So Cal Kelp Divers come to Ft Lauderdale in August
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MikeJacobs
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Yes, the towers are supposed to be great... I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't been yet and would take a day off of work to go with the gang. Post a private trip w/date!
I've lived at the beach here for nearly 2 years, and I'm now on the sand at Hibiscus to enjoy a dive or long snorkel nearly every day. It's all less than 17 feet! When the water's nice I take a diveyak out to the balls (3rd reef line). The Fort Lauderdale area (including Lauderdale by the Sea and Pompano) reefs include three lines.
The first is only about 100 yards off the beach but we see turtles and little brown eels on the way out (we drop down about 50 yards off). The first reef line is also called "honeycomb reef" by the locals because it's swiss cheese with thousands of nooks and ledges. We see reef squid, moray/brown/spotted eels, nurse shark, a few lobster and teams of fish at the time you'll be here. I see turtles on maybe 1 out of 5 dives, especially the night dives which you should consider.
We usually head up to the pier, which is closed for maintenance, and swim within a school of slivery lookdowns - a real experience! You'll also see schools of tarpin and snook, which get really big... huge fish. Occasionally we're treated to a gray manta or an eagle ray that use the south side of the pier as a guide to come in for tasty shell fish close to shore. Lots of barracuda and other fish there as well, and they tell me there's an occasional hammerhead.
After some sand, the second reef line is just a little ways beyond the first and it's more like what you'll find on a boat dive with more fans and georgians. We see the same life there, but a little less for some reason... maybe it's just more spread out.
After some sand and rubble, the thrid line is actually a drop-off to sand at a maximum of 25' about 1,000 yards out. If you don't suck air you'll have about 1,500# to play with out there before heading in. The fish are bigger and there are more of them. The bugs will be picked clean by then, but that's where they are if anywhere.
The third line breaks up a bit north and south of us into the best shore diving around, but usually we use kayaks to get out that far. In fact, you might think about renting a couple of kayaks and making a day of it - 2 tanks each plus lunch, tied off to the balls. I'm always up for that as long as the water is calm. Some of the dive boats will be doing their 2nd shallow dives with you there.
WPB has some nice diving as well though it's all pretty much the same thing.
I've lived at the beach here for nearly 2 years, and I'm now on the sand at Hibiscus to enjoy a dive or long snorkel nearly every day. It's all less than 17 feet! When the water's nice I take a diveyak out to the balls (3rd reef line). The Fort Lauderdale area (including Lauderdale by the Sea and Pompano) reefs include three lines.
The first is only about 100 yards off the beach but we see turtles and little brown eels on the way out (we drop down about 50 yards off). The first reef line is also called "honeycomb reef" by the locals because it's swiss cheese with thousands of nooks and ledges. We see reef squid, moray/brown/spotted eels, nurse shark, a few lobster and teams of fish at the time you'll be here. I see turtles on maybe 1 out of 5 dives, especially the night dives which you should consider.
We usually head up to the pier, which is closed for maintenance, and swim within a school of slivery lookdowns - a real experience! You'll also see schools of tarpin and snook, which get really big... huge fish. Occasionally we're treated to a gray manta or an eagle ray that use the south side of the pier as a guide to come in for tasty shell fish close to shore. Lots of barracuda and other fish there as well, and they tell me there's an occasional hammerhead.
After some sand, the second reef line is just a little ways beyond the first and it's more like what you'll find on a boat dive with more fans and georgians. We see the same life there, but a little less for some reason... maybe it's just more spread out.
After some sand and rubble, the thrid line is actually a drop-off to sand at a maximum of 25' about 1,000 yards out. If you don't suck air you'll have about 1,500# to play with out there before heading in. The fish are bigger and there are more of them. The bugs will be picked clean by then, but that's where they are if anywhere.
The third line breaks up a bit north and south of us into the best shore diving around, but usually we use kayaks to get out that far. In fact, you might think about renting a couple of kayaks and making a day of it - 2 tanks each plus lunch, tied off to the balls. I'm always up for that as long as the water is calm. Some of the dive boats will be doing their 2nd shallow dives with you there.
WPB has some nice diving as well though it's all pretty much the same thing.
simbrooks:
How about a morning out of Port Everglades or around there to the towers (i hear Parrot Island are a good outfit that go there often enough) and some other reef or shallower wreck on the way in on friday morning. Followed by an inspection of the third reef by kayak in the afternoon, with some night dives to round of the first day down here? Saturday is all Largo, and sunday is 1st and maybe 2nd reef lines throughout the day? Any other "must hit" spots to consider for a weekend of diving?
zuzanne
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Ken, come up and dive the South end of Deerfield Beach or end of Datura Street in Lauderdale by the Sea. Both are nice easy beach dives where you can get lots of bottom time due to the shallow reefs. Remember to rent, buy or borrow a dive float & flag, its the law in Florida, unless your on a dive boat then their flag will cover you.
I would also recommend checking with Dixie Divers and diving the Angels off Deefield. This is a boat dive and the angels are in about 30 to 40 feet of water. Its a pretty neat dive. Their boat is the Lady Go Diver and is just across the parking lot from the shop in the Cove Shopping Center. across the Intercoastal Waterway from Deerfield Beach. They have anything you might need to rent as far as tanks, weights, etc.
