Pompano Beach Shore dive

[Trisha]

Okay, safetywise at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea...

Dive flags are required. Safety sausages are optional, but who hasn't seen "Open Water" and thought "What idiots?!"
I always have a whistle, dive shears (got out of fishing line before), and slate, plus a small pocket light for crevases. My Save-A-Dive suitcase has Bonine, zip ties, Sea Gold, extra clips and straps, Swimmer's Ear, and a spare mask.
Nitrox is good -- bring your c-card. DAN is better, they say -- bring that card, too.

Lake divers that we are, we get rolled at LBTS in the afternoons with the heavier waves and north current. Morning dives are good. Some days are just better for beach walks. :Kissy:

LBTS has several public entrances to the beach, with Datura and Washingtonia (either side of Anglin Pier) being the best known. These have showers and benches, but no restrooms or changing areas.
There is an implied buffer zone around the pier. Don't let the current take you within 300 feet of it.
Sea-Doos and boats -- watch the action from shore and dive cautiously.
No lifeguards. And I can't remember any caution flags for rip tides or dangerous weather. Ask at the local dive shop on Ocean Drive.

Getting out is easy, but exhausting. We used to bring a couple of 28-quart Tupperware boxes in our pickup. We would do a quick soak, then leave the regs and suits in water on our way back to the RV. Now we just walk back to the hotel and take care of it there.

Nice town, nice restaurants, clean beach, sunny skies -- remember the Bull Frog and sunglasses and a beach towel. And quarters, lotsa quarters for the slot mach... parking meter. I haven't heard about lawlessness, but don't leave doors unlocked and valuables in sight.
Do not infringe on the locals and their parking. You will be ticketed. See, security on site!

And for your Jonesing on not-being-wet-yet! Enjoy!

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Chamber of Commerce (free guide and map)
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida Chamber of Commerce

Fill Express (summary of Snorkel Trail)
Fill Express -- Natural & Artificial Reefs & Wrecks in Greater Fort Lauderdale

South Florida Diving Headquarters
South Florida Diving Headquarters

Blue Heron Bridge at Riviera Beach -- great dive, no night dives without a boat!
Blue Heron Bridge

Salt Water Tides -- a must!
Tide Region Selection

Palm Beach County fish ID quiz -- for surface intervals :hai:
Fish ID Quiz 1

 

[ahaught]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I am also in town for beer, cigars, food and beach all in the same chair. Does anyone have any recommendations? I picture myself sitting under an umbrella, looking out over the ocean, smoking a cigar, drinking a cold beer and eating some wings!

Thanks,
Adam

 

[hedgehog47]

ive heard differing reports, can you spear/hunt in this area ?

 

[bilsant]

This is some good information, but may I offer some minor additions?

There are no lifeguards on the beach at LBTS or Pompano and as long as you're parked legally and not trespassing on someone's private property, you can enter and exit 24/7 from anywhere on the beach...at your own risk, of course.

I've never seen conditions flags posted there, but contacting the Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue just down the road a bit will give the same information...they have a hotline you can call for conditions that they update every morning. (954-828-4597). You can also check conditions via the Windjammer webcam at the Datura Ave entrance ... http://www.windjammerresort.com/webcam.html.

Fill Express closed earlier this year. Nitrox fills can be had (probably not needed for beach diving) at a number of other shops in the area. Right now the best deal I've found for air fills is at Gold Coast Scuba -around the corner on Commercial Blvd....especially if you buy a 10-fill card. They are air only for now, but are trying to get set up for Nitrox...don't know if that will happen by the time you get down, but maybe.

The buffer zone around the pier is not marked with buoys, but posted with signs warning boaters and divers to stay at least 300' away. I've been hailed on the PA by the piermaster when I got too close in the water, and have seen FWC boats respond when boaters were inside the buffer area. As just a matter of common sense, give it some room to the fishermen. Snagging a dive flag on a fishing line generally results in the fisherman hauling the flag in, which can drag a diver to the surface pretty quickly... even less fun when the hook is in the diver. Distance is harder to calculate at night, so it's especially easy to get too close in the dark, low viz, or when a current kicks up and pushes you. At LBTS, north and south bound currents will probably have more impact on your dive plan than high or low tide.

At BHB the high tide dictates dive planning, with most divers trying to bracket the high tide by about an hour on either side. You do not need a boat to dive at night at Blue Heron Bridge if you go on one of the nights that either the Force E or Pura Vida dive shops on Blue Heron Blvd are hosting free night dives. Force E is hosting July 1st, 15th, and 30th. I don't know Pura Vida's schedule but they post it on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Pura.Vida.Divers

In Florida there is no spearfishing within 100 yards of a public beach or commercial or public fishing pier, or bridge where people are allowed to fish. This pretty much eliminates any spearfishing at Blue Heron Bridge, but spearfishing at LBTS is normal...just get 100 yards offshore and stay away from the pier before you start hunting...and of course you need a license. All spearfishing law info can be found at http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/spearing

Hope you have a great vacation !!

I just realized that the last day of your trip will be the start of the Lobster Mini Season...LBTS has a whole festival for that week, starting off on the 25th...chances to attend some seminars and a party or two. Check with the Gold Coast Scuba Meetup site for information on that, too....

 

[Randy g]

PLEASE BE CAREFUL BEACH DIVING!!

We dive SF beaches and LBTS a few times a year. Last year we had a boat sever my 20-25' dive flag kayak (bright red banks board) line, at 20kts and yanked me around until the cord was cut by the prop. We were in 10ft of water, yes it scared the you know what out of us, he was that close!

If you hear a boat engine, get down into the reef and stay down until the noise dissipates or you have a visual on the boat leaving. Same day there were jet skis running inside the reef line, at speed.

We still beach dive as often as possible and the SF beaches are the best around. I am simply much more aware of what can happen and would like to share that with everyone who beach dives. Listen and pay attention!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Anybody else notice this thread, expect for yesterday was last commented on in 2008???

 

[bilsant]

That's what I get for posting just before bedtime.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

You weren't the first.

 

[Chugwhump]

I saw it was old.
But BilSant is still older.
And kills ducks.

Chug
Sometime shore diver.

 

[cbbr]

I'm glad that it was resurrected - we are looking at a late July run to let my newly minted diver son do a couple of shore dives - any help is greatly appreciated.