West palm, Jupiter area?

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Mason Gierke

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Location
Kankakee, IL
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I am heading down to the keys late july with the family for some diving with Rainbow Reef, we are flying in on a Friday to Ft. Lauderdale and cant check in until Saturday afternoon in the keys so we are thinking of heading north a bit for a Saturday dive. We are newer divers who have never done drift dives, who would be a good dive operator to look at any where from Ft. Lauderdale up to Jupiter. We prefer reefs over wrecks.
 
I'd recommend you go to Blue Heron Bridge. It's a free shore dive, and has an amazing amount of life. Octos, fireworms, rays, crabs, eels, you name it. I've even seen photos of manatees there (but never seen them personally). You must dive it at slack tide. For the exact location, google "Phil Foster Park." They have free parking and there's no charge to enter the park, dive, or park. There are restrooms onsite and showers (no hot water though).

If you want to hire a DM or rent gear (tanks etc) then I'd go see or call the people at Force-E. Blue Heron Bridge Diving and Tides | Force-E Scuba Centers

Tide table is here: https://ucb7c3af68a8841e48bab74ef66...lfzp1BCpiXn3dmjr9Lk-xstWvPjAgRphcsSRykIt/file

If you want to dive after dark, local law requires you to dive with a "sponsor". The dive shop identifies night dives they sponsor in red on that tide table. You don't need anything special to dive during the day.
 
Many boats in north palm beach county will put a dive guide in the water with the group. For new drift divers that is great as they handle the flag. All you need to do is stick with them and surface when you hit time limit or NDL. Be sure and have an inflatable SMB for each person. I can highly recommend all four of these operators from personal experience. They will all put an experienced guide in the water with you to handle the flag and point out cool stuff! Any of these can also coordinate whatever rental equipment needs you have.

Jupiter
Jupiter Dive Center ... Jupiter Dive Center
Jupiter Scuba Diving ...Jupiter Scuba Diving

Palm Beach
Pura Vida ...| Pura Vida Divers : Discover South Florida SCUBA Diving
Narcosis ... Narcosis Dive Company | SCUBA Diving in West Palm Beach Florida

If you're quite new and only OW certified, stick with Palm Beach. Jupiter sites are deeper and the conditions are often choppier in Jupiter. You can't go wrong with either Pura Vida or Narcosis.

... or as has been suggested, dive Blue Heron Bridge. Hire a guide though as this will be your first time at the site. They will help to coordinate the logistics with you and can also make sure you have rental tanks. It is a shallow site so you can easily get 60-90 minutes on an AL80 even as a new diver. But it is well worth it!
 
Just so you are aware, you won't be doing any diving on coral reefs north of Fort Lauderdale.

Huh? Jupiter is mostly reef drift diving...
 
BHB sounds like a good first dive for us but I also would love to see a Goliath Grouper on a dive, what are the odds of seeing them if we booked a boat trip, it would be July 27th.
 
Huh? Jupiter is mostly reef drift diving...

I believe caruso is referring to the type of reef. North of Ft Lauderdale we have rocky limestone ledges with coral growth, sponges, etc. It isn't living, modern day CORAL reef like they have further south and in the Keys. Still beautiful with all of the vibrant life, tropical fish and associated critters, but not a living "coral" reef per se.
 
BHB sounds like a good first dive for us but I also would love to see a Goliath Grouper on a dive, what are the odds of seeing them if we booked a boat trip, it would be July 27th.

Hit or miss this time of year on the Goliath Grouper. You may absolutely see a few on the reefs up in Palm Beach or Jupiter but it isn't certain as it is during Aug-Sep.
 
If you are want to see Goliath groupers, then amend your plans to include a wreck, you can be 95% sure to see a few
On any wreck in 80’ft or deeper.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

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