Where to dive in St Augustine, Florida

Hi,

My first post here. Please be kind ;-)

I will be in St Augustine for about a week in March 2010, following courses for work during the day. I will have one complete sunday that I can dedicate to diving, and a couple of the evenings during the week as well.

Any suggestions of local companies I could contact to see what they could offer for diving? I would be traveling alone, so I would need a buddy as well.

Also, I likely will not be bringing any equipment, so I would need everything local. I may take my regulator set though (for comfort).

I am an assistant instructor with about 200 dives, so the level can be quite high.

I thank you for any suggestions.

This is one corner of the state that I dont have any experience with. The most northerly city I have dove on the east coast is Jupiter.......spearing.
I would like some info about this area as well!

For what it is worth, and this may be nothing, I was working myself in the Palm Coast area just a few years ago (just south of St. Aug.) and I dropped into a dive shop there. I asked them where they dove around there and I was informed to head to cave country or drive back south to where I live. I know there are some spearing trips with Sea Dog Charters in Canaveral.
I will be watching.
I just spent the weekend in Port Orange and could have made a dive.
Chug

Closest charters are Atlanticprodivers in Jax Beach and Sea Dogs in Daytona.Water inshore right now is 50s and green 20' vis.Offshore in 120'+ its close to 70degrees and had 50' vis or better last week.
Unfortunately none of the charters heads that deep often.Try finding a private boat on Spearboard or SpearfishingPlanet.Not many of the NE Fla folks on SB have boats and very few dive here.Most of the diving is spearing and lobstering.

There is a reason you don't hear much about diving in this area - there is not much of it to be had, as others have posted - plus, in March the water is still going to be winter temps, operators are still on a "winter" schedule - although south of you in Jupiter you will likely see 70 - 73 @ depth.

You really should think about diving Jupiter - while its a drive from St Augustine, the diving is superb

FWIW,here's my 2cents
I dive 250-400 dives a year,every year for a long time.
I see more big animals in 1 dive than most S.Florida and Keys divers see in a multi-day trip.
I dive year round here.Mostly in 100'+.
I dive from the Marquesas Keys to N.Carolina just about every year.
I have dove out of just about every inlet on the East Coast in that range,both on my boat and others as crew or guest.Shore dives from my kayak or beach entries.

The southern part Florida other than the Keys holds no special charm other than convenience and being cheaper.The Keys has better diving and NE Fl,Ga,SC and NC have more fish and more natural bottom and wrecks so I normally only do a few dives from Vero to Miami every year.The vis and temps offshore here are compatible with S.Fl 9 months a year.

My experience for S.Florida diving.
Due to current it's mostly drift diving and divers get run over every year while drifting.
Due to human population density the fish are scarcer and the same boaters running divers over don't obey many other courtesies on water either.
Due to beach re nourishment reefs are disappearing in places as they are sanded over.
Due to population density the quality of all that clear water is suspect due to sewage,agricultural run-off,animal wastes,residential pesticide and fertilizers just being the main culprits.

There are more dining and entertainment destinations down south but If I want topside fun I go to M-Orlando.

Try some of the springs. They are about an hour and a half away the dive\ing is worth the drive. Ijust dove Ginnie Springs it had unlimited vis. and 75 deg. water.