Question Planning a Florida Vacation.

[Divin'Papaw]

I may make a day trip to Delnor-Wiggins Pass SP and dive their reef.

Delnor-Wiggins is a fun snorkel but that's about it. It's not worth a day trip from the east coast. Just wanted you to be aware. See this video. If you want to take a day trip for additional diving from Stuart, hit Key Largo instead. Just my 2 cents.

 

[DiveProKoko]

.... If you want to take a dry trip for additional diving from Stuart, hit Key Largo instead. Just my 2 cents.

Yep... +1

 

[MudBug]

Ok, Key Largo it is....

 

[CosbySweater]

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.
I have changed my plans a bit. Have cancelled the Ft. Myers camping and extended the Jupiter to June 10th.
I may make a day trip to Delnor-Wiggins Pass SP and dive their reef.

I am making arrangements with my local dive shop to get AOW, Deep Diver and Night Diver certs. They are planning a trip to Blue Hole, New Mexico where they do the instruction for these certs.

Thanks to everyone for the advice given. Would love to meet up with any that wish to if that is possible.

How many days do you have planned for Jupiter? June is a great time. That’s high season for loggerhead sea turtle sightings!

 

[MudBug]

Basically from May 29 to June 10....if any one wants to meet up, I would be happy to.

 

[CosbySweater]

Basically from May 29 to June 10....if any one wants to meet up, I would be happy to.

I'll be around. Let's coordinate when it gets a little closer.

I highly recommend getting a nitrox certification in addition to your advanced open water training. Nitrox will turn 25 minutes of bottom time in to 45 minutes of bottom time. It's the single best bang for your buck certification to increase your bottom times safely, and it requires no check out dives or in water training - just book work and a short class room session with an instructor.

 

[MudBug]

I have the Nitrox certification and have one tank setup and another in the process of being cleaned and filled. I have not yet dived Nitrox.
If all goes well I will dive Blue Hole, New Mexico in April to get my Advanced Open Water, Deep Diving and Perfect Performance Buoyancy certs. I may look at getting a Wreck diving cert while in Florida.

 

[CosbySweater]

I have the Nitrox certification and have one tank setup and another in the process of being cleaned and filled. I have not yet dived Nitrox.
If all goes well I will dive Blue Hole, New Mexico in April to get my Advanced Open Water, Deep Diving and Perfect Performance Buoyancy certs. I may look at getting a Wreck diving cert while in Florida.

It sounds like you're in good shape, then! Consider the navigation specialty if it's not already included in your advanced training. Navigation is one of those skills you'll end up using every dive.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

It sounds like you're in good shape, then! Consider the navigation specialty if it's not already included in your advanced training. Navigation is one of those skills you'll end up using every dive.

Great point!! The skills I use on pretty much every single dive beyond the obvious basics (buoyancy control, trim, breathing, equalizing, fining techniques, etc.) are navigation and nitrox. I'd also throw in smb deployment if you're diving in Southeast FL. Those of us who regularly dive Palm Beach County are using those advanced skills on just about every single dive.

 

[MudBug]

Yeah, I purchase an SMB when I got the Nitrox tank. It's not something we use locally. Have watched a few videos on how to carry and deploy them. I will practice this when I get to Blue Hole in April. Although I have not taken an UW Nav class yet, I have experience in orienteering. I will be brushing up on this skill soon. My son took an UW Nav class and not one time did they take him out to a large park and work with him prior to the UW qualifying dive. I coming to the conclusion that some classes are just a way to generate revenue for dive shops. I took my son out and laid out a course for him using tent pegs. After a few attempts he got where he was finding the pegs pretty often. One thing a learned from watching videos on UW Nav is to intentionally take a heading the will just miss desired position either left or right. Then when you have traveled the distance you know which way to turn in order to find your target. That was helpful.