Shore diving in Melbourn?

[Li'l38]

I have an opportunity for weekend "house sitting" in Melbourn next month. (August or possibly early September) I can locate dive shops in the area, that's not a problem. I'd like to get some suggestions from SBers for shore diving locations. Suggestions for the best dive shops wouldn't hurt, if ya have any. Would love to make it a Florida Conch Divers/SB diving event if anyone's interested. I don't have a specific date yet but as soon as I know... it's on!

 

[Bill51]

If you find any shore dives close to Melbourne, I’d love to hear about them. There is some shore diving for lobsters down at Sebastian Inlet, but that’s all I’ve heard of without driving further south. If we can get some breaks in the weather and seas we’ll be boating off Cape Canaveral on some of the wrecks about then.

 

[Talon]

In Melbourne - there are not any. Well at least not any you would have any reason to dive Most people head a little south to Vero (about 30 minutes). That is about as close as you can get. Do a search for Pepper Park. Never done it myself - but here it is pretty descent.

 

[jwvanno]

I second Bill51's comment. "If you find any shore dives close to Melbourne, I'd love to hear about them."

And ironically as Talon suggets, Pepper Park in Fort Pierce is a site I dove on two separate trips last week... (And I'm planning another trip some afternoon this week.) It'll be less than 60 miles for you, depending on where you are in Melbourne. I'd never been there till last week, but it's really a reasonable dive, considering you don't even have to pay for parking. 4 reef lines that get a little taller each, as you go out, Excellent parking, showers and bathrooms. It's a nice little trip.

Most people really like Hatt's dive shop in Melbourne, There is also one on US1 north of Hatt's (PDI, I think it's called.) Seadragons in Rockledge is my favorite. American Divers International on Merritt Island has been around for many, many years.

Hope this helps.

 

[The Heat]

Great suggestion; I was looking for some easy dives near Orlando. Next time anyone's planning Pepper Park on the weekend, let me know.

 

[cudachaser]

All the diving is further south...below Sebastian Inlet. For consistancy I usually go to Pepper Park near Ft Pierce

 

[Scuba_Dad]

Most people really like Hatt's dive shop in Melbourne, There is also one on US1 north of Hatt's (PDI, I think it's called.) Seadragons in Rockledge is my favorite. American Divers International on Merritt Island has been around for many, many years.

Hope this helps.

Don't forget Sea Level Scuba on Wickham Rd (New shop), and Dixie Divers in Palm Bay.

Like every one else said... Pepper's Park in Ft Pierce is probably the best. I don't know if they opened Wabasso back up. It was pretty ugly after the storms. I don't Pepper's Park on the 3rd. The vis was about 10-15 feet.

 

[DennisW]

I lived in Melbourne for 23 years. There is no shore diving there. However Pepper Park is an ok dive, but is still recovering from last years hurricanes. My trip report from June. http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=103060

 

[Li'l38]

This is great to know! Sounds like Pepper Park would work out pretty good. I'm gonna check the links and shops recommended and go from there. As soon as I know more, I'll try to get something planned/posted. Of course, everyone is welcome to come join the fun! Dennis caused me to miss the last ocean dive dammit and I haven't been where it's warm since........uh.......it's just been too long! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. :10: As usual, SBers rock! (I had no doubt)

 

[jwvanno]

Don't forget Sea Level Scuba on Wickham Rd (New shop), and Dixie Divers in Palm Bay.

Where is Sea Level?? That's a new one to me... I live in Rockledge and work in Palm Bay, so it'll be easy for me to stop in. I'll have to check that one out.

I've also been into Dixie. It's a nice shop too. I guess everyone has their favorites, and the ones I mentioned must be mine, since they are the first ones that popped to mind.

There are in fact quite a few beach dives between Sebastian and Ft Pierce. It just seems that visibility is so poor most of the time, that no one thinks to talk about them. I decided a few weeks ago, that I'm O.K. diving in 5-10 foot visibility, as long as I've got a regulator in my mouth... Specially if there's something to find. So I've started a plan to dive all the beach shipwrecks between Sebastian and Ft Pierce.

My trips last week (and my hopes for this week), to Pepper Park were in search of Urca De Lima... I haven't located it yet. (The bouys are missing.) Turns out, where I THOUGHT is was was wrong. Most references say that it's east of the first condo north of the park. Well, it seems that someone has gone and built a new condo between the park and the old "first condo", so I was 1/4 mile too far south...

Once I check off that one, I'm going to work my way up the beach a couple miles, and hit the Paddle Wheeler wreck. Then, one by one, I'm going to TRY to move north to all the others up to Sebastian. It's the thrill of the hunt as much as anything else. In my 42 dives since qualifying, I've learned that the excitment of the exploration, is one of the things that I really want out of my diving.

It's not a lofty goal, but it should keep my son, girlfriend and I diving cheaply all summer long, assuming the hurricanes cooperate.

I'd be happy to dive with anyone on any of these sites, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they are going to be VERY spur of the moment, as my and my GF's work schedules allow, so the logistics might be ridiculously difficult.

Also, call it odd, but I don't want anyone to take me to these sites, I want to find them!! So if it's a site you've never been to before, and we can locate it together for the first time each, I'd personally enjoy that a lot more than following someone to a site they've been to 25 times. (I wasn't disappointed that the Urca's bouys are missing, or that I found out I was way off. It's just another chance to go get wet!!)

FLIrishman from this board and others have helped provide directions, and I thank them all. If anyone else has hand drawn maps stashed away in a drawer, I'd love it if you'd share!!