To all Panhandle (PCB) visitors.

[Ana]

I’m a temporary “PCB local” and would like to use this forum to send a message to all the potential guests.

For some mysterious reason Panama City Beach is the destination of many divers. Unfortunately a great portion of these visitors are not serious about their diving. They come here “to dive”, they call themselves divers and even have the T-shirts, and stickers all over their vehicles. By the time they arrive, the reservations have been made. They already called the 3.5 shops available and booked their dives. Once they hit the town, usually the night before the 1st planned dive, they go to have a drink or ten. Of course after driving for 10+ hours and all the drinking, they don’t show up to the boat; many times don’t even bother to call.

When a six pack boat only has 2 divers they cancel the trip. The dive shop geniuses don’t ask for credit card numbers because they’ve never done that before.

So please…. If you sign up for a dive get your behind in the boat. If you are hungover, the fresh air will do you good. Oh… and don’t forget to aim OUT when throwing up, not inside other people’s dive bags.

Thanks and happy vacations.

 

[JKSteger]

Sorry to hear that the dive was cancelled. I've never had it happen to me yet but I'm sure it will one day. I usually go dive at the Jetties or trek on up to Morrison Springs if it's not too flooded.

Better luck next time.

Jeremy

 

[seagrave]

I heard Hydrospace closed. Whats the next best place to go with.

 

[Ana]

I heard Hydrospace closed. Whats the next best place to go with.

For what I've heard the boats are now under PCDC. I don't know details because they carry too many people for my taste.

I can't recommend anyone in good faith. The boats I like have lousy captains, the captains I like have lousy vessels.

Hopefully tomorrow won't be rougher than what the forecast calls for, and I won't care about boats or captains until next weekend.

 

[mike_s]

I heard that PCDC was closed during February also.. with Hydrospace closing/closed, that doesn't leave you many options if you want to boat dive in February.

As for the boat owners/operators, I can't figure out why they don't take
credit cards as part of the reservation like other places do. I guarentee
you that would make a difference on cancellations. I've been on boats
before where there was supposed to be 10 divers and it left the dock
with only 4 because of "no shows". (in Key Largo though.)

 

[Nemrod]

"For some mysterious reason Panama City Beach is the destination of many divers."

All the other aside, why do you find it mysterious that people come there to dive or is it the lack of diving once they get there that is mysterious?? N

 

[Jethroish]

Well, my reason for going to PC to dive is it is about the closest, good gulf diving, and I can make the drive there in 12 to 13 hours. And yes I have a dive flag sticker on my rear window, and I buy a shirt from every operator I dive with (providing they have them)
I do know what you mean though. Back in August, as I was driving across I-10 around Pensacola, I got a phone call from the dive shop in PC that our dive for the next day was cancelled because the other divers backed out. Thankfully, they got my wife and I scheduled with another shop.
But we go there to dive, not drink, not party.
Just my 2 bits.

 

[Ana]

"For some mysterious reason Panama City Beach is the destination of many divers."

All the other aside, why do you find it mysterious that people come there to dive or is it the lack of diving once they get there that is mysterious?? N

Well, this place is definitely a geographical oddity.

There are many great dive sites but seriously lacks the infrastructure to enjoy them.
The beaches are gorgeous but unless you live in one of the condos lining the coast, is difficult to even take a glance at the water. There are a couple of public accesses but it feels like you have to go sideways between the buildings.
There is a museum (Man in the Sea) with some of the most amazing dive equipment, submersibles and in general underwater toys; but just about everything is dirty and laying around like useless junk. The bigger items are outside rusting away on the grounds around the museum. Try volunteering and you’ll have regular doses of frustration.

Jthroish posted above about having a dive cancelled. This isn’t the exception, unfortunately this happens way too often. By the way, I appreciate the fact that he is not one of the visitors that contributes to cancellations.

Why don’t the dive shops ask for credit cards at booking is beyond my understanding.

Been here since 2001 and the situation with the diving is getting a lot worse, I resent being pushed to buy a boat, if this place is a dive destination why the h@#$ is it so difficult to go out and dive? So, it is stinking cold but that shouldn’t stop the diving, as long as the seas are calm it is better to endure winter underwater that topside.

 

[mike_s]

Aside from diving... Panama City Beach is undergoing a huge facelift.

They are tearing down all the old hotels and putting up high-rise condos. Buildings so big that they buy the t-shirt shops across the street and put in parking deck garages with enclosed walkways over the beach road.

My guess is that they are trying to get rid of the spring break teenagers and the "Girls Gone Wild" image and put up huge condo's and shopping centers like nearby Destin. It makes sense. The tax revenue would easily double if all that happens.

 

[William Foreman]

Well, In the spring and summer time PCB there are plenty of dive boats going out...My problem was in November I was there for almost 2 weeks and could not find a dive boat going out..Why is this if there are a lot of divers living in PC. Any way I did have to go back to Georgia without getting on a dive boat I ended up doing a few shore dive but nothing intersting off the shore as far as I know. I will be heading to PCB near 1st of April I hope I can find a boat I us PCDC for my boat trips..