Need Dive info for Panama City Beach FL

[Conan3]

We're going down to Panama City Beach next week and want to try and get in a couple of dives.

Two new OW divers looking for In-shore boat dives, St Andrews Park Jetties, vortex springs.

Need to find someone who is diving St Andrews Park Jetties next week to tag along with. (Tues - Sat)

Need Dive Shop suggestions to rent tanks.

Need Dive OPS suggestions for boats.

David

 

[mike_s]

There are several dive operators in Panama City. For the most part they are all good.

Panama City Dive Charters is present here on Scubaboard. PM user [user]patmygreen[/user]. I've had good experiences with him.
Better Bottom Time is a good charter. Good experiences with them also.
Panama City Dive Center is a long time charter operator in PCB.
Wreck Raider is another.
Dive Locker is another


plus a few others perhaps.

You can rent tanks from any of them. their pricing will be about the same. PCDC is the closest to St Andrews. The "dive shop" at St Andrews sometimes rents tanks. I haven't checked in a couple of years if they do. I'd double check first before depending on them to have tanks though. (I'm not sure if they ever got their compressor fixed from a couple years ago and last time they were taking them down to PCDC for fills).

You'll want to plan your dive at the jetties around "high slack tide".

As for Vortex, you can rent tanks there. Which is the best bet for you in that area.

 

[ABC_tha_DIVER]

I did my open water checkouts though Panama city dive center and it was an absolutely phenominal experience! i would highly reccomend it. And we did an open water at vortex and an offshore boat dive.

 

[ABC_tha_DIVER]

Plus, if you are diving the jetties, Panama city dive center is located almost right next to St. Andrews state park, its very close.

 

[Mopar]

Plus, if you are diving the jetties, Panama city dive center is located almost right next to St. Andrews state park, its very close.

That is correct. Normally I recommend The Dive Locker. But since you are diving the Jetties I would rent my tanks from them as well. If you do a charter I would say The dive Locker. They don't pack you in on the boats like one dive center does.

 

[Conan3]

Sounds Good tome..

 

[kalik]

Let me give you a website to a friend who caters to newer divers. Captainjacksprivate yachtcharters.com Hes a very personable fellow and can accomodate most any type of group.

 

[pamawi]

I like Dive Locker and Capt Pat (Panama City Dive Charters which is a different place than PCDC Panama City Dive Center). I don't dislike PCDC, but much prefer the nice Newton dive boats that Dive Locker and Capt Pat have. I haven't dove with Diver's Den, but they seem nice when I go in there to look at stuff. We really liked our DM Chris with Dive Locker a couple of weekends ago. I never did post a dive report but just to summarize, we had a great day on the water with a huge pod of dolphins jumping in our wake on the way out and we saw a huge loggerhead turtle and a couple of big groupers. We dove Bridge Span 12 and the Red Sea. Vis was probably 40ft and temp as 73 according to my computer.

 

[pamawi]

Here's some pics. The 1st and 4th pic were taken by our DM Chris while retrieving the anchor.

 

[Mopar]

I like Dive Locker and Capt Pat (Panama City Dive Charters which is a different place than PCDC Panama City Dive Center). I don't dislike PCDC, but much prefer the nice Newton dive boats that Dive Locker and Capt Pat have. I haven't dove with Diver's Den, but they seem nice when I go in there to look at stuff. We really liked our DM Chris with Dive Locker a couple of weekends ago. I never did post a dive report but just to summarize, we had a great day on the water with a huge pod of dolphins jumping in our wake on the way out and we saw a huge loggerhead turtle and a couple of big groupers. We dove Bridge Span 12 and the Red Sea. Vis was probably 40ft and temp as 73 according to my computer.

I agree I like the Newton boats from Dive Locker. The boats at PCDC usually hold a lot more so they pack you in like cattle. From a business out look I would do the same (I am not saying nothing bad about them I have used them and will use them again in the future if need be). As a diver I prefer the Newtons. They are just the right size and they don't take a lot of people out so your trip is not cramped. I hear the Diver's Den is set up the same way and they are really friendly.