Any Beach diving in WPB?

I know most of the reefs in WPB are a ways out from the beach. I was just wondering if there are any that are a short swim out.

I don't know of any good spots in PBC for a good beach dive. A lot of people here like Blue Heron Bridge, but don't know if any reefs are easily accessible for the beach. I know there is a wreck that's not too far for shore of off the south end of Delray Beach which I've been tempted to seek out (don't know if anyone is familiar with it).

I'm pretty sure that unlike Broward, you cannot legally dive off any public beach in PBC making it even more of a challenge to find a good spot/parking etc. I can't recall where I heard/read that. I'm sure someone else will chime in on that.

I have been to the bridge a few times. Just looking for something different. High tide is to late for me tomorrow to do the bridge.

ScubaBrianScubaTeam:

I know most of the reefs in WPB are a ways out from the beach. I was just wondering if there are any that are a short swim out.

Click to expand...

If you drive to the Island of Palm Beach, and park at the northern most point of public parking at the public beach....you can then walk north down the beach with your dive gear to the Hotel known as The Breakers... ( or you could stay there

You would swim out at the southern side of the building foundation, and in about 150 feet you will come to what used to be a pier about 70 years ago--now it is all hard coral, about 8 feet deep, and about 25 feet wide, going aout about 150 yards. Great for new divers, and even cool for old divers. If you keep heading out past the end of the old pier/hard coral, about another 100 yards out at a depth of around 20 feet is a patch reef system of eliptical blow outs...sand flats suddenly changing to limestone ledges with lots of fish. There are perhaps 15 of these worth diving on, most on the 20 to 25 foot depths, some more like 30 feet. They actually begin closer to the Public Beach you began at, and one can be found if you follow the Cable Crossing ( see the sign and cable from the beach, and succeed in following and guessing where it goes til you reach depth around 20 feet deep and the patch reefs there. However, most of the patch reefs are north from the Breakers --which is why I suggested starting there. The problem, is that the sand flats between the patch reefs are wide, and you could easily go straight out over a sand flat, miss the nearest patch reef, and never see anything but sand--you would end up in 35 feet of water, slowly deepening, and you should not plan on swimming all the way to the 60 foot breakers reef Even if you had the fitness for the swim, the current would push you so far north that by the time you were far enough out, you would have past the northern most end of the Breakers reef, and you would have sand with out let up.

Best bet is to pick a weekend when dive boats are anchored up to the 25 foot deep patch reefs, and try to get to them--then take visual marks for future outings by yourself.


Or , get a taxi to drop you off at the North Jetty on singer Island, and dive the Palm beach Inlet ( Lake Worth Inlet) at high tide...If there are fairly flat seas, swim out around the Pumphouse towing your flag, and then come back in the inlet, and stay either by the rock jetty ( 12 to 15 feet deep) or go out when you get a couple hundred yards in the inlet, and see the big pipes heading across the channel--follow them and go out to the channel. Stay on the wall or bottom of the channel if you do this, and KNOW that this is NOT really legal( it is a shipping channel) and must be treated as an Overhead environment--you absolutely MUST go back to the rock jetty before you can surface..Surfacing in the channel means expecting to be run over by a boat, or ticketed by the marine patrol, or both
However, it is an awesome dive, actually much better than many of the reef dives in 60 feet of water--this channel is about 35 feet deep, and as a marine estuary, has many huge schools of fish, and very bright soft corals covering your views.
Due to the huge current at the end of high tide, or the large flow prior to high tide, timing is critical, and with all of these issues, this is really only for advanced divers--and I absolutely do NOT mmean AOW card holders ( meaning you may or may not have the training to survive by yourself in a swimming pool for an hour...) I mean divers with lots of real experience and skills in currents and in planning for tidal changes...not to mention overhead environment skills if you choose to dive the channel. Also, if you do take this path, you will need to tie off your dive flag on the pipe, as dragging it on a channel dive would be advertising your bad behavior to the marine patrol

Regards,
Dan V

I've also dived Breakers from shore. Actually the three reef lines just North of Breakers. You have to drop your gear off at the beach with a buddy then drive up to N. County Rd where there is some free street parking and hike back to the beach. This is a residential area with no other public parking. I usually drop off at the end of Sunset Ave. There is usually a light North current so when you exit you have drifted to about Atlantic or Dunbar.
I'd like to try the inlet at high tide some day as well. Just trying to figure where I could drop and park.

Is it really illegal to scuba dive from the beaches in PB County??

Glock Diver:

Is it really illegal to scuba dive from the beaches in PB County??

Click to expand...

In general, there's no ordinance against shore diving in Palm Beach County. There *may* be a few parks where it's restricted but in general, it's legal.

Glock Diver:

Is it really illegal to scuba dive from the beaches in PB County??

Click to expand...

No, I stand corrected. Diving is not illegal from public beaches in PBC. As Brian said a few parks or areas may be restricted, for example swimming/diving are prohibited in the Boca Inlet. WPB has no restrictions that I could find, city of Palm Beach states the following -

Skin and scuba diving.
It shall be unlawful to skin or scuba dive off public beaches operated and patrolled and guarded by lifeguards of the town unless adequate safety precautions are taken.
(1) The "buddy" system must be used, making it necessary to have two or more people diving. It shall be unlawful to dive alone.
(2) If scuba diving, each member must have a current nationally recognized open water certification card.
(3) Each diver must have a buoyancy compensator capable of supporting the head of an unconscious diver above the water.
(4) Each dive unit must have a diver's down flag. This flag must be free flying and clearly visible to boaters from a minimum of 100 feet in all directions. The flag must be a minimum of 12 inches by 12 inches and must have a red diagonal background with a white stripe. An international alpha flag may be used in lieu of the above flag.

soamelt:

city of Palm Beach states the following -

Skin and scuba diving.
<snip>

Click to expand...

Broward County (and Fort Lauderdale specifically) have nearly identical rules for shore diving. If a lifeguard catches you solo diving from shore, they can have you removed from the beach.

I have no information on shore diving from WPB, but why would you do that vs. just heading south to LBTS?

Just curious, as I visit FL often, and am wondering if I am missing anything?