Need help planning

[karannarang]

I am visiting Palm Beach for work in a couple of weeks and have a chance to go diving while I am there. I am looking for suggestions and need help planning.

Some details:
- Got certified in 2013, consider myself somewhat of a beginner even though i have my Advanced Open Water cert.
- Staying on Singer Island. Have 2 days for diving i.e. the 18th & 19th of March. Arriving at 9 AM on the 18th.
- Never been Drift Diving
- My biggest fear is being able to hold my safety stop
- Will bring my own gear except for the tank

Some thoughts:
- I'd love to dive Blue Heron Bridge, considering i will be staying a few minutes from there
- Any suggestions on Goliath Groupers, Manatees, etc?
- I am extremely interested in underwater photography

Please help. Thanks in advance.

 

[sportxlh]

Unless you happen on a chance encounter at Blue Heron Bridge, you won't see Manatees unless you drive 3-4 hours to the Crystal River area on the other side of the state. Seeing goliaths is hit or miss this time of year since their spawning ended in October. As you might have noted on some of the recent Jupiter video posts, goliaths are seen there, in small numbers, pretty regularly.

Since you are a newer diver and concerned with your safety stop, I'll recommend the Scuba Club since they usually send down more than one guide with the group. They are good with newer divers and with folks that have not drift dove much. the only negativeis they don't run very many two tank trips.

Another option is to hire a personal guide for your dives and go out with almost any of the local dive boats. You can contact Force-E to discuss plus they can arrange dives on many of the local boats. If you'd rather talk to the boat operators directly and arrange a guide through them, I've had good experience with Jim `Abernathy Scuba Adventures. Other good boats are Narcosos, Walkers, Ocean Divers/Sandy's Sunday and Pura Vida's boat. You'll need to check their websites and determine if the boats are big enough or is you like smaller boats or if are comfortable having spearfishers on the same boat, etc.

All of these suggestions are very close to your hotel.

If goliaths are on your bucket list, go to Jupiter: I use Jupiter Dive Center a lot. You can hire a guide there too.

 

[karannarang]

Thanks for the great reply. Can you give me an idea as to how much it costs to hire a guide? That might be the route I take coz I do not have a buddy..

 

[sportxlh]

Thanks for the great reply. Can you give me an idea as to how much it costs to hire a guide? That might be the route I take coz I do not have a buddy..

I really don't know. You'll need to call Force-E or the dive boats directly. Also, call the Scuba Club, if you explain your concerns and the desire to head up to your safety stop with an experienced diver, there is a good chance they will have multiple guides in the water and you won't need to hire a guide.

 

[Steve_C]

Generally guides are a modest expense. I frequently hire them when traveling so that I can focus on the dive I want to do and not worry so much about an instabuddy. The exception is reef diving where I instabuddy frequently or on some NC dives I have dove a lot where I also instabuddy or lead often.

If you hire one that is independent and you are boat diving it might be guide + a boat for cost.

If you hire one through the boat/shop, then I have usually found them around $40ish. Tip is appreciated.

Be sure to talk with them carefully about your expectations and what you want. Some people just want to see sunken metal. I tend to like to also talk about all the flora and fauna and a good guide can do that too.

-----------added

If you or guide shoot an SMB or bag, then safety stop is easy since you have a reference point or you even can go very slightly negative and just hang there.

Personally I am not a fan of group guides with several divers. Seem to spend my time following instead of being able to poke around like I like to. So I have done very very few of them.

 

[karannarang]

Steve

Thanks for the response. Any recommendations on guides in Palm Beach?

Karan

 

[00wabbit]

Blue heron bridge is nice for macro stuff. Swim slow and keep your eyes open and you can see lots of small things, maybe some octos and seahorses if lucky. If the tides work out you could maybe do a night dive there too. I dove with Force E, they are the closest shop to BHB. Force E can also arrange boat dives, they contract with different boats in the area, so can get you on whatever you want probably.

 

[scubadada]

Boynton Beach is 10 miles south, vibrant reef with extremely healthy fish population. Underwater Explorers takes just 6 diveres, reservations online. Guide costs $40. https://diveboyntonbeach.com/index....e668c5b9b-677D2B0A-5056-870E-9F80FB26B83D931A
Just a fan with local home.

 

[karannarang]

Some great ideas on Jupiter and Boynton. Do you guys think I should do these one day each and skip BHB? Also, is Jupiter considered more advanced drift diving? Will it be appropriate for someone new to drift?

 

[fjpatrum]

Don't skip BHB. It's worth the trip in and of itself, in my opinion. Especially as a new diver it's a great dive with a ridiculous amount of extremely varied life that you're unlikely to see elsewhere without a lot of effort and/or travel.

I really enjoyed Jupiter and saw some goliaths and sharks amongst other great sites there. We dove with Pura Vida and Jupiter Dive Center on our last trip to the area.