Jupiter or Key Largo?

[Steve P]

I'll be in the Orlando area for business & to visit family July 20 - 24 & have time for one day diving. Was thinking about driving to Key Largo but the question is, am I passing up good diving in Jupiter or West Palm Beach area and adding considerable driving time by heading to the Keys? After reading some posts here it looks like Jupiter may be the way to go. While I have dove the Keys I have yet to dive Jupiter/West Palm area. Could use some suggestions from the Florida Conch Divers.

If you were visiting from the land of cold lakes & poor vis & had one day in South Florida, where would you dive? :06:

Steve

 

[JustJoe]

If you were visiting from the land of cold lakes & poor vis & had one day in South Florida, where would you dive? :06:

Steve

That depends. If you are looking for great reefs, larger marine life, and a little bit of depth, you can't beat Jupiter. IF you are looking for shallower dives, great corals and an abundance of tropical fish, the Keys are the way to go.

What kind of dives interest you?

Joe

 

[Talon]

Depends on what you are wanting to do. For wrecks - GO TO LARGO!!! Hit the Duane and Bibb. If you have time, do the Spiegel. But make the Duane your top priority. She is just awesome. For reefs - depends on what you are looking for. But you can find anything you would see in the Keys in the Jupiter/WPB area - it is just a little deeper. But you save 2 hours travel time and dive trips are cheaper in Jupiter/WPB.

Between Jupiter and WPB. While Jupiter is a little deeper - most dives are in the 70 - 90 foot range, my persoanl opinion is that it BLOWS away WPB. If you want to see pretty coral and scenery - hit Loggerhead in Jupiter. If you are looking for Sharks and Jew Fish - hit Tunnels (max depth 70 feet) or any deeper ledge.

But don't get me wrong - WPB is VERY nice and it probably geared more towards the vacation diver. In WPB check out Pura Vida or Narcosis. Pura Vida is VERY newbie friendly, and runs a nice friendly atmosphere. If you are an active diver, bypass them and head over to Narcosis. They are less restrictive and hit better sites. Also has simply the BEST boat I have ever dove off of. She is over 50 feet long and provides a VERY comfortable ride. And the usual deck hand is cute as a button

In Jupiter - I suggest Jupiter Dive Center (www.jupiterdivecenter.com). Randy caters to more of the "experienced" diver types. Which gives you a more liberal dive profile and hits the BEST sites around. Another good charter in Jupiter is Capt. Pauls Jupiter dive Charters (www.jupiterdivecharters.com). Both run excellent operations!

If you do go down to the Key Largo - try out Conch Republic. Gary and Brenda are AWESOME and will take good care of you.

Good luck and enjoy your diving. The good news is this: YOU CAN'T MAKE A BAD DECISION. You will have a BLAST with all the options.

Have fun,
Michael Wheat

 

[Steve P]

Joe & Michael, thanks for the tips! I have dove the Duane before and did enjoy it but have yet to dive the Spiegel Grove. This looks like a must do wreck dive! However, my wife & I are planning a full week trip to the keys next year so I'm thinking Jupiter or West Palm makes more sense for me on this brief trip.

I've been diving for quite a few years and have logged ~ 25 dives last couple of months in Bay Islands & a couple of cold dives back in Illinois (that will send you back to warm water in a hurry!) so from an experience standpoint Jupiter sounds appropriate. From what I can tell Jupiter is all drift diving. Is that correct? If, as Joe points out, its great reefs, larger marine life and a bit of depth then I don't see why I would need to drive any further. Sharks & Jew fish? Sign me up! Thanks again for the info.


Steve

 

[RonFrank]

For July 23rd (WPB) and 24th (Jupiter).

I have not done either, so I'm going to try them both.

If you are looking to meet some people off SB and dive, we are doing the Marti Gras Float in the AM on the 23rd, and Jupiter Diver Charters (Temptation) for a three tank dive on 7/24.

We are ALSO planning on doing a shore dive at LBTS on the evening of 7/22 or 7/23 tenative.

L8R

 

[Talon]

Yes, you are correct. You will be doing drift dives in Jupiter and/or WPB. You sound like an experienced diver and you should have a great time. When you get back, write up a trip report and let us know how it went!

Have a safe trip!
Michael

P.S. If you want sharks and Jew fish -- seriously, request Tunnels. Just try to be in front of the group a little bit. Tons of Jew Fish and Sharks right at the VERY beginning.

 

[JustJoe]

In Ned DeLoach's book, Guide to Underwater Florida, he has a dive called NW Doubles Shark Dive. I did this and saw 8 or so good sized sharks. Nice dive. Jolly Jacks also had two good sized jewfish hanging around and is just a short boat ride from the other site. Of course, a bunch of other sea life hanging around.

These are drift dives. The current can be ripping, so bring a smb. But mostly, have a great dive.

Joe

 

[Steve P]

I've booked with Jupiter Diver Charters for next Fri, 7/22. Looks like there are still ~ 8 spots available. If any Florida Conch divers are interested let me know or send a PM. I'll need to hook up with a buddy since my wife isn't making the trip.

After reading about the Spiegel Grove I started leaning back towards Largo but not sure if it will even be "cleared" for diving. I still can't imagine how a wreck that size shifts 90 degrees! Well, hopefully it will still be upright next year when we plan on a full week in the keys.

steve