my.boring.name:
I'm curious what people have to say about west coast vs. east coast scuba (ie, California vs. Florida or other places). I've done it twice now in Baja and really enjoyed it, but everyone is telling me that I haven't seen anything until I've done the Gulf coast. I was recently pitched a timeshare in Tampa Bay that had the main selling point of scuba proximity, but I'm not sure. Any thoughts? Are there any locations around there that offer spectacular diving?
Tampa Bay puts you in close proximity by air to the Florida Keys. The diving there is quite beautiful. And there is treasure still waiting to be found off Marquesas Key, which is about 50 miles west of Key West.
Kona Hawaii is quite beautiful as well, but without the prospect of treasure.
Other than cost, I do not see a big difference between the Florida Keys and Kona Hawaii. They are both the best of the best, in their own regions, and both are warm waters. Both have exquisite pelagics, such as mantas and sea turtles, and beautiful coral reefs.
The USA (& Canada) West Coast (I am not sure why you focused on Calif alone, because Oregon, Wash St, Vancouvre, and Alaska all have stunning scuba as well) is cold water diving. If you are up for this kind of thing, the scenery is also quite beautiful, mostly comprised of kelp forests and sea anemonies blanketing their rocky reefs. It is a totally different scene however than the warm waters of Florida or Hawaii.
If you are already a cold water diver, then you will certainly love warm waters. If however you are a warm water diver, you may not like cold water diving.
Baja (BCN & BCS) on the Sea of Cortez is somewhere in between. You need a thicker wetsuit, but not a hood or gloves. The most striking pelagics there are hammerheads and whale sharks, with lots of colorful reef fish like in Hawaii and Florida. The boat rides out to the reefs there tend to be rather long, however, like at the Coral Sea on the Great Barrier Reef.
Overall, I would rate them like this:
#1 Hawaii (also the most expensive of the 4)
#2 Baja
#3 Florida
#4 West Coast
Tampa Bay has great real estate prices right now. Ask the folks who live there. Although I have heard of a fair amount of people wanting to leave the Tampa Bay Area because it is getting too crowded, and so they have set their sights on the Carolina coast. But you did not ask about that. You might be happier in Fort Myers instead however, a bit further south of Tampa, with scuba boats that go to the keys from there, and less traffic to the Keys if you want to drive there yourself.
As usual, the real estate agent only told you part of the story.
