Maitland, FL

[SterlingDiver]

I am a member on a Advisory Committe of a large company that has announced their next meeting will be held in Maitland, FL on June 15, 16 of this year. It will be very easy to get them to arrange my airfare so that I can stayover through the weekend.

I am thinking I can dive the 17th and 18th. I have never dove in your beautiful state, any suggestions would be most appreciated. I will probally rent a car but don't want spend all of time drivng, mostly diving. I have never dove any fresh water springs, just cenotes in Mexico. I enjoy boat diving, moored or drift.

Any thoughts?? Anyone want to show a master diver from Utah around???? I'll be happy to contribute to your expenses.

Best Regards,


Dave

 

[metaldector]

I don't want to be rude, but this has been discussed many times before. Check out the FL Conch site here on SB and I'm sure you'll find the answers to your question. The short of it is that Blue Spring is 40 minutes from Maitland and West Palm Beach is 3 hours. If you're interested in diving Blue Spring it cost $10.30 to dive. Your dates don't work for me, but I'm sure others will be glad to dive with you. Let us know if you are bringing equipment or need to rent?

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I would recommend driving to Jupiter or West Palm from Maitland if you want drift diving with "warm water and pretty fish". If you're more intereste in the springs and caves, head north from Maitland to Ginnie Springs, Devils Den, etc. I'm arranging a trip to West Palm that weekend. You'd be more than welcome to dive with us!

 

[SterlingDiver]

I don't want to be rude, but this has been discussed many times before. Check out the FL Conch site here on SB and I'm sure you'll find the answers to your question. The short of it is that Blue Spring is 40 minutes from Maitland and West Palm Beach is 3 hours. If you're interested in diving Blue Spring it cost $10.30 to dive. Your dates don't work for me, but I'm sure others will be glad to dive with you. Let us know if you are bringing equipment or need to rent?

....didn't find what I was looking for. I was hoping for a little personal help. I have been the giver and beneficiary of such help through the years.

I have all of my own gear that I will be bringing. I will just need tanks and weights.

Dave

 

[SterlingDiver]

I would recommend driving to Jupiter or West Palm from Maitland if you want drift diving with "warm water and pretty fish". If you're more intereste in the springs and caves, head north from Maitland to Ginnie Springs, Devils Den, etc. I'm arranging a trip to West Palm that weekend. You'd be more than welcome to dive with us!

........I appreciate your suggestions and very well may take you up on your kind offer.

Let's see what other's have to say.

Dave

 

[scubafool]

Alexander Springs is about 1 1/2 hours drive from the Orlando area. That, and Blue Springs, would probably be the closest freshwater diving to your location.

There is also the option of diving off of Daytona/New Smyrna Beach. Not always the best vis, though.

 

[simbrooks]

If you search out Central Florida or Orlando you'll find plenty - springs 40mins - 3 hours away, boat diving in New Symrna 1 hour, Jupiter 2 hours, WPB and further south 2.5-3.5 (Hollywood/Miami). What are you after? You wouldnt find much searching out Maitland as it really is just a mini-suburb of greater Orlando, just a different postal address I will see what comes up and if i am free around then.

 

[SterlingDiver]

If you search out Central Florida or Orlando you'll find plenty - springs 40mins - 3 hours away, boat diving in New Symrna 1 hour, Jupiter 2 hours, WPB and further south 2.5-3.5 (Hollywood/Miami). What are you after? You wouldnt find much searching out Maitland as it really is just a mini-suburb of greater Orlando, just a different postal address I will see what comes up and if i am free around then.

......earlier today I finally figured out where Maitland is. It is not on too many maps on the internet. It must have some great golf courses for the company to chose it as a meeting location. I can golf here all I want, but I am 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean.

I am not cave dive certified so I am leaning towards the Jupiter to Ft Lauderdale area. I should be able to arrange to have my return flight leave out of Palm Beach or Ft Lauderdale. I am thinking about renting a car, leaving my meetings at the end of the business day Thursday, travel to a hotel near the dive operator so I can get up and make the early dive Friday. I hope to get 5-6 dives in before flying out Sunday.

Any area, dive operator and dive sites you would recommend???

Thank you,

Dave

 

[simbrooks]

......earlier today I finally figured out where Maitland is. It is not on too many maps on the internet. It must have some great golf courses for the company to chose it as a meeting location. I can golf here all I want, but I am 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean.

Yeh its kind of out of the way, but its not CO distance Still aim at a good 2-3 hour drive, plus rush hour if you are heading out at that time of day.

I am not cave dive certified so I am leaning towards the Jupiter to Ft Lauderdale area. I should be able to arrange to have my return flight leave out of Palm Beach or Ft Lauderdale. I am thinking about renting a car, leaving my meetings at the end of the business day Thursday, travel to a hotel near the dive operator so I can get up and make the early dive Friday. I hope to get 5-6 dives in before flying out Sunday.

Any area, dive operator and dive sites you would recommend???

Nothing springs to mind as outstanding, i have enjoyed diving out of Jupiter, WPB, Boynton Beach and Ft Lauderdale, there are others inbetween - i'll leave recommendations to them. However, you dont need to be cave certified to dive the caverns in the state parks or some up towards cave country, within a 2 hour drive of Orlando. Sounds like you have a solid plan though, maybe a day or so in each port? Of course you might have to stay on the same boat to do two sets of dives in the same day, they are kind of spread out enough that if want some variety you probably wont be able to haul between two operations in the "lunchbreak" period.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

Everyone has their own favorites, but I would recommend the following operators:

Jupiter
Jupiter Dive Charters (www.jupiterdivecharters.com)

West Palm
Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures (www.scuba-adventures.com)
Pura Vida Divers (www.puravidadivers.com)

Boynton Beach
Splashdown Divers (www.splashdowndivers.com)

Pompano Beach
Parrot Island Scuba (www.parrotislandscuba.com)

Good luck with the trip! If I can help, let me know.