Palm Beach vs Naples Florida... opinions?

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DC53

DC53

Guest
Messages
60
Reaction score
1
Location
Naples, Florida
# of dives
200 - 499
There are some job possibilities to move closer to warm clear water. One is Palm Beach area and the other is Naples. Since warm clear water is a big draw form me, big enough to play a role in job selection, can anyone in the know compare and contrast?
 
Palm Beach has some great diving. Plus you are within an hour of Lauderdale and
Pompano which have some good diving. Also Jupiter is not far but I have never dove there. I lived in Ft Myers (45 minutes north of Naples) for a year in the mid-80s but never found a place to dive on the west coast. Someone else may be able to give yiou a current dive opportunities in that area.
 
I have dove with a dive shop right by the Jupiter inlet. The first dive was great, nice clear water. The second dive the DM decided that we would dive with lemon sharks! Then de thought he would spear a fish on the dive too! they did no buddy checks, didnt have enough lead on the boat. I will never dive with them again but the diving in Jupiter other than that was great the first dive the water was as clear as the caymans!
 
I dove jupiter for 8 yrs straight wonderful year round during that time made many trips to pompano and palm beach all depends on what your looking for great sites to see on the east coast warm water good viz. west coast hit & miss viz best place to shoot fish temprature change in winter can be brutal but the fishing is great
 
DC53:
Since warm clear water is a big draw form me, big enough to play a role in job selection, can anyone in the know compare and contrast?
Click to expand...

I've been living and diving in Palm Beach County for the past 25 years and can tell you that we have some fine diving here. The proximity of the Gulf Stream helps to keep our waters generally clean and relatively warm in the winter. There are many many dive operations/boats in this area to choose from. We have a beautiful reef system stretching along the Florida east coast that provides dive oportunities for all classes of divers. Before selecting the job why don't you visit and try to dive in both areas.
 
oops posted wrong, how to remove?
 
Last edited:
Panulirus:
I've been living and diving in Palm Beach County for the past 25 years and can tell you that we have some fine diving here. The proximity of the Gulf Stream helps to keep our waters generally clean and relatively warm in the winter. There are many many dive operations/boats in this area to choose from. We have a beautiful reef system stretching along the Florida east coast that provides dive oportunities for all classes of divers. Before selecting the job why don't you visit and try to dive in both areas.
Click to expand...

Well over X-mas I did fifteen dives with the outfit in Jupiter (came totally prepared and didn't need buddy checks and liked the DM), and some in Palm Beach and loved the diving. I didn't get to see wrecks but I know that there are some around. I was more wondering if diving on the west coast even compares in terms of viz and temp and cool stuff (PS I'm not into shooting fish (with a speargun at least). THe east coast job (if I get it), is less moolah but diving and access to a warm ocean - "priceless."
 
DC53:
Well over X-mas I did fifteen dives with the outfit in Jupiter (came totally prepared and didn't need buddy checks and liked the DM), and some in Palm Beach and loved the diving. I didn't get to see wrecks but I know that there are some around. I was more wondering if diving on the west coast even compares in terms of viz and temp and cool stuff (PS I'm not into shooting fish (with a speargun at least). THe east coast job (if I get it), is less moolah but diving and access to a warm ocean - "priceless."
Click to expand...

If you liked what you've seen so far you will also like diving south of Palm Beach. There's nice reef from Boynton Inlet down to Ft. Lauderdale. You can get to the northern part with dive boats out of Boynton Beach. To go farther south I would go out of Lauderdale. This is definitely year around diving here without much pain as you've seen. I have no dive experience in the Gulf so can't compare this area to Naples. I know the Gulf does get cold in the winter and I don't think the vis can match what we have here.
 
Palm Beach vs. anywhere on the West Coast do not compare. Out west, there are good dive sites, but they are generally far out and the temps and viz are significantly less than on the East Coast. Over here on the East Coast, I can swim from the beach to the reef and the temp is still in the mid-70s. There are a ton more dive ops too. If diving is indeed a major factor in your decision, absolutely go with WPB.
 
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