Starting out in Florida

[chris_b]

My wife and I are planning to start scuba classes in the spring here in Iowa. We are both graduate students and our university offers a certification course each term.

However, we will be visiting Florida for a week later in November (just a couple weeks now!) and are thinking about buying some equipment down there since there is really nothing to choose from around here. We would probably just get the basics we'd need to go snorkeling, but we obviously want to try on stuff like masks and fins rather than relying on mail-order.

I was hoping some of you could tell us:

(1) Where a good, large supplier/shop is located-- I'd really like for us to have a wide variety of equipment to choose from. We're based in Boynton Beach for the week but also plan to travel around SE Florida.

(2) The locations of some good snorkeling spots. The only place I've read about in guidebooks is the national park on Key Biscayne. That's not too far for us, but I'd love to hear about any other spots.

Thanks a lot for any help. We're really excited about this and I'm really glad I found this board!

Chris Burkart

 

[TexasMike]

First off, a big Texas HOWDY!! to ya and welcome to ScubaBoard. You'll find us a friendly and knowledgable bunch. We look forward to your participation.

Second, NetDoc (one of our moderators) is from the area where you are headed. I'll make sure he knows about your question and replies to it. Also, you might trade contact info with him and possibly hook up.

--TexasMike

(Heads off to the velvet covered lounge where NetDoc writes his Diver Song Parodies. "Yo! Pete! You're up, man!)

 

[Stone]

Chris,

Try Diver's Supply in West Palm, which is not far from Boynton. They have a HUGE Store. They have a website which will probably give directions. www.divers-supply.com

 

[chris_b]

Mike and Stone,

Thanks for the warm welcome and information; I'm checking out Diver's Supply's website as I type. I'll look forward to checking back for further posts by NetDoc.

Regards,

Chris

 

[miked]

Chris_b,
Welcome from NJ!
While I can't give you any specific info on Florida shops, I thought a welcoming hello was in order. You've found the right place for finding and sharing info on any and all Scuba related topics.
good luck,
Mike

 

[detroit diver]

Hi Chris_B,

I'll add my welcome also!

I've heard that the drift diving around West Palm Beach is supposed to be some of the best around. You might want to contact some of the operator in that area and find out if those spots are also good for snorkeling.

In fact, if you're contacting Diver's Supply, they should probably know.

 

[rem308]

first off hi,
when i was researching my trip to california one of the things i did was get a copy of the online phonebook and look it up that way. you can also try padi's website as they list dive shops there.
have a great trip.

 

[The Chairman]

Funny you should mention that... the FRIENDLIEST charter that I ever found is the Loggerhead based out of Boyton. Some great diving as the the reef is only a half mile from shore. Lots of life and loads of fun. Let me know when you want to dive, and I will GLADLY drive down from Orlando... Boyton is my favorite Fla destination!!!

:tease:

 

[rstone]

Originally posted by Stone
Chris,

Try Diver's Supply in West Palm, which is not far from Boynton. They have a HUGE Store. They have a website which will probably give directions. www.divers-supply.com

I work for DS so i thought id pass this along.. our west palm beach is currently CLOSED.. The city is going to widen the road so they are tearing down stores and we are being forced to relocate. If your going to be down in south miami area we do have a shop in Florida city. If you wont be going that far down id suggest E-Force. They are just around the corner from our WPB store and have a good selection as well.

For dive boats in WPB Jim Abernathy is a good and respected operation down there. The diving in WPB is great however i have been told the vis down there right now is bad (around 8 ft.). If your down in Ft. Lauderdale check out ProDive. They run a excellent operation and one of the longest / oldest & most respected operation in Florida. Http://www.prodiveusa.com not to metion the diving in Ft. Lauderdale is great to..

Check out this website.. they have FREE videos online and show you all the dive sites in the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area..

http://www.broward.org/scuba.htm

 

[chris_b]

NetDoc, great to hear from you. We aren't real "divers" yet; we'll be taking our open water course in the spring but happen to be visiting relatives in Florida over Thanksgiving. I'm hoping we can get some basic snorkeling gear that we can later use for scuba. Are there places that are good for both snorkeling and scuba? I'm more than happy to give you a good excuse to go diving

rstone, thanks a lot for the heads-up on the WPB store being relocated, probably saved me a drive over there. Just from online product listings it looks like DS has a wider variety than Force E. We're thinking of a trip to the upper keys so if we don't find what we want at Force E we can stop in Florida City. I noticed that hotels are really cheap in Florida City, is it a real dump or something?

I suppose I should browse the equipment-related areas here, but any good recommendations for what all we should buy in general? At a minimum I know we need masks, fins, snorkels, and booties. What else should we consider in our initial foray?

Thanks again for all the nice responses!

Chris