Safe to Snorkel off beach with no boat???

[ermaclob]

i live in miami and don't really know any good places to go, so me and my 2 freinds are thinking to get the dive flag out of the closet and just go 150 to 300 yards of shore from the beach with no boat or kayak. is this a safe thing to do.

were pretty decent swimmers, but haven't gone snorkeling allot maybe 4-5 times. im really more concerned with wildlife like sharks. i know some people that dive and they say that bull sharks and lemon sharks really are more bother some rather than a treat, and that you shouldn't weary to much about them so.........? dont know

please give me some advice and suggestions.

 

[H2O 70]

I would be lying if I said I hadn't done exactly this countless times.

I suggest getting a buoy, that will hold your dive flag, that you can pull with you. You can rest on it if need be. Just be aware of currents in the area and let folks know where you going and what your doing.

 

[djtimmy77]

The real danger is drunk and/or distracted boaters.

 

[Dave1981]

I doubt you'd get much worthwhile snorkeling off Miami, probably best to go either a little north or south and off that shallow shelf that's the whole way across there.

Otherwise I say go for it, 300 yards is nothing provided you don't get caught in a current.

 

[xcelratr]

The real danger is drunk and/or distracted boaters.

This.

What you're proposing sounds very low risk to me if you and your group are strong swimmers and you stay aware of your situation. You need to be wary of rip currents, cross currents, wind/weather that can increase the surface chop while you're out, etc, etc. Sharks or other animals are a statistically insignificant problem. Could a shark decide to bite you? Sure, but the odds are ridiculously low.

I'd be much more concerned about a boat or jetski running over your head while you're floating on the surface because they don't expect to see humans out that far from shore. Some of them might think your surface float is a racing buoy. Eeps!

So having said all that, if you think you can handle the water conditions, and you think there's not enough boat traffic to be concerned with getting run down, then go have a great time. It sounds like a great way to spend a few hours.

 

[ermaclob]

how do i find rip currents from shore, and how far can i go from your experiences before the currents become a problem?

 

[xcelratr]

I'm glad you're being wary, but I can't answer either of those questions in a forum like this.

You can read here to understand: Rip current - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Your best source of knowledge are experienced lifeguards on the beach. If there are no lifeguards, see if there's a Coast Guard or local police/fire resource (maybe online?) that can give you daily updated info about normal currents and spots where rip currents tend to occur.

As indicated before, let someone that's staying ashore know where you'll be, who will be there, what you'll be doing, and when you'll be back.

 

[imwright1985]

how do i find rip currents from shore, and how far can i go from your experiences before the currents become a problem?

rip currents can kinda be a good thing they will take you out from shore where you wont have to swim as hard heading out. We use them at times for surfing to pull us out past the break then paddle out of them to start surfing. I would try shorter distances where the reef or some coral formations are closer to shore to get the hang of everything a little more. I would recommend heading on to some other areas of florida though so you can get the hang of swiming out and learn your limits a little more. Pompano has a fairly close reef line. Mcarthor park has a close shallow coral head. I dont know what all is further south of lauderdale by the sea area from shore, but there deffinatly is some exploring you can do up north.

to give you an idea of rip currents i was on the west edge of breakers reef(30ft) in palm beach off a boat with a new diver and got pulled out further, ended up stuck on the east edge getting pushed in a kinda circular pattern(the end of the rip) from about 50-60 feet of depth. we were off a boat so it wasnt an issue but we woulda had to try swimming like crazy to get out of it

 

[thecampingman]

I thought Biscayne Bay near Miami was one of the better snorkeling spots. Not that I've ever been there. I'm in Ft. Myers where there are no snorkeling opportunities.

 

[DennisS]

There's not much good snorkeling off of Miami. The artificial reef at Mercy hospital, if you get a clear day, would be a good spot. Drive north to Broward and do Lauderdale by the sea, it's worth the drive if the water is clear.

Get one of the dive flags that are boat size, get a 5'to 6' pole, you want to be seen, not meet minimum requirements. Those little hanky flags a foot above the water are just about useless.