Miami (SE Florida) Suggestions for a 4-5 day stay???

[AlmightyApkallu]

Thanks to all those who helped in my Panhandle thread. I'm planning a two~ish week trip to Florida, part will be spent in the Panhandle but I'll be spending more time in the Miami area. I'm guessing 4-5 days. I'm on a budget and I want to keep us at about 70ish feet or less on our dives as well. It is absolutely amazing how many amazing dive sites SE Florida has been blessed with, so figuring out which to dives to do is proving a bit overwhelming. I don't want the diving to take up the entire day either (have other stuff to do!) but if it takes up a big chunk of it so be it, I won't mind.

There are two dives I 100% absolutely know I want to do. One is Looe Key. From the videos I've seen and what I've heard from locals that site is absolutely incredible and isn't super expensive either. The next one I know I 100% want to dive is the Neptune Memorial Reef. It looks like Atlantis or something! Very cool and I love how it's a true memorial to those who loved the ocean so much they chose it as their final resting place. The thing is, I'm finding it difficult to find any charters that go there and am looking for recommendations (on a budget!).

Aside from those, I've been told drift diving near Jupiter is great, Molasses Reef looks amazing, I would love to see the Christ of the Abyss and wouldn't mind doing some kind of novice friendly wreck dive in the area (something that has most of it's structure and looks like an actual ship/vessel).

Thanks for any help or recommendations!

 

[CajunDiva]

Our preference is Key Largo...so laid back and the people there are awesome. This is how we got our start:

Diving Accomodations | Rainbow Reef Dive Center | Key Largo, Florida Keys

Book with someplace that offers discounted accommodation/diving packages. You can really save some money and learn the lay of the land. You can do either a two tank morning trip or a two tank afternoon trip and still have time to check out other interesting attractions in the area.

We started diving with Rainbow Reef just after our certification because they offered free dive guides with each trip. Now 15 years later after 600+ dives, we are still diving with them! Great dive op that will take good care of you...

 

[luscioman]

For diving the neptune you have only 2 options. I would suggest
Scuba Diving Miami | Snorkeling | Rentals | Deco Divers . Reasonable rates on the charter. It is best to give them a call.

 

[sportxlh]

I like the suggestion of Rainbow Reef in Key Largo given your experience and the fact they include guides. Any place they go, you'll enjoy. Christ of the Abyss is one of those dives that is a 'been there, done that' dive in my book, but other sites like Molasses can be dove over and over and not get old. Sounds like you might be on a budget, some cheaper Keys Hotels include Hungry Pelican and Key West Inn (both in Key Largo), neither are all that nice but they are clean. Both have water views or access. Smugglers Cove in Islamorada is also a pretty good value.

Look into diving in Pompano too, the shallow reef is really beautiful and there are a number of dive ops in the area. There are also lots of wrecks that still look like boats. Also, think about Pompano for housing too.... it's much more laid back and affordable than Miami and those are two attributes you noted you like in the Panhandle thread. It's also close to affordable beach diving options.

 

[AlmightyApkallu]

Rainbow Reef seems like a pretty good charter. I've heard about them elsewhere so I'll probably give them a shot. Why I wonder do only 2 charters go to Neptune's Reef? I'll check that one out but I wonder why more don't go there.

Pompano seems like a nice area, you're right, might fit my bill for a place as far as living goes. I would love to do at least 1 shore dive there just to "see how it is."

 

[sportxlh]

Lauderdale by the Sea is close to Pompano and has easier shore dives: not so far a swim. People do shore dive Pompano, but it's a hike to get to the reef and Pompano has a fair amount of boat traffic so you need to be alert while on the surface swim.

I've never known anyone that's gone to Neptune. It's a fairly new site which probably doesn't have much growth yet and I suspect that most locals think that the natural reefs and wrecks in the area are vastly superior. When I was still local, I had heard about it but didn't really have much interest in going there. I know there are plans to make it bigger, but I think it's a fairly small site now: though I may be wrong

 

[luscioman]

Neptune is a great site with a lot of life. It has continued to grow and will have a major expansion on June of 2017. When it is completed it will be 16 acres. Below is a link with videos for it. It is definitelyone of a kind dive site. I highly recommend it for diving. Since it is a protected no take spot you will find lobster, eels, octopus, barracuda shrimp and schools of fish swimming through it.

Memorial Reef

 

[Key Dives]

Thanks to all those who helped in my Panhandle thread. I'm planning a two~ish week trip to Florida, part will be spent in the Panhandle but I'll be spending more time in the Miami area. I'm guessing 4-5 days. I'm on a budget and I want to keep us at about 70ish feet or less on our dives as well. It is absolutely amazing how many amazing dive sites SE Florida has been blessed with, so figuring out which to dives to do is proving a bit overwhelming. I don't want the diving to take up the entire day either (have other stuff to do!) but if it takes up a big chunk of it so be it, I won't mind.

There are two dives I 100% absolutely know I want to do. One is Looe Key. From the videos I've seen and what I've heard from locals that site is absolutely incredible and isn't super expensive either. The next one I know I 100% want to dive is the Neptune Memorial Reef. It looks like Atlantis or something! Very cool and I love how it's a true memorial to those who loved the ocean so much they chose it as their final resting place. The thing is, I'm finding it difficult to find any charters that go there and am looking for recommendations (on a budget!).

Aside from those, I've been told drift diving near Jupiter is great, Molasses Reef looks amazing, I would love to see the Christ of the Abyss and wouldn't mind doing some kind of novice friendly wreck dive in the area (something that has most of it's structure and looks like an actual ship/vessel).

Thanks for any help or recommendations!

Come to Islamorada Florida and dive with Key Dives. Alligator Reef is SPECTACULAR. All of our diving is guided and we carry and rinse your gear for you. 305-664-2211