Pompano Beach Charter Recommendations

[snowdog61]

I have no issue with pulling a flag (do it during lobstering all the time) - seems like common sense especially on a drift and allows for a bit more exploration rather than having to stick on the DM's hip as is done in Jupiter. a recent "incident" with one of my friends on another boat prompted me to rethink flags and DiveAlerts. He decided to finish his tank rather than surface when he got separated from his partner less than 10 minutes into the dive. His partner followed protocol and surfaced - albeit very far away from his drop point where the boat thought he was and was spotted by our boat. The bubble watcher lost sight of them almost immediately and had called us over to assist - the two were down around 50', seas were 3-5 with wind blowing opposite of the drift. It's not surprising he lost them. We spent 35 minutes searching and had contacted the CG to start the S&R process when he came up - again, way away from where we expected him. Funny thing - He was actually pissed that his buddy hadn't stayed with him. Needless to say each of us gave him a big ration of crap about following protocol. The rest of the trip found him pulling the flag on all his dives.

Oh, and I did reserve with PDC for both days. thanks

 

[PatW]

I have been diving with the South Florida Dive HQ. I have no complaints. I thought that the boat was well run every time I went on it. The boats are pretty large (fits up to 35 divers). The price is reasonable. You are going on a high capacity boat and you pay less for it. Now if you want a boat that takes out fewer divers, then you pay more per person.

 

[fdarden]

Well you STILL havent said what you are looking for, so I will do my best to give a rundown - These are all typical commercial dive operations, and all well run. I have dove with all of these repeatedly since I live less than a mile from all of them, and in most cases know the operators, but have no affiliation. If you want tech/6 pack/priavte charter I will post that too if you want it. Im assuming you are looking for open water recreational diving on a 20+ something person charter boat Here is my list in order of favorites. You can easily google their contact info.
Scubatyme - Probably the best run most fun charter in Pompano Beach. Enzo goes out of his way to run a quality operation, and if I am paying to go on a boat, this is the one I choose first.
Diveboat Diversity - Long running local yokel charter. Loads of fun, very lighthearted and happy to be there crew. A+
Pompano Dive Center - They have two boats. Good reliable charter also. Boat captain is just ok. I have seen them miss wrecks, including (snicker) the Captain Dan. (not being mean just honest!) I still recommend them them, just not my first choice

South Florida Dive Center - They have two pontoon boats and a 6 pack style boat. This is more of a dont let the door hit you in the ass operation. High volume, pump em in get em out operation. Acceptable, but definitely my last choice. Odds are youll be able to get on their boats when the others are full. Way too many divers for my tastes. Again, they are decent, just not my first choice.

So that is pretty much the lay of the land. Theres Miss Conduct, Tonto, Under Pressure and some smaller operations that might be harder for you to get on, and some that specialize in tech only, so again if thats the sort of info you want then let me know. Hope this helps. Also book well in advance as the boats tend to fill up this time of year!

As far as toting a flag goes, if your diving in Broward County you will be toting a flag on drift dives, no if's ands or buts about it. And trust me, its a good thing even though most boats ignore the dive flag anyway. At least youll FEEL secure until the moment that you get run over!

 

[DiverAmy]

Let's not forget parrotislandscuba.com. 6 pack run by Jerry. Awesome guy.

 

[snowdog61]

OK - dove with both PDC and Scubatyme this weekend. Double reef with PDC on the smaller of their boats. Boat wasn't too crowded even though we were full, DM Fernando was very helpful and great to talk with - Perfect for the GF. My only gripe would be no place for the lobster catch so can't really complain too much now can I? Scubatyme was the MV Tracy followed by a reef. Boat was packed (one less than full) but did get positioned on the aft for 1st in so other than the cramped accommodations it was fine. Enzo went out but didn't dive. DM Amanda was great. Scubatyme also passed out pineapple slices and snacks after both dives which was a bonus. I'd do both again though I think Scubatyme amenities gets the nod - just wish the boat wasn't so crowded. That said, crowded charter boats are part of diving especially on a holiday weekend) so it is what it is. Vis was decent and got dinner for 9. Life is good.

 

[joh]

I have been diving with the South Florida Dive HQ. I have no complaints. I thought that the boat was well run every time I went on it. The boats are pretty large (fits up to 35 divers). The price is reasonable. You are going on a high capacity boat and you pay less for it. Now if you want a boat that takes out fewer divers, then you pay more per person.

Count me in as a fan of SFDH - I have been out with them many times, and have never had a bad experience. I belong to a dive club that uses them a lot. They run a professional operation, have good fills if you rent tanks, and I like going out on their big pontoon boats which provide a smoother ride than a smaller boat on choppy days.

Scubatyme is also good, but the boat can get a tad claustrophobic to me, on a busy day (like today, just went out with them this Labor Day morning). The boat smokes quite a bit too, which can be unpleasant for someone who is sensitive to that or find it makes their motion sickness worse (like me) so if that is an issue for you be sure to get a seat up front by the bow. However, Capt. Enzo and his mates are friendly and very helpful, can't complain about the crew at all. I rented Eanx tanks from them as well, and they were filled to 3300 which was nice.

Capt. Tony with Diversity is also a great choice for a smaller boat, for a smooth day. Capt. Tony is always in a great mood and I've always enjoyed my trips with him; he always found some beautiful reefs and lobsters. Note that the small 6 pack boat can't handle heavy swell as well as some of the larger boats, and so he seems to have to cancel more than other boats.