How long to get to dive destinations?

[simbrooks]

This (long) weekend i have a fairly busy schedule, driving 2.5 hours to pick up a buddy then a further 1 hour to get to the SE coast of FL, then i will do a few more dives the following day which will probably be within about 20-30 mins of each other. Saturday morning i will then drive the best part of 3.5 hours across state to dive with another buddy for the day before completing my triangular course back to Orlando with another 2 hour drive. I recall when i went to SoCal that some of the people i dove with complained somewhat of the drive from Ventura to around San Pedro or Long Beach (cant recall which does the ride out to Catalina), which is only about 1.5 hours unless nasty traffic, which i would think nothing to drive to get to a site - in fact only a couple of places are within reach of Orlando and diveable in that kind of drive time. I also heard the PNW there are loads of shore dives around Puget Sound that are close to the main cities there. I also hear of some poor unfortunate folks who have to take a plane out to dive as they are so land locked. I know of others who live right on the beach and can almost roll out of bed into the water (in fact during the recent hurricanes, the water almost came to their beds ).

So this lead me to wonder how long people have to take to get to their dive destinations, i am not including dive boat trip time, just travel time to the beach/dock. So how long does it take you to typically (your usual dives) get somewhere to get wet?

Yes i do know my phrasing is very subjective for each time length as some people would call 2 hours a long drive, etc

 

[OneBrightGator]

To the bottom of my wallet... which lately, ain't very far!

 

[Scubakevdm]

Ahh... It's about a 80 second walk from my livingroom, but if I drive, and park in my driveway it cuts it down to about 74 seconds. If my gear isn't on the boat yet, and I have to carry it that slows me way down. I usually like to leave at least one full minute earlier when I'm carring my gear, just in case.

 

[razor]

Ahh... It's about a 80 second walk from my livingroom, but if I drive, and park in my driveway it cuts it down to about 74 seconds. If my gear isn't on the boat yet, and I have to carry it that slows me way down. I usually like to leave at least one full minute earlier when I'm carring my gear, just in case.

Thats not even funny..80 seconds dam*. I live in Denver..3hr flight to Cancun and 2 hr drive to Playa and and a ferry ride to COZ.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Count me among the "very lucky".

Now if I could only find the time now that the weather is agreeable.

Marc

 

[Keysdrifter454]

Yes i do know my phrasing is very subjective for each time length as some people would call 2 hours a long drive, etc

The only dive destination I -truly- desire to dive, that I haven't, is the Bikini (DETC) Atoll.

The drive time there would be a bit stiff.

I don't fly to dive, it's a foolish waste of dive fundage (personal preferance).

I drove 18 hrs round trip to dive in New York harbor (several times).

I drove 18 hrs round trip to dive in Gilboa (several times).

I drove 8 hrs round trip to dive in a quarry this weekend.

I drive 34 hrs round trip to dive in the Keys, but I usually dive in intermediate stops on the way down and back.

Where I lived till recently, there was suitable diving within an hour, and the ocean was 8-10 hours away (east or south).

I could make a nice sunday afternoon in a national park out of a dive and a picnic.

When I lived in Florida, I could be on a world class reef less than an hour from my house, 30 minutes on a good day.

So my answer is, I drive where I want, to dive where I want.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I know of others who live right on the beach and can almost roll out of bed into the water (in fact during the recent hurricanes, the water almost came to their beds ).

Hey! I resemble that remark! And I live(d) on the second floor, so I wasn't exactly anticipating swim-out diving.

At least until I figure out what to do about my apartment (no roof, power, water, phone, or internet) I'm still claiming to live right at the dive site. Kit up on the porch and walk into the water in less than a minute.

I get to go back to the island Oct 23. Counting the days now.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Long weekend make more driving time allowable I've driven 6 hours to Huntsville to dive Rock Divers. I'll be driving 7 hours to Gainsville/Ocala area for Ginnie later this month.

Most weekends, especially lately since closer sites aren't accesible due to hurricane clean-up, I've been driving 2-3 hours to Destin/Marianna/PanamaCity for dives. During normal circumstances, I would split the weekends I go that far up and hit closer sites within 1.5hours and 30mins away(just not an option right now).

Looking through my logbook, I've hit up a dive site thats within 30min of me more-so than any other dive. Thats mainly because I can work the "8-5", get home and pack up, get to the dive site, dive thru dusk and into the night, get out, clean up, eat, go home, and be in bed by 11PM or midnight... repeat.

 

[mossym]

i do the hour and a half from the bay area to Monterery most weekends, have started to do it on a wednesday night too for night diving...never feel the distance on the way home on a wednesday night, post dive bliss takes cares of that

 

[Padipro]

Count me very lucky as well. It's a straight shot down I 595 to the beach and the boat. That's why I moved to South Florida.