A drift dive in a strong current, while fun, is not that easy if you've never jumped off a boat before. Unless I misread the question, they're interested in the easiest/cheapest/best place for beginners who are not even certified yet. Keys dives are often like jumping in an aquarium and I don't know of any place that offers trips with tanks for 40 bucks. In WPB you'll be paying about $20.00 more for tanks than the $45.00 to $55.00 boat fee.
Key Largo versus West Palm Beach
- Thread starter doorman907
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I just looked at the WPB website which offers the promenently displayed feature of on-line parking ticket payment. I can think of zero reasons why anyone would want to spend their vaction there, aside from the diving and, of course, online parking ticket payment.
MY01SHADOW
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evad:
I agree with EVAD. This being your first OW dives, concentrate on where and at what depth you would feel more comfortable. Not to mention comfortable taking your wife. Lots to see in the Keys at comfortable depths for new divers. The key to enjoying the Keys is to stay away from the cattle boats and letting the boat captain/DM know before you leave the docks that you are new to diving. That way you're less likely to get taken to a site where you'll get in over your heads (I know, bad pun). It'll make your experience much more relaxing and help build your confidence to try more difficult sites.
That said, WPB has GREAT diving (just as your instructor said). But those northbound currents can sometimes get REAL strong and make just holding onto the buoy line on your safety stop feel like work. Probably not the best situation for new divers. Also, the reefs are 15-20' deeper than the Keys.
Bottom line... don't put so much emphasis on the cost differential between the two places. Remember, nobody ever said diving was cheap. Go where you'll be comfortable so that you and your wife might have a positive first diving experience and want to come back for more and experience new things and challenges.
Just my .02, take it for what it's worth.
Mike
Charlie99
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The specific dive site isn't going to make much difference in difficulty, other than wrecks. Most dives on the inside of the reef are around 65' to the sand. Most sites on the outside of the reef are around 80' to the sand.doorman907:
Most boats will drop multiple groups of divers, each with their own ball/float/flag. If everyone else wanted to do the outside, the boat would just drop you and your wife off with your own ball.
One of the more beginner-friendly boats I've been on in the WPB area is Starfish Enterprise out of Lantana.
I prefer the Boynton Beach / WPB area, but as I posted above, I think you will have a better time going to Key Largo on your very first dive trip.
Charlie
evad:
Wow sounds like a Drift dive is like jet packs on!!!!! You dive off a boat! Wow thats real hard!! The Gulfstream 2-weeks ago WAS NONE!NOTA!! O- I had to use my fins!!
Its not hard at all!!!!!!!!!!
Man thats Great I can Pay My ticket that I did not get on line Thanks!!!
Hey I Like the Keys, But Some places are old and run down some not cheap,- and seen more Life Near PlamlBeach Than Any dive in the keys! But the wrecks in the Keys for ADV divers is a Must Do!
Yes To BoyntonBeach!! A divers Paradise,And most folks dont know about!!
Opps! DONT TELL ANYONE!!
Whatever you decide, I'd highly recommend that you hire a local guide. You'll have a personalized guided underwater tour, and you might even choose to credit the experience toward your advanced open water certification. PADI calls these individual component dives "Adventure Dives", but most agencies offer something similar.
Drift diving is fun, and well worth learning. In some locales, like WPB and Cozumel, practically all diving is drift diving. I can't tell you how many times I've seen unskilled (novice or not) divers blow their safety stop and rocket to the surface at the end of a drift dive. You'll need good bouyancy control to execute a safety stop "on the fly".
Other possible adventure dives include fish identification, underwater photography, wreck diving, deep diving, underwater navigation, and peak performance bouyancy. Be sure to let the dive op know in advance if you want to credit your dives toward your advanced open water certification.
Dive safely, have fun, and never stop learning!
Drift diving is fun, and well worth learning. In some locales, like WPB and Cozumel, practically all diving is drift diving. I can't tell you how many times I've seen unskilled (novice or not) divers blow their safety stop and rocket to the surface at the end of a drift dive. You'll need good bouyancy control to execute a safety stop "on the fly".
Other possible adventure dives include fish identification, underwater photography, wreck diving, deep diving, underwater navigation, and peak performance bouyancy. Be sure to let the dive op know in advance if you want to credit your dives toward your advanced open water certification.
Dive safely, have fun, and never stop learning!
I lived in palm beach and dove my brains out there. Last summer I took the family to key largo. Both places are great.
Key largo, the reefs are shallow, the ocean very warm and calm. I can snorkel with my 7 year old daughter, most the time I left my dive gear on the boat and just snorkeled.
Palm Beach, drift diving is fun, I never needed a c-card that said advanced on it to dive shipwrecks like you do in key largo, where else can you go diving in the morning and then surfing in the afternoon.
The only solution is to dive both places.
Key largo, the reefs are shallow, the ocean very warm and calm. I can snorkel with my 7 year old daughter, most the time I left my dive gear on the boat and just snorkeled.
Palm Beach, drift diving is fun, I never needed a c-card that said advanced on it to dive shipwrecks like you do in key largo, where else can you go diving in the morning and then surfing in the afternoon.
The only solution is to dive both places.
We have to have an advanced cert to dive the wrecks in Key Largo? I will be getting my advanced in April, daughter and husband already have AOW, but my son in law will be OW cert. His boss is an avid diver and has him all hyped to dive the Spiegel Grove, but will he be required to show an AOW card in order to dive there? Thanks,
Foo
Foo
Foo:
I was not allowed to dive with Aquanuts on the shipwrecks in Key Largo because I do not have an advanced c-card. Went to Ocean Divers and they let me go out with them only because my log book had recently logged deep dives. This was never an issue in Palm Beach. It seems to be a restriction put on by the dive operators and not the certification agency.
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