LBTS Recommendations?

[sbutts]

We're looking to do some shore diving during mid-July and looking for some recommendations.
1. Hotels on the beach or with easy access for shore diving
2. Dive shops for fills and possibly a boat dive or two.

Also is there any good resources for dive sites, mainly shore dives, around Lauderdale-by-the-Sea?

Thanks!

 

[HowardE]

Shore diving in LBTS is practically a can't miss. It's a straight swim out about 200 yards (just past the "swimming buoys") drop down, and you should be at the reef. Go East a little if you don't see reef... until you do. The reef runs North to South, and for a few miles.

In LBTS - there's Deep Blue Divers (commercial and A1A) who rents AL 80's pretty cheap. Also is "Scuba School" on Oakland Park, just off of A1A who also rents tanks, and does air and nitrox fills. - The Reef in LBTS is 15-20 fsw. If you swim out really far, you might hit 30' - so an AL 80 lasts a LONG time.

Hotels, there's so many it's hard to say. If you're looking for a large chain... on the beach... There's a Holiday Inn, and Ramada (3 buildings over from me) ON THE BEACH. Otherwise there's tons of Mom and Pop type places around. The last person who asked me, I suggested they check the Yellow pages, and put in 33308 for the zip.

Anything ON or EAST of A1A is going to be close enough to walk to the beach IN SCUBA GEAR - Even Better is on El Mar, or Galt Ocean Drive.

 

[sbutts]

Sounds great, thanks.

 

[vr24]

Actually, LBTS has TWO reefs... the first one is kind of a waste as the 2nd is just a short swim further and much nicer.

I usually park just south of commerical at the meters, and go out just south of the pier.

You will see Buoys, drop down about 20 feet past those, and keep swimming east, you'll see the first reef which is kind of wide, past that, you'll have about 50-100ft of sand and then the 2nd reef (about 30 yards or so past the end of the pier as a reference point)... you can go north or south of the pier, and it's impossible to miss, the depths on BOTH reefs are about 12-19 feet, my computer has only registered 20ft dragging on the bottom one time.

Deep Blue Divers is cool... a bit expensive for rentals, but whatever, nothing outrageous, think it's $45 or so for 24 hour period.

As stated above, ANY hotel east of A1A are close enough to walk from your hotel room straight into the water... and there are tons of small mom and pop places that are probably a great deal.

Just remember, to stay within a couple blocks of the pier, I never see anyone dive anywhere else, probably for a reason.

 

[divad]

There is a "third" reef line, or second depending on how you call it, at the boat mooring balls about a half mile out. Its a ledge at about thirty feet. I just PM-ed
You the name of the place that I stay at. You just walk a block to the beach, get out past the pier, and go south (usually against the current) then drift back and walk home. The place I stay is super-clean with full kitchens and a Publix up the street.

 

[HowardE]

Actually you are both right, but they are all not even truly considered to be the REAL "first" reef - which is 30' deep, and marked by the mooring buoys.

So when people say the "first reef" "second reef" - etc... Just be aware, that it's all PART of the "First Reef" which is really 30' deep.

Actually, LBTS has TWO reefs... the first one is kind of a waste as the 2nd is just a short swim further and much nicer.

Up by Commercial Blvd. I'm sure most locals would agree that the second part of the first reef better as you say... Down by my apartment (.6 miles south of Commercial) the first part of the first reef is better than the second part of the first reef, so our swim is shorter to the good stuff. We also have larger coral heads, and less of those "potholes" - and we live just a few blocks south of Hibiscus (in the high rise buildings).

Up North of the pier, there is also a different reef structure, depending on how far north you go from the Commercial Pier. We've dived up there as well. We've been a mile North of the Pier, and the reef is more sporatic up there, less linear.

Just remember, to stay within a couple blocks of the pier, I never see anyone dive anywhere else, probably for a reason.

I wouldn't go that far. As long as you are between Oakland Park Blvd, and Washingtonia (or even Pine Ave), you should be fine. That's a 2 mile stretch. People dive there all the time, just less than around the pier, since it's public access there, and by my apartment, it's private access. If you stay at the Ramada which is on the beach (3 buildings over from me), you'd have private access to some great reef.

 

[sbutts]

Excellent info and just wanted I wanted to know.

Any other good shore dives less than a days drive away? We're pretty hesitant of any drift diving at this stage, mainly just looking for easy-going shore dives.

 

[HowardE]

Excellent info and just wanted I wanted to know.

Any other good shore dives less than a days drive away? We're pretty hesitant of any drift diving at this stage, mainly just looking for easy-going shore dives.

That I couldn't tell you. I do know that there's close in (shore dive) reef pretty much from FLL proper (Las Olas) to Pompano Pier. If I dive anywhere else, it's from a boat.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

An FYI on the reef balls. We did a beach dive to them a couple weekends ago, and I barely hit 23ft. The hurricanes have pushed a large amount of sand there and its barely even a dropoff anymore. The relief is only 4-5 ft. I was amazed and quite a bit shocked after touting how wonderful the drop off was, only to see it more like a dip down.

 

[divad]

An FYI on the reef balls. We did a beach dive to them a couple weekends ago, and I barely hit 23ft. The hurricanes have pushed a large amount of sand there and its barely even a dropoff anymore. The relief is only 4-5 ft. I was amazed and quite a bit shocked after touting how wonderful the drop off was, only to see it more like a dip down.

Well that sucks. What about the middle of the first reef (halfway between the balls and the end of the pier)?