Non-trip report in Pompano Beach FL

[Stoo]

They sunk the smaller boat earlier this year and then raised it a couple days later. Did the corrosion occur on replaced wiring or on original wiring? Which one speaks to excellent maintenance protocols?

I'm a fresh water guy when it comes to boats, but I would think any boat that was briefly a submarine is going to need some serious attention. That being the case, then the OP has every right to be "pi$$ed"... None-the-less, the two options presented were presumably the best the operator could offer. But as I said, any time you miss a day of diving kinda sucks.

 

[scubadada]

SFDHQ bought ScubaTyme. They used to dock right next to one another but SFDHQ moved ScubaTyme to Boynton.

Last August the Safari Diver sank when they did a stern tie up to a wreck. Bunch of divers on board at the time.

It makes more sense to me now. Last Sept I saw Goliath at the Boynton Beach slip A change in Boynton Beach Now, ScubaTyme III is running out of Boynton Beach, the slip is labeled South Florida Dive Headquarters. The purchase of ScubaTyme by SFDHQ explains that.

Safari Diver sank on July 19, 2021 Authorities investigating what caused dive boat with 13 people onboard to suddenly sink. It was said to be refloated soon thereafter. I could not find pictures of Safari Diver

What happened to Safari Diver? Is Goliath a newer boat to SFDHQ? Did it come from Scubatyme, elsewhere, or what?

 

[tekkydiver]

… and for the rest of us, selecting a competent charter is extremely important. I stick with a select few operators. This operator is not one of them.

Today's competent captain could be tomorrow's headline. I've been out there when some of the 'select' operators have lost divers, allowed divers with out flags, only SMB's upon ascent and seen boats that seem to be just a step away from an artificial reef.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Today's competent captain could be tomorrow's headline. I've been out there when some of the 'select' operators have lost divers, allowed divers with out flags, only SMB's upon ascent and seen boats that seem to be just a step away from an artificial reef.

Yea, yea, yea. Broken record. So the answer is everyone buy their own boat? Wouldn’t that just be swell? You know how well that would turn out.

 

[Ana]

Yea, yea, yea. Broken record. So the answer is everyone buy their own boat? Wouldn’t that just be swell? You know how well that would turn out.

I hope not. Enough boats out there.

For the longest time, I used charter boats for my diving. I started oblivious to the "boating" side of the outing.
Especially while in S. Florida I'd go with whoever was taking divers to the location I wanted to dive. If I wanted to see Tenneco Towers then I used a boat around Hollywood, if the goal was to check out the Hole in the Wall then I'd use one in Jupiter... with everything in between.
I got in did my dive, and went home, limited "socializing" to a minimum. But there were events that made me wonder, less than friendly encounters with other boats that included some word exchanges from boat to boat. No matter what was the issue, every single diver will side with their capt. To me that couldn't be right, that's when I started learning about navigation and realized half of those Capts were just bullies and they were in the wrong.
From there I learned more about boat maintenance, and how certain things shouldn't happen if the capt./owner whatever gives a damm about their vessels. Not that I always knew what was the issue with the boat that cause a particular cancellation, but you start to see patterns.

That's what I would continue doing if I had to rely on charters for my diving. In S. Florida is not that difficult because there's a good selection. It was while being in the Panhandle that I said "not one more red cent to those bastards" and got my own boat.

Today's competent captain could be tomorrow's headline. I've been out there when some of the 'select' operators have lost divers, allowed divers with out flags, only SMB's upon ascent and seen boats that seem to be just a step away from an artificial reef.

I fully agree with that statement, the key is to be objective about the boat you use. Using a regular boat most of the time makes it easier. If you are looking, learn to interpret what you look at, you can see when things start to decline, it's seldom overnight that a boat goes to crap.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

... the key is to be objective about the boat you use. Using a regular boat most of the time makes it easier. If you are looking, learn to interpret what you look at, you can see when things start to decline, it's seldom overnight that a boat goes to crap.

Spot on. Agree 1000%.

@tekkydiver Let's be real. The VAST majority of us will never own a boat and for those of you that do, you don't want us too! For the rest of us, we need to do what @Ana suggests and if/when things go south with an operator, voice your opinion and let your money talk by using other operators if necessary.

 

[Mouth Breather]

SFDH does dominate now but there are others. Dixie Divers is just up US1 and has been good in my experiences. In the same marina is Diversity, although I've never used them. Pura Vida in Riviera is also good, and has PDC's old boats btw. My favorite for recreational is Parrot Island charters, they pick up out of Alsdorf park in Pompano.

I'm Broward though I think it's down to SFDH for technical

 

[Johnoly]

I think it's down to SFDH for technical

I'd add in Conrad too for the "3-digits plus" deep dives. But in either case, if new to them you aren't stepping on the boat with 100% 'wash-out-bottles', scooters & a set of steel doubles without either captain doing a phone call background check on you from a mutual reference to confirm your dive experience. {and they also laugh at log books & cert cards for these deep dives}. There are additional boats that are invite only and will do deep stuff but you have to know who they are.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

SFDH does dominate now but there are others. Dixie Divers is just up US1 and has been good in my experiences. In the same marina is Diversity, although I've never used them. Pura Vida in Riviera is also good, and has PDC's old boats btw. My favorite for recreational is Parrot Island charters, they pick up out of Alsdorf park in Pompano.

I'm Broward though I think it's down to SFDH for technical

A few thoughts.

Dixie is an OK boat but it's more of a Granny Boat. Mostly snorkelers, students and beginning open water divers. You are more likely to get dropped on Nursery Reef or Copenhagen than any of the decent Pompano wrecks.

Diversity uses the Boca Inlet which means he gets blown out more than any boat along the coast. Also, he rarely runs down to the Pompano wrecks. He typically does the reefs and the few wrecks off of Highland Beach and Boca Raton.

The Riviera Beach/Palm Beach boats are numerous and awesome, but they don't run to Pompano. Pura Vida, Walkers, Black Flag, Narcosis plus a few smaller ones.

Now Parrot Island I'm not familiar with. That sounds promising for those wanting to hit the Pompano/LBTS/Fort Lauderdale wrecks.

Sea Experience in Fort Lauderdale is also a nice operation. They hit some of the same wrecks but don't typically run all the way up to Pompano.

 

[scubadada]

Today's competent captain could be tomorrow's headline. I've been out there when some of the 'select' operators have lost divers, allowed divers with out flags, only SMB's upon ascent and seen boats that seem to be just a step away from an artificial reef.

The only thing I see relatively commonly is diving on a SMB, with no flag. I'm not talking about starting on a group drop with a flag and then surfacing later on a SMB.