How's Port St. Lucie in Winter?

[kramynot2000]

My wife and I are still planning our trip to Florida and now were set to go the weekend between Christmas and New Year. We'll be staying at Port St. Lucie. From the website it says Ft. Pierce is a good dive area but doesn't have any more info than that.

Can anyone tell me what the weather and diving are like in that area of Florida during that time?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[baitedstorm]

The diving in Fort Pierce usually isn't all that wonderful (viz wise), if you catch it on a good day you'll be fine. We always shoot down to West Palm Beach, other than the cold water, I haven't had any worries diving in the winter. You'll have to let us (Murphdivers286) know when your coming so we can all get together and dive.
Hope that helps a little, most of us here are WWW so the dive boats aren't usually croward that time of the year either!!

 

[Orlando Eric]

WWW = Winter wonderland wussies?

Winter time diving in Florida. The seas get a little choppy 6'-8'. I dive a 3mil farmer john with a 3 mil shorty effectivley giving me a 6mil trunk and thigh with 3 mil legs and arms. If it gets colder I opt for the hood.

I am in with Baited Storm let the conchs know and we will jump in with you. Personally I'll dive in any seas, I have dove when the untied equipment was washing over the deck.

Even at it's worst diving in Florida's winter is better than diving in the Northeast in Summer! (or so I've heard)

 

[kramynot2000]

The diving in Fort Pierce usually isn't all that wonderful (viz wise), if you catch it on a good day you'll be fine. We always shoot down to West Palm Beach, other than the cold water, I haven't had any worries diving in the winter. You'll have to let us (Murphdivers286) know when your coming so we can all get together and dive.
Hope that helps a little, most of us here are WWW so the dive boats aren't usually croward that time of the year either!!

I'll definitely send you all a PM. Right now we're looking at arriving the day after Christmas and leaving the day after New Year but we need to check for flights.

Uh oh, when you say cold, how cold is that? I've dove in the winter in British Columbia so I think I'll be OK but my wife.... well she don't like the cold too much. And to make it worse, we just got back from a trip to Paradise Island in the Bahamas so anything colder than 87 deg will probably feel a little chilly.

Any dive operations in West Palm Beach that you can suggest?

 

[baitedstorm]

Any dive operations in West Palm Beach that you can suggest?

RAMPAGE!!!!!! They are amazing, I only dive their boat unless I'm with a class or Rampage gets full. (www.palmbeachdiving.com)

I checked my log book an last year New Years Eve it was 72f in Jupiter @ 75ft (brrrrrrrrr at least for us Warm Water Wussie's) sea weren't bad, forgot to write it down but I don't recall anyone feeding fish that day..

good try Eric.(www)..:lol: and I'm with you, as long as the viz holds, I'll dive in rougher seas.

 

[kramynot2000]

I checked my log book an last year New Years Eve it was 72f in Jupiter @ 75ft (brrrrrrrrr at least for us Warm Water Wussie's) sea weren't bad, forgot to write it down but I don't recall anyone feeding fish that day..

72f is like a hot tub out here! But I guess its all relative. When I first started diving in Monterey I froze. Temps were in the upper 50's. Now after some colder diving (last weekend I did some deco in Lake Tahoe and it was 46f at depth) I feel hot in that 55f water.

This is great, I'll pick up a 3mm I guess for the trip. I'll check out that website too. It'll be great to hook up with some local divers to show us the way! I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Scuba_Dad]

Tony,
I paid my penance in Sunnyvale... Diving Monterey Bay is a lot colder than anything we get down here. Even the frigid Florida lakes (Central Florida) only get down to about 59 degrees. 3mm is fine down here. That's all I ever use.

Al