Hey y'all!

[teachersrock7]

Greetings from Louisiana- my name is Margaret. My husband and I got OW certification this summer in Cozumel. We are addicted!

I was recently asked to plan a last minute vacation to Florida for Easter (the husband is in nursing anesthesia school). I need help with suggestions for reputable dive shops where we can rent equipment, best places to dive there, etc. Please help the newbie!

 

[Chugwhump]

Do you mean the "Real Florida" on the Gold and Treasure Coasts, or the Redneck Riviera in Lower Alabama?

Chug
Likes the Redneck Riviera, but has much better diving at home.

 

[teachersrock7]

It would have to be the Redneck Riviera given the time we are staying.

 

[Chugwhump]

N'awlins to West Palm beach is a solid 12 hour ride.
I typically make it in 11 hours and DO NOT tell my wife that I have done it in 10 hours.
There is excellent diving in Palm Beach and Broward County.
This being said....
P'Cola is a lot closer, Fort Walton Beach and Panama City are several hours closer.
I have not dove the Panhandle of Florida even though I spent a year in Mobile as I am a spoiled diver.
We have lots of reef life, not encrusted ledges like they do up there.
It's a question of how much time and money for fuel do you have to play with from the time you leave the house to the time you get back.
Chug
Misses those Royal Reds.

 

[teachersrock7]

Sounds like something my husband would say...secret safe with me!
We were planning to go for about 3 days-not much time for travel. Logging those other suggestions away for another trip.
Now, I guess you mean since we got our OW cert in Coz that we would be disappointed in the diving in the handle....

 

[freston4]

Hi Margaret,

Congrats to you and your hubby on your new c-cards.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the diving experiences in the West Palm Beach area. We dive with Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures http://www.scuba-adventures.com/index.php and they have always taken good care of us. Safe and friendly with guides in the water that point out the local treasures. The diving itself tends to be slow drift dives with good diversity of marine life due to the gulf stream.

I hope you have a great trip!

RJF

 

[teachersrock7]

Thanks RJF! Appreciate all the tips.