Need advice on a home location in Florida!

[GeorgeC]

I am looking to purchase a home in Florida and of course I want to make sure diving is a stones throw from my home. Any advise as the differences in diving between the east and west cost of Florida? I did several dives out of Pompano Beach over the last year or two and the diving is nice. I guess I am looking for a balance between good diving and a nice area to live. BTW: I don't think the wife would go for the Keys....

 

[matts1w]

I am looking to purchase a home in Florida and of course I want to make sure diving is a stones throw from my home. Any advise as the differences in diving between the east and west cost of Florida? I did several dives out of Pompano Beach over the last year or two and the diving is nice. I guess I am looking for a balance between good diving and a nice area to live. BTW: I don't think the wife would go for the Keys....

if you want diving a stones throw from home and not in the Keys you really only have one option- the Fort Lauderdale area (Jupiter, Boca Raton, Pompano, Fort Lauderdale, etc...). The west coast aint gonna do it. That being said I LOVE SW Florida.

 

[CAPT HOOK]

West Palm, Jupiter, Royal Palm Beach, Boyton Beach all close to good diving.

 

[DebbyDiver]

How much money are you looking to spend?

If you don't have a lot, are you willing to live in a condo?

 

[Divergirl4U]

I live in the Lauderdale By the Sea area and love it .... we have such diverse diving here, from several nice shore dives to some of the most challenging wrecks ... plus I am only a 1/4 tank away from Key Largo .... yep gotta love the South East Coast of Florida
KP

 

[nereas]

I just visited Tampa, and got to speak with several long term resident Floridians, and they told me that at the present time there is occurring a significant exodus from Florida for the Carolinas.

Rumours are that Florida is just too crowded and over-built by now.

Having said all that, I would think that the Ft Myers area south of Tampa would be a somewhat undisturbed and pleasant place to live and dive.

Short of Ft Myers, I think you should also consider the Carolinas, as are the local natives.

 

[deepstops]

I just visited Tampa, and got to speak with several long term resident Floridians, and they told me that at the present time there is occurring a significant exodus from Florida for the Carolinas.

Rumours are that Florida is just too crowded and over-built by now.

Yep, they even have a nickname. They're called halfbacks, defined as people from up north that didn't like Florida as much as they thought they would and moved,,,,, halfway back to where they came from.

I think you should also consider the Carolinas, as are the local natives.

Very few natives are leaving Florida. What's leaving are those that aren't from here originally.

 

[matts1w]

I just visited Tampa, and got to speak with several long term resident Floridians, and they told me that at the present time there is occurring a significant exodus from Florida for the Carolinas.

Rumours are that Florida is just too crowded and over-built by now.

Having said all that, I would think that the Ft Myers area south of Tampa would be a somewhat undisturbed and pleasant place to live and dive.

Short of Ft Myers, I think you should also consider the Carolinas, as are the local natives.

We call them half backs.... People from New York, Philly, etc.... give it a go down here, discover there is a serious lack of "East Coast Culture" down here (Thank God), the heat is brutal, real estate is psycho, wages low, and then move half way back to Boone, North Carolina.

The west coast of Florida is a very different animal than the east coast although that is starting to change as people in Miami are seeing what they can afford over here. Some say we are more midwest than the east coast...perhaps. I will say the west coast of Florida is a middle class sportsman's paradise. I could not live and play like I do on the east coast as I can on the beaches of SW Florida.

 

[cudachaser]

I live in Cocoa Beach. Not the best diving locally but very different...a lot to be explored. A few things about this area. We are centrally located, springs to the north and tropical diving to the south...when the ocean gets narly, the springs work great. We are also not very congested like south Florida & if you like surfing, we got it here.

My 2nd choice would be Lauderdale by the Sea followed by Key Largo

 

[Oriskany Divemaster]

Pensacola was my choice 20 years ago, and still would be today. Sure we don't have the 80 degree winters other parts of FL have, but we have over 100 sites within 10 miles from the pass. The real estate is reasonable, the taxes are low. We're close to other states, so if you want to jump over to New Orleans for a raucus weekend, it's only 2.5 hrs away. You can have your south FL heat. I'll take the fall in Pensacola anyday.