What is LBTS like for...

[RonFrank]

non-divers. I'm going to do at least one shore dive from there, and am wondering if it's a good place for my family to hang out while we dive? Or will they be happier going to another beach?

I guess we can go, and they can decide, but they may be happier just hanging around the Boca area... thoughts?

Thanks,

 

[MikeJacobs]

non-divers. I'm going to do at least one shore dive from there, and am wondering if it's a good place for my family to hang out while we dive? Or will they be happier going to another beach?

LBTS is a relatively safe 'family' beach with a lot of local infrastructure. It gets crowded by the pier because that's where most of the parking is, but as you head south from Datura and past Hibiscus the crowd thins a bit and your family should be happy there.

Currently, the sand has a gentle slope into depth, so if you have little children there will be little threat from the occasional drop-off and undertow we see formed after a tropical storm or hurricane.

The pier is where everything happens - all the restaurants and shopping are at Commercial & El Mar Drive.

Best parking IMO is at Hibiscus, since your family can "beach" just south were there are fewer people while you snorkle and/or dive out to the reefs and then north to the pier... hopefully there will be a south current so you can dive into it and drift back, but it's usually not a problem going against the current when the diving is any good anyway.

Get there early and bring a lot of quarters... I think you get 15 minutes per quarter and the public parking can fill up by 10 or earlier in nice days.

If your family doesn't mind crowds, so much the better - you can "camp" out closer to the pier where the snorkeling/diving is better and there's shopping/food available. The closest restrooms are near the pier as well - across A1A at Burger King! Seriously, the beach has no public restrooms even though you'll find plenty of rinse showers.

 

[Trisha]

We spent two weeks in June/July at Beach Apartments Hotel, around El Mar Drive and Datura Avenue. $365/week and we had easy access to the pier or the beach, plus our daughters could sleep in, watch TV, ogle the boys of summer -- or dive with us.
Very important -- it answers the question "where is the nearest bathroom?"
We will definitely return.

We were not impressed with the service the day we tried the local Burger King. Mulligans at El Mar and Commercial Blvd. has a $2 breakfast until 2:00 pm, and other very nice entries.
The beach is public and nice for strolling. I walked from Park Avenue to Pine Avenue (the length of El Mar) and felt safe, but it's mostly beach hotels. Ocean Drive (AIA) is busier but has the fire station and park, and I think tennis courts.
We walked along Commercial Blvd. west past the Intercoastal bridge to a used bookstore. Interesting shops but higher prices than if you headed further from the beach.
We also walked to the Publix supermarket and brought back some groceries. Again, prices were steeper than back here at OKC, but convenient for our apartment.

If you need scuba supplies, there is a dive shop off Commercial and Ocean. We used Fill Express on Dixie Highway, and visited several other shops (a jammed BC inflator valve.)
For boat dives, we went a mile north on Ocean to Scubatyme. Reserve by phone or e-mail, they have no storefront.

http://sunny.org
http://www.beach-apts.com
http://www.fillexpress.com
http://scubatyme.com

And enjoy your trip! LBTS is my favorite mainland destination.

 

[Chotzi]

Dear Ron,
I met you at the 1st annual Rocky Mtn Oysters at Aurora Res. LBTS is where my wife and I stayed in May. Breakfast at the diner on Anglers pier is a must. We stayed at the Courtyard Villa just South of the pier. It was the single best room I have ever had. The beach there was great (park on Datura and El Mar) and even we (rookie newbies) were able to shore dive. We were cautioned to get there early and that diving was better with surf less than 1 ft due to the related current. Current was strong from the SE but we got 2 hrs of bottom time per tank. We went up to Pompano Beach to rent tanks and weights from Force E, and used South Florida Dive center just over the bridge to the east side of the ditch to do some boat dives. The SS Sea Emporer was the best boat dive we have done to date. Large stingrays and moray eels, goliath groupers and lots of stuff to see, it was definately worth it.
Good Luck on your trip,
Cheers,
Curt