Your Favorite dives in Fort Lauderdale & Pompano Beach region

[Ghosty]

Hi SB folks. I know this is last minute, but I'll be staying in Ft. Lauderdale all this week, and would love some suggestions for all time favorite dive sites and dive shops you've done in the wrecks and reefs North of Miami. I'll be staying between F.L. and P.B., with a rental car and all my gear. I'm PADI Adv. OW+Nitrox with wreck/night/deep/PPB electives. Done many dives in Maui, Key Largo, Galapagos, and most recently Belize.

I've already spent a ton of time online on Trip Advisor, Google searches for "Top-10 Fort Lauderdale dives", "Top Florida Wreck dives", etc. I'd like to do a few wrecks at least, the bigger the better, but a mixed bag of dive site types is fine. I'm wide open! Also any tips or concerns that you like to pass on to divers new to that area are appreciated. Any shark dives would be cool too.

What are YOUR favorite sites and shops? Thanks!

 

[Nick Steele]

Although I’m new and only do beach dives for now (cost) my bucket list dive for ft lauderdale would have to be the Lady Luck wreck. She sits in 130’ and comes up to 60’ I need a picture with the mermaid on deck for certain reasons best left unexplained here lol.

 

[diversteve]

moved to Florida Diving...

 

[iamrushman]

Maybe this will help....


Dive Sites - South Florida Diving Headquarters

 

[Mouth Breather]

There's a ton of wrecks to see in that area. My favorite ops are Pompano Dive Center and South Florida Diving Headquarters, both run out of the same marina and have online schedules. A little further north you can dive the MV Castor and see some 500+ pound goliath groupers. Only charter I've used up there is Starfish.

However as long as you've come this far and have said "the bigger the better" do yourself a favor and head down to largo. Dive the Spiegel Grove and the Duane. If you have the time for a 4-hour drive head down to key west and dive the Vanderberg, my favorite wreck in Florida. Best shop in KW is Captain's Cove.. they also have a bunkhouse for $50/night if I remember correctly.

Enjoy!

 

[Ghosty]

...my bucket list dive for ft lauderdale would have to be the Lady Luck wreck. She sits in 130’ and comes up to 60’ I need a picture with the mermaid on deck for certain reasons best left unexplained here lol.

Hahaa, nice! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look it up.

moved to Florida Diving...

Oops, sorry. Thanks for moving.

Maybe this will help....
Dive Sites - South Florida Diving Headquarters

Thanks!

However as long as you've come this far and have said "the bigger the better" do yourself a favor and head down to largo. Dive the Spiegel Grove and the Duane. If you have the time for a 4-hour drive head down to key west and dive the Vanderberg, my favorite wreck in Florida.

Awesome! Actually I got my Adv. OW in Key Largo will the Rainbow Reef outfit. They are awesome, and I had a blast. I did the Duane and Spiegel Grove for my "Wreck Diving" elective, what an adventure!

I've done many reef dives there, so this trip is all about Fort L. and Pompano B. South Fla. Divers and Pompano Center are within a couple miles of my hotel, so I should be good with them. Excellent Google reviews, I'll check their websites. Thanks Mouth!

 

[Ghosty]

For South Fla. Divers, unfortunately I was the only person interested in their Lady Luck trip tomorrow morn. So I signed up for their afternoon trip to Aqua Zoo. Pompano only had a very deep technical trip.

 

[RyanT]

Pompano Dive Center...really awesome shop and dive sites.

 

[sportxlh]

If you don't mind some shallow diving and if maring conditions are flat, one of my favorite relaxing dives is the Copenhagen wreck and the surrounding reef. I like doing it as a drift dive more than a moored dive, if possible. The ocean side of the reef (the east side) is more interesting then the beachside. South Florida Dive HQ used to schedule this dive regularly.

Most of the deeper reefs are pretty fun. None of the wrecks are super large, so its more enjoyable if you can dive them from a smaller dive boat or during the week when there will be fewer divers on the dive boat

 

[Mouth Breather]

I should have mentioned Parrot Island too....sort of a 'locals boat'. They launch out of Alsdorf Park in the same area you're in. Jerry and Kim are some of the nicest people you will meet.


Parrot Island Scuba Adventures