Need Help / Recommendations - Ft Lauderdale Area

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jgaryclark

Registered
Messages
47
Reaction score
8
Location
Arlington, TX
# of dives
200 - 499
I'll be in the Ft Lauderdale area the first or second weekend in November (arriving on Friday evening and flying out Monday afternoon). Looking for some suggestions on some dive sites / LDS in the area. Short trip so we'll probably only have chance to dive on Saturday.

I'm not familiar with the area and really not sure where the quality dive sites in that part of the state are. Preference would be a shore dive within 30 minutes of Ft Lauderdale. Wreck or reef...don't really care...would like to see as much underwater diversity as possible though and some good photo opportunities.

I've been diving since 1989. My brother is newly certified with 6 dives, all in Cozumel in January.

Any recommendations appreciated...thanks Scubaboard!
 
6 dives almost a year ago, I'd recommend paying to go out on a boat. You'll get greater diversity of diving and the help of divemasters who can keep you out of trouble diving unfamiliar locations with limited experience.

I don't know of any wrecks that are shore diveable, though Lauderdale by the Sea has some good reefs that are shore diveable. There is always Blue Heron Bridge an hour north if the tides line up, but that's not very diverse other than the animals. It is shallow, though, so if the reason for only diving Saturday is to avoid N2 issues on a flight, you could check the Sunday tides at BHB.

In Fort Lauderdale, I've had good experience with Sea Experience and American Dream II. Sea Experience caters a little more to the newer divers and probably has more rental equipment like BC's and stuff. American Dream I sunk but it wasn't their fault, a superyacht hit it while it was docked overnight, and II is a great boat with a great crew.
 
For shore diving, try Gold Coast Scuba.
I highly recommend going on a boat and do a 2 tank dive. Usually it’s one deep dive and one shallow, with the deep being a wreck and the shallow being a reef dive. My go-to is Sea Experience because I find them friendly and close to where I usually stay. Just my 2 cents
 
American Dream Dive Charters also rents regs & BCs. I use them when I dive at Ft Lauderdale. Great 46' boat.

Great charter however their entire dive shop is a truck container which is convenient being right next to the boat but they don't have Nitrox.
 
For a shore dive, your best options are the Blue Heron Bridge mentioned above, and Lauderdale by the Sea. Both are shallow, short surface swims and lots of diversity. The former has little coral (mostly encrusting on the bridge pylons) but lots of macro life and easy photo opportunities as well as larger sea life that passes through. Plenty of angelfish, and similar sized fish. Occasionally larger pelagics pass through including sharks, rays, turtles and even manatees. Have to dive 1hr before to 1hr after high tide for best viz with lowest current. Can be done unguided but for a first visit, you'd be better served hiring a guide from one of the local shops (I used Pura Vida Divers and was happy with them). LTBS is an easy beach shore dive with 3 reefs, 2 easily reached from shore. Plenty of soft coral and both large and small species of fish and inverts. My last dive there (last week), there were enormous bait balls, two nurse sharks and a turtle, amongst the many other things I saw. Gold Coast Scuba is nearby, as are a couple of other shops. There are many many great options for boat dives within 30 minutes of Ft. Lauderdale as well.
 
Lots of wreck diving off of Ft. Lauderdale. The wreck dives are anywhere from 70 feet to over 150. Most of the reef dives are around 60-70 feet and you're sure to see schools of blue parrot fish and a whole variety of other tropical fish. I haven't been on a dive yet where I didn't see a Loggerhead Turtle, Moray Eel, or a Nurse Shark, and you have a good chance of seeing (or at least hearing) some dolphins. Most of the dives will be drift dives with a north current but sometimes it will go south. Visibility is hit or miss but even on a bad day you can count on 30 feet. Sometimes the first dive in the morning is 40 feet vis and then an hour and half later it opens up to over 100. Water temperature should be high 70s to low 80s in early November. Lots of fire coral on the reefs so try to avoid it or you'll have a rash for a week. Lots of idiots out there on boats so be careful on the surface and make sure you are either with a dive flag or have your dive sausage out while you wait for the boat to come pick you up. You should also have a backup plan if the seas are too rough and you can't dive offshore. A lot of boats won't go out if the seas are over 3 feet.
 
I have a friend who is new to diving who will be traveling in the Ft. Lauderdale area in the next few weeks with his family. He would like to incorporate some diving into the trip. Any updates to the recommendations upthread?
 
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