Ah, a fellow Oklahoman who knows good diving!
I just printed out the tide tables for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea during late June and July, the dive specs for Blue Heron Bridge, the OWD boat trips for South Florida Diving Headquarters -- I'm getting excited!
If you are at Datura Ave. on the 28 or 29, you might see us there. My husband and I do morning dives, and we usually just stick with the Snorkel Trail. Just 10 to 15 feet about 100 to 300 feet off shore, excellent diving, visibility, marine life, coral... just stay clear of the fishermen on Anglin Pier and fly your dive flag. Very good rinse showers and nearby restaurants, too.
We dove with Scubatyme just before Hurricane Dennis came through, at Hillsboro Ledge. Quite breathtaking. Hence checking the local dive itineraries.
Deep Blue Divers is on Ocean Drive, just around the corner from Datura entrance. And Fill Express is a great shop on Dixie Highway. We used their Nitrox.
The down side... the weekend has low tides at 10:11 am and 11:12 am. It's a bit early for a night-to-dawn dive with high tides at 3.39 am and 4:42 am, but Monday would be sweet at 5:47 am high tide and sunrise at 6:31 am. Just sayin.
Parking in limited and fought over, and we have had a machine eat our quarters and then break down. So we stay at a nearby hotel and walk over. Veeerry sweet. That's what going back four years out of five will do for ya.
And get some information on sea lice (seabather's eruption, from the larval form of thimble jellyfish.) Our youngest was not amused. Interestingly, her friend was taking Benedril for car sickness and didn't break out.
Good luck on your trip, and also, check in with the forum when you get there. You may have luck finding some people getting a group together at LBTS, or another site.
Goodbye, 5-mil and arms-length visibility -- hello, Florida! :10:
