Winter dives in Florida

[crgoode]

Can't afford to leave the country until next March, but wondering about diving in Florida until then. Is winter diving (ocean) from Jacksonville down to West Palm beach a good option from Nov. through Apr.? Just realized this post is in the wrong place, but am unable to delete it.

 

[Walter]

There is excellent diving in Florida all year.

 

[crgoode]

Walter, I'm from SC and West Palm Beach is about as far as I'd want to drive and then only for a long weekend, however I could make it to Jacksonville for a regular weekend dive. Do you have any personal experience with conditions around J'ville in the winter? Water temps? viz? Any good areas between J'ville and W.Palm Beach?

 

[jkolb]

Just went out this past weekend with Sea Dog Divers. Nice boat, nice crew, fun trip, but the reefs just can't compare with the ones down south. Of course, there are plenty of wrecks to go diving on around New Smyrna. Drop them a line and see what they have going on.

 

[Bobb]

crgoode
Hi, I'm in Greenville, How about coming up to Jocassee? I went today (water temp 72) didn't go to the thermocline, just practicing some buoyancy skills and burning air...Going tomorrow also...same reason...going to go to Fl. Nov. 6,7,8,and leave on the 9th...my nephew and I are going to Blue Grotto & Devils Den...Our first spring dives...can't wait...anyway, Maybe we can get together for some Fl. weekends....
Bobb

 

[crgoode]

I did my ow and aow at Jocassee. At the end of my aow we told our instructor that we were going to Cozumel soon and the instructor said "well, you'll never want to come back to this mudhole after that." And he was right. Neither me nor my wife have any desire to ever dive in Jocassee again. That's why I'm asking about places in Fla. that are close enough to get to on a weekend. I'm not even particularly interested in spring diving. I've done Devil's Den and Ginnies Spring and while they were interesting I'm in no hurry to do them again. I want wide open water with lots of scenery.

 

[jkolb]

If you're looking for lots of scenery, you're going to have to travel to southern florida. The reefs there have a lot more life than those up north. A little south of West Palm Beach, there's an outfit called the Starfish Enterprise in Lantana. They're a good boat, I'm going diving with them tomorrow.

 

[100days-a-year]

Jax water temps bottom at 46-54 inshore on bad years in Feb.Usual is 64+ offshore.Vis is from 5'- inshore after a noreaster.Vis offshore can be 100+ .You can expect large animals every dive during the winter,from mola mola to mako,great white ,sea turtle,and very sedate cold shocked grouper and snapper.We dive every weekend the weather allows.

 

[crgoode]

What thickness wetsuit do you use during the winter, and what is a mola mola?

 

[nitroxbabe]

A Mola Mola is a giant ocean sunfish - they can weigh hundreds of pounds and are very odd looking, resembling a giant whitish-grey head with 2 enormous fins. I've only seen photos of them but would love to see one in person. They frequent the open ocean and are not an animal that is commonly seen! I have a book "Wreck Diving Adventures" by Gary Gentile which has a great article on the mola mola and lots o photos. (I had to order this book off the net - not in bookstores).