Ernie Roc
Registered
A warm hello to all! Glad to be here and hope to share some ocean with you all at some point. 
Hello from Miami...
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drrich2
Contributor
Welcome. In southeast Florida, you're in a fine region for scuba diving.
Richard.
Richard.
nolatom
Contributor
Welcome. That whole coast, up as far north as about Jupiter, is the beneficiary of the Gulf Stream. As a beginner you might want to dive in no-current water to start with where you fin away from boat anchor line to an out-and-back attraction--wreck, ledge, etc. It teaches you navigation, finning technique, the stuff you did in the pool.
But your local diving will (almost always) be drift-diving, where you divers, probably accompanied by the DM towing a surface buoy, all drift northward as you check out a ledge and the flora and fauna, while current takes both you and boat northward, and boat follows the buoy. So you don't have to kick much except to stay oriented north. And when you surface, boat should be nearby, you're all in the same piece of ocean, moving with current. Which means your tank lasts longer, since much less finning than the out-and-back dives.
A couple of skills you'll need, and will get good at over time, is the "free ascent", no anchor line to grip and slide upwards on. You'll get better on this pretty quickly, paying most attention to that 15-foot safety stop, and controlling your breath and your BC so you bleed off air to stop at 15 and stay there, you'll learn more about controlling buoyancy at 15 than you did deeper, as you'll use the inflate and dump valves along with your inhales and exhales to "breathe" yourself up and down, and to stay neutral when you need to. This is much easier to learn with an anchor line in your hand than in your free-ascent, but you'll get the hang of it (pun intended) pretty quickly.
The other skill is getting "kitted up" and ready to giant-stride into the ocean quickly, so you and your fellow divers are splashing in as a group, which then makes it easier to stay in a group, near the DM.
So, best wishes.
PS I just noticed you have 50-plus dives, so I'm preaching to the choir, but will leave the advice up anyway, it may benefit one of your buddies who's newer.
But your local diving will (almost always) be drift-diving, where you divers, probably accompanied by the DM towing a surface buoy, all drift northward as you check out a ledge and the flora and fauna, while current takes both you and boat northward, and boat follows the buoy. So you don't have to kick much except to stay oriented north. And when you surface, boat should be nearby, you're all in the same piece of ocean, moving with current. Which means your tank lasts longer, since much less finning than the out-and-back dives.
A couple of skills you'll need, and will get good at over time, is the "free ascent", no anchor line to grip and slide upwards on. You'll get better on this pretty quickly, paying most attention to that 15-foot safety stop, and controlling your breath and your BC so you bleed off air to stop at 15 and stay there, you'll learn more about controlling buoyancy at 15 than you did deeper, as you'll use the inflate and dump valves along with your inhales and exhales to "breathe" yourself up and down, and to stay neutral when you need to. This is much easier to learn with an anchor line in your hand than in your free-ascent, but you'll get the hang of it (pun intended) pretty quickly.
The other skill is getting "kitted up" and ready to giant-stride into the ocean quickly, so you and your fellow divers are splashing in as a group, which then makes it easier to stay in a group, near the DM.
So, best wishes.
PS I just noticed you have 50-plus dives, so I'm preaching to the choir, but will leave the advice up anyway, it may benefit one of your buddies who's newer.
Welcome! I live about 2 hrs west of you but get over to the east coast to dive approximately once a month. Most of my diving these days is in Palm Beach County ... Boynton Beach, Palm Beach, and Jupiter.
Bearded Diver
Contributor
Welcome
At this exact moment in time I'm a little south of you enjoying the keys.
The locals are claiming the water is getting cold....... I think the locals are crazy.
Enjoy the diving here and Jupiter is great with nice critters to see.
The locals are claiming the water is getting cold....... I think the locals are crazy.
Enjoy the diving here and Jupiter is great with nice critters to see.
seeker242
Contributor
Hello from 40 mi north of Miami.
Anything below 80 is cold.
I start cooking at anything above 70.
Tomorrow I have to wear my drysuit. If I see any butter or vegetable sides on the boat I will really start to wonder.
Yesterday in Jupiter I had 81-82. I was in a 3mm with a hooded vest. My next trip out in a few weeks I will be in my 5mm and will add my hooded vest shortly after. Yesterday was also a bit overcast and windy. Thankfully I brought along my boat coat. Those things are a godsend to keep you warm during the surface interval especially when it's cloudy and windy.
My northern friends say I've gone soft. Perhaps, but as a Floridian now for over 5 years, there is nothing worse than being cold in Florida!!!
A week ago Friday water temp around 65. Yesterday in key largo I had 82.
I was in a 3mm for key largo more for jellyfish than warmth
I was in a 3mm for key largo more for jellyfish than warmth
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