Riviera Beach/West Palm with Force-E Scuba

[Sorrows]

Hello!

We're coming down to the Riviera Beach/West Palm area to (primarily) dive the Blue Heron Bridge on Columbus Day Weekend. We dove it last year and were incredibly impressed; this time around we are also going to do some boat dives with Force-E Scuba in Riviera Beach. I'm very familiar with the Keys and Miami/Ft Lauderdale, but not this area of Florida. Anybody have recommendations, suggestions, comments that they would like to share?

We're staying (again) at the Marriott on Singer Island. We are there during a special occassion--anybody have a good restaurant to recommmend?

Thanking you in advance--

 

[sportxlh]

Hello!

We're coming down to the Riviera Beach/West Palm area to (primarily) dive the Blue Heron Bridge on Columbus Day Weekend. We dove it last year and were incredibly impressed; this time around we are also going to do some boat dives with Force-E Scuba in Riviera Beach. I'm very familiar with the Keys and Miami/Ft Lauderdale, but not this area of Florida. Anybody have recommendations, suggestions, comments that they would like to share?

We're staying (again) at the Marriott on Singer Island. We are there during a special occassion--anybody have a good restaurant to recommmend?

Thanking you in advance--

These links give a bit of info on diving in Palm Beach

An article describing Scuba Dive in West Palm Beach, FL

Palm Beach, Fla. | Scuba Diving Magazine

there are a lot of modest dining places near your hotel, unfortunately, I never eat at the really nice places so don't have a recommendation.

 

[deepstops]

Nothing at all against Force-E but why wouldn't book your boat trips directly with the boat?? (Force-E is merely a booking agent for other boats)

I love the Buccaneer Steakhouse in Palm Beach Shores.

 

[DebbyDiver]

What DeepStops said.

In that area I love UnderWater Explorers and Starfish Enterprise.

 

[diveprof]

I agree, book directly with the boat. If you like to dive your own profile/computer, on nitrox, and having the choice of group or doing your own thing talk with Van on Narcosis.
Scuba Diving West Palm Beach Florida with Narcosis Dive Charters
The one's Debbie recommends dive mostly to the South of W. Palm. Great Ops, but mostly S. of W. Palm (Debby please correct if I'm wrong). Nothing wrong with diving in that area either, great dives. But Van's boat is 5 min from Blue Heron. The Jupiter area is great (including the only "wall" dive in S. Florida) and Van does W. Palm and Jupiter.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Who is Debbie? Yes, they are south of W. Palm.

I've also heard good things about Walker's but haven't dived them.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I agree, book directly with the boat. If you like to dive your own profile/computer, on nitrox, and having the choice of group or doing your own thing talk with Van on Narcosis.
Scuba Diving West Palm Beach Florida with Narcosis Dive Charters
The one's Debbie recommends dive mostly to the South of W. Palm. Great Ops, but mostly S. of W. Palm (Debby please correct if I'm wrong). Nothing wrong with diving in that area either, great dives. But Van's boat is 5 min from Blue Heron. The Jupiter area is great (including the only "wall" dive in S. Florida) and Van does W. Palm and Jupiter.

I see no problem with the OP deciding to use the local Shop (Force E) as a booking agent. I doubt that you can negoitiate a discount by booking just a few dives directly with a boat AND the shop may be able to direct the customer to the best local boat that will accomodate their particular desires with respect to dive site/depths etc.

There are many good charter operators in the area, but there is one single operator which I would NOT recommend: NARCOSIS. I have personally witnessed the owner/operator (Van) engage in reckless and life threatening and irresponsible operation of his vessel. A most decidedly unprofessional and unsafe operation in my experience.

 

[jimw]

We use Force E in Riviera for service and air fills--I would not hesitate to ask their advice for boats in the area. There are a bunch of'em just north and south of the store.

 

[sportxlh]

I usually book directly with a boat operator: most common in WPB area for me are....

Scuba Diving Jupiter with Jupiter Dive Center, Scuba diving lessons at a PADI 5 Star facility, daily scuba diving trips in Jupiter, Florida.

Scuba Diving in the Palm Beach area - Walkers Dive Charters

Scuba Diving Palm Beach, Florida :: Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures

Welcome to The Scuba Club, America's Only Country Club For Scuba Divers in West Palm Beach, FL

the latter three are within a 5 minute drive of the Marriott on Singer Island: the first one is about a 15 minute drive from Singer Island

I have also been out with Narcosis one time and did not have any problems, though the boat was loaded to the gills and left little room to move about. The DM the day I dove was very safety minded: he had a couple of newbies that actually put the BC's on the tanks backwards and he patiently helped them correctly position the BCDs. I don't know if all the DM's are good on Narcosis, but the one that day was. I also talked to Van (captain) and he did seem to prefer experienced divers on his boat, but that might only be an impression I was left with and might not be true. While I, personally, had a reasonably decent experience and did not see any safety issues (recall it was only one trip and it sounds as if Dumpsterdiver has been out with the op many times) if I am going to dive the juno ledge area, I prefer Jupiter Dive Ceter (which is only a few minutes from my neighborhood and I like all the DMs and captains at JDC).

While I normally book directly with a dive op, I have used Force-E to book a dive when the boats I normally use are all booked up: what is nice about their service is that they can find a boat doing what you want to do without you having to make a bunch of calls. If you want to do a 60 foot reef, they'll find a dive boat. If you want to do a 90 foot wreck, they'll find a boat.

If you do end up in Jupiter, I did think of one really fun place to eat. Not super fancy, but a unique experience. I've not had a friend come in from out-of-town who did not enjoy this place (assuming no rain).

http://www.guanabanas.com/

 

[jimw]

If you do end up in Jupiter, I did think of one really fun place to eat. Not super fancy, but a unique experience. I've not had a friend come in from out-of-town who did not enjoy this place (assuming no rain).

Guanabanas - Jupiter Tiki Bar and Restaurant

I will add Dune Dog in Jupiter just south of Jupiter Dive Center to this list--also open air, but has side windows when needed. Great stuff at a $5.-$7. sandwich price. I found out about both here on Scubaboard................:cool2: