planning a trip to emerald coast (Destin FL)

[sead]

Planning a trip to emerald coast ( Destin FL) in June 2014
i would like to dive USS Oriskany (mighty o )is there any dive operators out of Destin going to U.S.S. Oriskany any suggestion is welcomed and appreciated
by the way i`m advanced open water dive ,vacation diver with around 30 dives
should i take any other certification before i come down do i need Nitrox ?
thank you very much
any other must dive in emerald cost ?

 

[boogy]

The O is off of Pensacola so I would check into dive boats leaving out of the west passbut if your going for the destin area we have some descent spots right off the coast. Check out scuba earth ( create account) an there are spots input by other divers. Some even upload pics of their dives proving the coordinates accuracy. Also check out the emerald coast reef association. There are several dive boats that go out of destin to local locations. The aquanaut is a descent boat headed up by emerald coast scuba. But there are several others. Discovery dive world has a boat that goes out often as well. Hope this helps


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[mikesbucky]

Unlikely to get to the Oriskany out of Destin. The operators in Destin prefer to stay inshore unless you pay for a private charter which can be big bucks and the inshore dives are nothing special off of Destin. You're much better off trying to go out of Pensacola. Also, the O is a long drive off shore and frequently cancels due to conditions. I've tried 4 times and only got to dive it on one trip because of that. Well worth it if you get the good conditions though. I've gone out to the O with H2O Below. A good operation, but very conservative due to liability. Understandable given the risks. I've also gone out with the Yknot, but not to the O. They are less conservative than H2O below, but are still a safe operation. They also have the fastest dive boat in the area. If you can't make the O, the YDTs and Pete Tide are good dives that aren't as far out. The Lulu is also good, but that's almost as far out as the O. There is also good diving in Panama City. The Black Bart, Chippewa, Strength, Red Sea and Twin Tugs are just some of the wrecks worth diving. If you go that way, I strongly recommend Panama City Diving. As for Nitrox, if you plan on diving the O I'd strongly recommend it.