Southeast Florida Diving Question

[ScubaBurt]

Good Morning All,
With the events of 9/11 our trip to Grand Turk in Sept was not taken. We moved our flight(Delta)and diving(Oasis Divers/Arawak Inn)to Feb 16-23,2002. Delta actually transferred our off season ticket to a high season ticket at the low season price(saved about $1000 for 2 tickets). Thank you Delta! Since our last trip was to Cozumel in May 01 and this trip is postponed until Feb 02, we are going through saltwater withdrawals. Our quarry diving is nice but, Flo is looking for the Palm Trees. We decided to drive to Florida and try it for the first time in our diving adventures. I have found a dive shop in southeast Florida called Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. Found them through SCUBA DIVING magazine and had a look at their website(very informative)and called to make reservations. Just wanted to know if any of the board has dive experiences with them and remarks about the operation.
Our trip plans are to dive with them and return home via the west coast of Florida and dive a couple of the springs before returning to Virginia.
Burt

 

[FloridaDiver]

I've been out with Jim a few times and enjoyed the experience. A couple of weeks ago I tried a different operator out of Riveira Beach called Diving Solutions. I preferred Diving Solutions, finding the "amenities" better. It was the first time I was served Double Stuffed Oreos and M&M's on board! Keep in mind that you will most likely be doing guided drift dives - and Diving Solutions had a great divemaster who knew many of the resident critters and where to find them. I had a great time and will use them again.

Other ideas as I live on the West Coast of Florida - go to Crystal River for a Manatee snorkel. Feb. is a great time to interact with these wonderful animals. I wouldn't go out with a dive operator - it isn't necessary. Instead, go to the Plantation Inn and rent a Jonboat for the 400 yard trip to King's Bay. Go early in the morning to beat the crowds that form and bascially stir up silt and drive the Manatees into the sanctuary areas (where you can't follow them). Scuba isn't needed or desired as they don't like the bubbles.

I also enjoyed my dives at Ginnie Springs, Blue Grotto and Rainbow River - all these sites offer excellent viz and 72 degree year round water temps.

While on the West Coast, check out a Gulf Dive as well. Viz tends to clear up in winter and you might be surprised at the density of life on our artificial reefs.

 

[ScubaBurt]

Hi FloridaDiver,
Thanks for the info on Abernathy's diving. Since we have made diving arrangement with his shop we will stay with it this time. We will look around while we are there and plan for future trips. We will keep Diving Solutions in mind. We plan to travel up the west coast with a stop at Ginny Springs for sure. The Crystal River snorkeling with the manatees sounds great. Since we will be in Grand Turk in Feb we will make the manatee trip another date. Since you are from that area, what is there to do when on surface time. We will be staying at the Ramada Inn on Singer Island.
Thanks for your help.
Burt

 

[FloridaDiver]

Burt -

You'll enjoy Jim Abernathy's service. He is known for his Shark dives, but with the recent ban on shark feeding in Florida, I'm not sure if he's taking divers out to Shark Canyon (he probably still goes there, the sharks come around when they hear the boat). I did that dive a couple of times. If you like Carribean Reef Sharks, it's a great experience. Also, if you enjoy drift diving, West Palm is a great place.

I don't really go out when I go there, it's usually a quick overnight. I did go to a funky seafood restaurant near Singer Island, I think it's called the Crab Pot. Not a fancy place and a little pricey, but the portions were large and the quality very good. There is the Ocean Mall right there as well as a nice beach.

If you've never been to Ginnie Springs, it's a wonderful place. I took a cavern class there last December so I had an opportunity to spend a couple of days there. The High Springs Country Inn is a divers motel, clean and cheap, and a better alternative to the Super 8's, etc. Many people camp at Ginnie. While I was there, there was a group from North Carolina camping near the spring. I joined them for a night dive in the cavern, an interesting dive. The facilities are excellent. The cavern at Ginnie is large and open. The caverns at the Devil's Eye and Ear are off limits unless cavern or cave trained, but it's worth diving the run from Little Devil to the Devil's Ear near the Sante Fe river.

Have a great time, both WPB and Ginnie provide world class diving in their own ways.

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Scuba Burt...

One of my favorite places to dive is off the Loggerhead in Boynton Beach Fla. The Captain is way cool and they really go out of their way to accomodate. The reefs and the wrecks are way cool too. If you need contact info just let me know.

:tease:

 

[ScubaBurt]

Hello Pete,
Thanks for the info. Sounds like Flo and I are going to have a hard time deciding where is the best sites to dive. When we go to a new place we depend on the divemasters to suggest the best choices. This is the first time we have planned a trip to dive in the US. We have many logged dives in the caribbean but none in the oceans surrounding the US. We are definitely looking forward to the new experience. How are the normal water temps around that area in Nov? Anything we should prepare for?
Thanks again
Burt

 

[The Chairman]

Warmer than MOST oceans in the summer. The reef off of Boyton is smack dab in the Gulf Stream, which pumps up warm water from the equator and keeps the vis high as well. I use a 3 mil in November and am fine. Some use a 5 mil & hood if they get cold easy. I will try and check my Cobra to see what the water temps were in Dec. I don't think I have doven there in November yet. Seems to me it was in the high 60s or low 70s. We went to Boyton today and the water temps were @ 85 or better... I dove in only my bathing suit. I would have gone to the birthday suit, but I always get those complants from the others about diving under a full moon!!! What's with that??? They have no sense of humor!

:tease:

Check out the Boyton dive report under this topic heading... (different thread)