iamrushman
Contributor
i know it's not the best of diving...(being funny)...but some beach diving in Lauderdale by the sea, Dania beach and Hollywood florida can be fun....
Your favorite dive spots in Florida?
- Thread starter AcornMan
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100days-a-year
Contributor
FLORIDA East Coast Shipwrecks Drydock Wreck Jacksonville
USS Wilkes-Barre
nps.gov/submerged : Submerged Resources Center, National Park Service, Denver, Colorado
Been to the Red,Med seas.Off the coasts of Africa,Central and South America, Azores,Bermuda,Caribbean and more.Have yet to do the Pacific.I haven't seen anything any better than the East Coast from the Tortugas to NC in terms of large animals,species diversity,water temp and clarity.
USS Wilkes-Barre
nps.gov/submerged : Submerged Resources Center, National Park Service, Denver, Colorado
Been to the Red,Med seas.Off the coasts of Africa,Central and South America, Azores,Bermuda,Caribbean and more.Have yet to do the Pacific.I haven't seen anything any better than the East Coast from the Tortugas to NC in terms of large animals,species diversity,water temp and clarity.
The Chairman hit it! The SoFlo diving community may be partial, but we DO have some of the best most diverse diving anywhere. If you include Central FL and the Springs...World Class is an easy claim to make. As far as accessibility and a place to work on a variety of skills, Blue Heron Bridge can't be beat! If you don't mind being in the water with a TON of other people, and can deal with lookyloo's, keep the site in mind. I'd imagine dive shops get a lot of business from passersby just asking questions, as many shops conduct course there. GREAT family environment, too.
Taronmyheel
Registered
More dives to check out!
flyingDiver75
Contributor
And don't forget the Florida Panhandle which is an easy weekend drive for much of the US southeast:
-- Panama City has a large list of wreck dives, most a close boat trip from shore
-- Destin has limestone reefs teaming with fish up through Goliath Groupers
-- Pensacola has the USS Orriskany and many other wreck and reef dives
-- Panama City has a large list of wreck dives, most a close boat trip from shore
-- Destin has limestone reefs teaming with fish up through Goliath Groupers
-- Pensacola has the USS Orriskany and many other wreck and reef dives
Of the FL locations, which are best for beginners? I'm AOW w/ 17 dives, but of course still consider myself a beginner.
I think I read that Molasses Reef and that area is pretty easy. I've also never done a wreck dive but it sounds like The Benwood might be a good first try since it's fairly shallow?
I think I read that Molasses Reef and that area is pretty easy. I've also never done a wreck dive but it sounds like The Benwood might be a good first try since it's fairly shallow?
Molasses reef and the Ben Wood would be fine for starters. I dove both back in 1984 during my first dive trip post certification. The Bridge is also a very easy dive as long as you respect the tide tables. Get in a half an hour prior to high tide and out a half an hour after.
Satrekker
Contributor
Molasses reef is probably my favorite reef in Key Largo. It's a fairly easy dive, not too deep... a lot of it is less than 30' iirc. However, at times, it can have a pretty strong surge. I think navigation is one of the main things to pay attention to. It's very easy to go from formation to formation and get a bit turned around because it's not a straight-line reef. I make it a point to keep a pretty good idea of the direction of the boat and will usually come up about half-way into the dive at the turn around in order to spot the boat and fix a compass heading to keep me on track to finish near the boat.
Last Sunday, the seas were 5' or so with a pretty strong surge, and we had a lost diver situation come up at the end of the dive because he didn't respect his time or navigation. It was pretty hairy for about 15-20 minutes at the end of the dive when everybody was trying to spot him on the water in a light rain. No whistle, no smb. He was eventually spotted climbing up a tower about 1/4 mile away. Thankfully, he was retrieved safely, and I think quite a few divers had some good lessons reinforced. It did, however, cost anybody interested a chance at diving in the afternoon. :-(
Last Sunday, the seas were 5' or so with a pretty strong surge, and we had a lost diver situation come up at the end of the dive because he didn't respect his time or navigation. It was pretty hairy for about 15-20 minutes at the end of the dive when everybody was trying to spot him on the water in a light rain. No whistle, no smb. He was eventually spotted climbing up a tower about 1/4 mile away. Thankfully, he was retrieved safely, and I think quite a few divers had some good lessons reinforced. It did, however, cost anybody interested a chance at diving in the afternoon. :-(
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