Info Looking for recommendations in Florida East Coast

[Jake 10]

Hello

My three sons, ages (19+) are PADI AOW and/or PADI MSD certified. We do not have Nitrox certification. We have between 36 and 86 dives each.
What LDS, Dive Center, reefs, wrecks, and dives would you recommend in the Florida East Coast? We have done the Keys several times from Key Largo to Key West. We are looking towards Boca Raton and/to Jupiter areas.

I have spent some time reading several reports for JDC, PV, BHB, Loggerhead, Starfish, etc. Many of their website require Nitrox for drift diving. I was wondering if air is OK or acceptable.

Thank you

 

[PatW]

If you hung around Palm Beach, you could do Jupiter (80’ and big critters like sharks and Goliath grouper), Palm Beach (60’) and the Blue Heron Bridge (world class much diving). Pompano Beach is good. Anywhere from 100’ to 40’. You get some nice soft corals at Pompano.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Most operators with a few exceptions allow air. You are just limited to a shorter maximum bottom time.

Some special charters (Jupiter 3-tanker for example) or specific sites require Nitrox. For example, Starfish requires Nitrox to dive the MV Castor.

Pura Vida, for example, always allow air divers on any Rec charter, they just set a lower bottom time maximum.

 

[Jake 10]

any reports on Calypso Dive Center? I could not find one on the boards/

 

[Divin'Papaw]

any reports on Calypso Dive Center? I could not find one on the boards/

They are one of the shark feeding operators. I don't use the charters that engage in that practice. Others who have dived with them will chime in I'm sure. I have nothing to add other than to make sure you are aware of the fact that, on some of their charters, they will bait the sharks.

 

[tbone1004]

Hello

My three sons, ages (19+) are PADI AOW and/or PADI MSD certified. We do not have Nitrox certification. We have between 36 and 86 dives each.
What LDS, Dive Center, reefs, wrecks, and dives would you recommend in the Florida East Coast? We have done the Keys several times from Key Largo to Key West. We are looking towards Boca Raton and/to Jupiter areas.

I have spent some time reading several reports for JDC, PV, BHB, Loggerhead, Starfish, etc. Many of their website require Nitrox for drift diving. I was wondering if air is OK or acceptable.

Thank you

why not contact someone like @LandonL who is not only a technical instructor but also an MD with hyperbaric training and take a nitrox class while you're diving in the area? He is co-owner of AQUI Water Sports Fort Lauderdale which is a great shop to dive out of and also has relationships with the dive operations in the Ft. Lauderdale area

 

[scubadada]

Just do nitrox online and visit your LDS for the nitrox cert. It would improve your visit to SE Florida immensely. You really do not want to be doing air profiles while everyone else is doing nitrox, 32-36%. Then you could dive any of the operators in Boynton Beach, West Palm. or Jupiter and get your money's worth. I have many reviews of Palm Beach County, you have probably seen some of them.

Nitrox cert is probably the single best upgrade to OW, can't figure out why you have done all the other training without nitrox.

 

[Jake 10]

Would you believe my sons don’t want to do Nitrox ?

 

[parzdiver]

Would you believe my sons don’t want to do Nitrox ?

Not sure why they wouldn't want longer bottom times.... Seems odd.

 

[svs]

Jupiter is ideal for nitrox. Nitrox will give you around 45 min bottom time on most popular sites while air is only about 25 min. Reefs further south such as pompano is a little shallower, more suitable for air