You might also find some cheaper accomodations in Pompano than Fort Lauderdale. Check with some of the SB folks who stayed at one of them on the beach during the beach/reef sweep.
Let us know when you get here maybe we can arrange to meet & greet over a beer/drink. Your arriving the day before my hubby's 60th Birthday and our 19th wedding aniversary.
We are going to be in your area Oct. 2005. We will be staying at the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort in Carlsbad, CA for a week. If its warm enough (LOL) we would like to dive the Kelp Beds.
Zuzanne
I would also recommend checking with Dixie Divers and diving the Angels off Deefield. This is a boat dive and the angels are in about 30 to 40 feet of water. Its a pretty neat dive. Their boat is the Lady Go Diver and is just across the parking lot from the shop in the Cove Shopping Center. across the Intercoastal Waterway from Deerfield Beach. They have anything you might need to rent as far as tanks, weights, etc.
You might also find some cheaper accomodations in Pompano than Fort Lauderdale. Check with some of the SB folks who stayed at one of them on the beach during the beach/reef sweep.
Let us know when you get here maybe we can arrange to meet & greet over a beer/drink. Your arriving the day before my hubby's 60th Birthday and our 19th wedding aniversary.
We are going to be in your area Oct. 2005. We will be staying at the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort in Carlsbad, CA for a week. If its warm enough (LOL) we would like to dive the Kelp Beds.
Zuzanne
OP
Got the flights, the car and still searching for the Hotel.
Got the Keys trip dialed in.
Decided we'll be diving in WPB area on Friday 8/6 Am and Afternoon. I'm thinking it'd be great to meet some of you on Friday night - maybe even a night dive in Ft Lauderdale area.
Sat will be the Keys 4-dive boat thing, Sunday we'll be in FLL all day soaking up some Conch Divers hospitality. We can dive until dinner on Sunday, then party like rockstars with the Conch Crew!
Today I secured appropriate exposure protection for Jaye and I, as well as a few surprises for her (shhhhh...) for when we get there on Thursday 8/5.
I gotta throw out big thanks for all of you who have stepped up to offer advice on tours, diving, and some local can't miss stuff for the dry-day on Monday.
I can't wait to meet you all.
K
Monday will be tourist day.
Got the Keys trip dialed in.
Decided we'll be diving in WPB area on Friday 8/6 Am and Afternoon. I'm thinking it'd be great to meet some of you on Friday night - maybe even a night dive in Ft Lauderdale area.
Sat will be the Keys 4-dive boat thing, Sunday we'll be in FLL all day soaking up some Conch Divers hospitality. We can dive until dinner on Sunday, then party like rockstars with the Conch Crew!
Today I secured appropriate exposure protection for Jaye and I, as well as a few surprises for her (shhhhh...) for when we get there on Thursday 8/5.
I gotta throw out big thanks for all of you who have stepped up to offer advice on tours, diving, and some local can't miss stuff for the dry-day on Monday.
I can't wait to meet you all.
K
Monday will be tourist day.
WPB...shore diving or boat?
We had a SB get together here www.villamar.com last weekend. Nice rooms. cheap, pool, on ocean. susposively beach diving. Pompano Beach, North of FLL, south of WPB.
So who have you booked with in WPB or are you looking for charters still?? Beware the cattle boats that run out of some of the docks around there!! So you are planning a 4 tank pair of days with the Keys too, not sure i can afford that kind of cash right now, but i will see if i can make the night dives, or else get there early and shore dive with Jenny et al if they are still up for it - which way is everyone moving on this one? Sunday is definately a shore diving day, so that to look forward to.Mo2vation:
OP
simbrooks:
a) Haven't booked the Friday dives in WPB, yet. I'm figuring I'll dig into the SB archives and read a few zillion trip reports and throw out a couple of candidates for critique. I was thinking 2 boat dives in the AM. I don't know yet. But from what I read the topography and general diving there is a bit different the FLL - so I want to get some more flavah of the Florida thing.
b) Sat is the drive to the Keys trip with IA. Mike got me hooked up with an SB trip there...
c) Sunday is all about Scuba (errr TourGuide) Jenny and her wacky, madcap adventures and post-dive party activities. Popano sounds cool - sort of between the two. Nothing is really too far away there, by SoCal standards.
d) Tonight I fouond out the Neoprene sox I use when float tubing (flyishing) out here will work to wear under our Rock Boots... so we can use our current fins. I'm pretty fired up about that, as we usually dive dry and I was wondering how we'd manage to use our gigantic dry suit fins on this 3/2mm trip.
This is gonna be fun. I'm totally more into this weekend trip than I am into out Week long at East Cape in July... how sad is that?
You guys rule.
K
zuzanne
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We dove the Towers & the Dan a couple of years back when we did our AOW class. The current was really ripping on the towers so vis was not to good. The Dan was awesome. Lots of marine life and we got to penetrate thru one of the hatches. Both are around 110 to 114 feet. I think most dive boats do them on a regular basis.
Zuzanne
Zuzanne
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