Will Be In Gulf Shores

Hey All, I will be in the Gulf Shores area at the end of July First part of August. I start my OW cert on the 8th of july and finish the weekend of the 15th. As I will be a true newbie, I was wondering what are some good dives around gulf shores area that I might tackle.

Depends on your expectations. All the dive ops offer inshore trips to 'fun' sites in relatively shallow water. There are a few beach dives availabe as well, but they can be lowish visibility(if you are accustomed to clear water) and require a swim. Sometimes they require diving during the correct tidal period as well.

Thanks Bugman, I dont really have any expectations as of yet. I just want to get some dives in while I'm down there. I am not used to any conditions as of yet but will have to get used to low vis pretty quickly as that is mainly what we have around here. What are some of the dive ops in the area down there? How far in advance do I need to make a reservation. All help is appreciated...... Thanx

We do most of our Gulf diving in the Panama City area, but I've been out in Gulf Shores 3 or 4 times too. With the exception of one trip there (that we would have been smart to cancel since everyone onboard got seasick and we ended up cancelling the second dive anyway) I've had better visibility in Gulf Shores than in Panama City. Close to 80 feet once, which is unusual in the Gulf. That time of the year seems to be when the big schools of baitfish come in, which are interesting to watch.

We've used Down Under Dive Shop every time. They now have a new Newton 46, which is much better than their old 6-pack boat. It's a professionally run group, and they are very thorough on dive briefings which would be nice for you so close after certification. They are on Hwy. 52, just over the bridge on the right as you head to the T.

Just remember that the conditions in the Gulf can vary greatly, and if you think it's too rough for your experience level, don't be afraid to cancel. I haven't been there post-Ivan, so I'm not sure if there are still visibility issues there. Even if you end up with limited visibility, there are usually lots of little things to look for too. We've done a couple of the Liberty Ships and a Navy Tug. There aren't any natural formations in the area, so you're limited to wrecks. I personally don't care to dive the jetties, but have heard of people that do. Haven't tried any shore dives there either, but you can ask and I think get a map to one that's easy to get to off of one of the local hotels (Holiday Inn?).

We're heading to Rosemary Beach this weekend and are going to dive in Destin.

Have Fun!

Visibility in the gulf is still the same, iffy It can be 10' or 200'. Down Under dive shop(which is off of Highway 59, not 52 by the way) and Gary's Gulf Diver are two dive shops right off the beach. I live in Loxley, and goto a shop in Marlow(between Fairhope and Daphne) as its closer(Underwater Works). They are a great op as well, and run boats out of Orange Beach.

If you want a few beach dives, I can show you around.