Info on West Palm Beach area diving in January

[murdrcycle]

Which location offers better diving - Jupiter or Boyton Beach?

 

[Jupiter31]

Which location offers better diving - Jupiter or Boyton Beach?

Boy, you could start a fight over that question! But its a good one with many different opinions - alco they are both wonderful, so you really can't go wrong in either place.

They are excellent areas and well worth diving - Boynton's sights are a little closer in - the reef line runs parallel to the beach for what seems like a couple of miles - and the reefs are beautiful - I think the best in FL. Sites - exception some of the wrecks - are a little shallower vs Jupiter - about 60' give or take. Sea life is good; reefs are healthy - IMO, the best in FL.

Jupiter - I'm not objective, let me state that at the outset - I think Jupiter is the best place to dive in FL, as an overall great site - you stand a better chance of seeing large animals in Jupiter, consistantly, than any other place in FL. Wheather its the goliath grouper (f/k/s jewfish) aggregation, or the lemon sharks, Jupiter has some really coool and unique diving - along with the best site in FL - "Tunnels" (IMO).

Now for the other side of the coin - Jupiter is all deep (60 - 90') sites and all current diving - the deeper dives mean that 90% of the boat will likely be NITROX certified to get 40/45 mins vs 20/25 min's.

Also, seeing a large shark, ray, turtle is scary to many, especially new divers - if you can't control your bouyancy and you kick up sand, you will not be popular w/ your fellow divers, as the silt you stir up (not "you" of course - using the word you to describe others) stays with you as you drift w/ the current.

So as a new diver should you bag Jupiter - no - you can pick your days for good weather - you can also for a very reasonable fee hire a DM to dive w/ you - Jupiter Dive Center - and others no doubt - can set this up for you.

While you can't go wrong with either, I think you can tell who I give the edge to!

 

[mwalsh787]

Just dove with Underwater Explorers today and I would very much recommend them if you are going to get down to Boynton. Excellent operation. Wherever you go, have fun and be safe!