several onshore locations to get in some dives. Worst case...we head for home by highway.
3. Just as after hurricane Wilma in Coz, we wanted to throw our diving business to folks who needed and wanted our business in order to rebound. The Gulf Coast has taken a beating, and anything we can do to help is good, I think.
4. I want to see if all the stuff we see in the media has merit or not. I'm even going to collect data and water samples for my environmental systems class to analyze, as well as talk to as many locals as I can concerning the effects of the spill.
5. The total cost of the road trip, including diving, is about half of what we would spend on a Coz trip. (Sure, a few hours more in travel, but not really that much, and I don't mind driving.)
6. Finally, I just love road trips, particularly when they include DIVING!

If anyone has suggestions or helpful info, we'd love to hear from you. We'll report when we get back!

Bill

 

[cavemn]

We did the R/V on the beach at Destin one year. White sandy beaches. You'll like it.

 

[mike_s]

no oil in Destin. was there this past weekend. Clear as can be (except for a little late blooming june grass washing up). (they didn't really get hardly any oil except for a few tar balls washing up for a short period and that was quickly cleaned up)

lots of great places to eat there...

 

[Ray and Pam]

You can road trip to Cozumel or within 12 miles. We did our first ocean dives in Destin about 3 years ago. We dove something like "Brown Barge", more beer cans than fish. But the sand and water were beautiful, reminds me of the east side of Cozumel.

 

[vintagediver]

Keep going down the road a bit farther and visit one of my favorite places, "Museum of Man in the Sea", Panama City. Get the tee shirt. Panama City has great wreck diving. On the way back dive the Oriskany and then north to Vortex Springs to rinse the salt off. Stop in Mobile for seafood ( or New Orleans). Thats a great trip. Have fun.....

 

[mike_s]

Vintage Diver has a good suggestion.

Panama City is about an hour east and an easy day trip for wreck diving. The boats in Panama City don't wimp out in 2ft seas like the boats in Destin do either. So you've got a better chance of going out if the wind is blowing a little. I'd reccomend Panama City Diving Charters and run by Capt Pat Green. Better Bottom Time by Capt John Lunsy (sp?) is good also, but a smaller boat.

Vortex is about an hour from destin and maybe 45-50 minutes from Panama City. It's ok, but not something you'd want to visit on a busy weekend. Morrison Springs about 15 minutes south of there is much prettier and free to dive at.

The Oriskany is a "must doo" if you're coming this far.

 

[jalistair]

I miss Destin, and to think when I lived close by I did not dive back then

 

[Texas Torpedo]

Thanks for the info... I'll be diving the Oriskany Oct 1-4 and have a fair amount of time before and after.. Any wrecks around Panama City you specifically recommend?

Thanks,
David

 

[Mack Diver]

The sand in Destin is white like a sheet of paper. When it is hot, the sand squeeks as you walk across it. Amazingly beautiful.

I agree that the better diving is in Panama City. Don't get suckered into a victory ship dive, thinking it is a wreck. They basicaly cut the ship just above the water line and sank the keel.

If you get in the mood for a cold one or three, Floribama is the place to go. Its about 15 minutes west of Pensacola.

Have fun.

 

[mike_s]

Thanks for the info... I'll be diving the Oriskany Oct 1-4 and have a fair amount of time before and after.. Any wrecks around Panama City you specifically recommend?

Thanks,
David

In PCB, you pretty much go where the boat captain wants to go. Typically on a 4hr inshore trip that will be to the Black Bart (180ft tug) and a bridge span or to the Red Sea (180ft tug also) and a bridge span. both are excellent wrecks and good for light penetration. (cut open wide, lots of exits, etc). most of the bridge spans and the two tugs above are about 40-50ft to the tops and about 70' to the sand.

Other places common on the 4 hr trips are the USS Strength, a mine ship. sunk in about 70ft to the sand.

offshore lots of other wrecks....


I highly reccomend Amazon.com: Diving Guide to Underwater Florida, 11th Edition (9781878348395): Ned DeLoach: Books for $13 bucks

EDIT:
Found the book on Panama City DIving.

Info here... (although doesn't show much)
Products

SCUBA Panama City by Danny Grizzard. 1999 edition with inserted update including the ACCOKEEK. 58 page booklet with photographs of local sites. Including sinking

shots of many local artificial reefs. Includes sites are far back as 1975 and as recent as July of 2000. Includes color and black and white photos both underwater and topside. Price: $10.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling
​

can be bought from

Florida Aquatic & Marine
Products Department
PO Box 2116
Panama City, Fl. 32401
(850)872-8016
products@gulfreefs.org​

Looks like they also have a video called "The Wrecks of Panama City" but I don't know anything about it.

The sand in Destin is white like a sheet of paper. When it is hot, the sand squeeks as you walk across it. Amazingly beautiful.

Destin and the area around it has some of the prettiest sand in the world.

I agree that the better diving is in Panama City. Don't get suckered into a victory ship dive, thinking it is a wreck. They basicaly cut the ship just above the water line and sank the keel.

I've heard the Liberty boat in PCB wasn't that great to dive. but heard the one in Destin was good to dive. It's more intact.

If you get in the mood for a cold one or three, Floribama is the place to go. Its about 15 minutes west of Pensacola.

the Florabama is a long ass drive from Destin. I'd say it's a little further than 15 minutes west of P'cola also. maybe 30-45 depending on beach traffic. It's a good 1.5 hour or more from Destin.