Sarasota / Bradenton in november

[Woolfie19]

Hello,

I'll be visiting family in the Sarasota / Bradenton area for Thanksgiving.

I'm looking to do a couple of days diving there.

Can you recommend some dive shops/operations and best sites to dive ?
Also what is the water temperature to expect at that time of year ?

Am AOW, only experience is diving in Belgium, quarries and lakes, drysuit year round.

Thanks
David


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[SavageRon]

There are a couple dive shops in Bradenton, but the only one I have any experience with had a name change, and I don't remember the new name, but it's right across the street from the "sugar barge" dive site. (Beach dive)
Some of the others sound decent, but lacking personal experience I hesitate to recommend.
Spanish rocks is popular site also.

Venice beach is just a short drive away (30 mins or so) and it's apparently the worlds best location for diving for fossilized sharks teeth; which is awesome fun in my personal opinion. Check out the Venice Fossil Divers forum for more information on exact locations and updated weather and local charters if you aren't looking to beach dive there.

Visibility is always an issue when beach diving around here. Sometimes 10ft+, sometimes less than a foot.

If you have the time while you're here I'd recommend a drive to Jupiter or the Keys, but that's up to your schedule and wallet.

Temps seem to have been in the mid 60F's or so last year.

 

[JesperS]

Temps seem to have been in the mid 60F's or so last year.

Really? Did it get warmer, before cooling back down? I ask, because I think we did our last dive of the season in January, and we wouldn't have done it unless it was over 70 (I think it was 72ish). By February it had gone below 70.

 

[The_Aviator_1]

In Bradenton out of Cortez blue water explorers run a daily charter. Been out with them a bunch of times and they never disappoint. Ask captain Eskew to take you to the civil war aircraft carrier.

 

[SavageRon]

Really? Did it get warmer, before cooling back down? I ask, because I think we did our last dive of the season in January, and we wouldn't have done it unless it was over 70

It actually looked like your January dive was during an anomaly of (comparative)warmth.
I took a few mins to walk through the Venice dive conditions thread in the forum since I decided it was too cold for me and I had other things going on so didn't have much time to dive. Indeed the temp rose briefly in January, though as of a report this morning it's still low 70's currently.
Page 78-79 have Venice's conditions for last year, and JesperS warm weekend is on page 80.

 

[dkramer]

Right now water temp is 73

 

[SOFDiver]

Wolfie19,

Give us a call at the shop (numbers below). We can advise you on Venice diving, book you on one of our fossil dives, or provide what you need for a beach dive. Water temp is dropping. and likely will be below 70 degrees while you are in the area. 5 or 7mm and hooded vest are in order once the temp breaks 70, which in my opinion makes beach dive a pain due to weight of total kit.