January-February Diving Recommendations

[jlouder]

Hey all!

I'm an AOW certified diver (though I haven't been able to get out in a year or so) and I'm going to be in Fort Lauderdale for 8 weeks in January and February. I'm just looking for some general info about the area, dive shops I should check out and the best places to dive nearby. Anything that is in a weekend trip radius is great! Thanks in advance!

 

[iluvtheocean]

#1 take a refresher course since it's been so long. not expensive and a very good idea and at least a few charters require one since it's been so long since your last dive.

I recommend Gold Coast Scuba & Force-E. Shore diving or boat? Shore Diving is available from Pompano to Hollywood at various locations. Boat depends on where you want to go (reefs, wrecks, deep). nitrox is a plus.

and yes would be easy to find a buddy for a shore dive.. plenty of us around the area depending on the exact date.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Second that on a refresher. I know of an excellent NAUI instructor if you are interested. PM me for details..
Lots of good places to dive. Heck, you can stay in the Ft. Lauderdale area and dive dive dive to your hearts content and still sleep in your own (hotel?) bed at night! LOL Jupiter to the north is the place to be as the lemon sharks should be around at that time. A little further south, Blue Heron Bridge is the go when the tides are right and the ocean is angry. Continuing south, Boynton Beach is good. Jump to Broward County and you have wrecks and reefs, large and small dive boats to choose from. I like Diversity out of Deerfield Beach. It's a 12 pack. Further south, Pompano Dive center has a brand new 46' boat. Sweet. In Ft. Lauderdale, Sea Experience has pontoon boats, and even further south Ft. Lauderdale American Dream runs a dream of a boat.
that list is hardly inclusive and more posters will add more.
Good luck, and feel free to PM me if I may help you.

 

[sportxlh]

After the refresher course, which would be available via Gold Coast, Force-E or South Florida Dive HQ, you can head to Jupiter for some diving that almost always includes sharks, goliath grouper and turtles. I personally use Jupiter Dive Ceter (they can probably do a refresher too).

If macro is what you like, check out the Blue Heron Bridge Troll thread: lots of neat stuff to see and photograph on this shore dive. Force-E is nearby for tank and dive flag rentals.

Like scuba Jenny said, you can stay in Broward county. Pompano and Lauderdale by the Sea have really nice shallow reefs which are really nice if the marine conditions are flat-ish. Pompano also has many wrecks. You can also head to Key Largo on a weekend: it is not far and the shallow reefs are beautuful. I use Conch Republic

 

[keller34]

Isn't Jupiter supposed to have the Lemon shark invasion? I think that is mid Jan. I am planning a trip there. From Ft Laud it is about an hour up 95...about 4 hours for me though

 

[Chugwhump]

Isn't Jupiter supposed to have the Lemon shark invasion? I think that is mid Jan.

The Lemons are in Jupiter already.
It was reported to me last weekend that they are not laying on the bottom like catfish as yet, as their pre-spawn "lay about" has not begun.
They are swimming around right now.
The Lemons are reportedly HUGE this year.

Chug
Been there, done that.
Going back.