West Palm Beach

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Rescue Diver68

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
1,234
Reaction score
103
Location
NJ
# of dives
500 - 999
Is there diving year around in West Palm Beach? Are conditions good enough to dive in December? Water Temps? Vis?

Thanks
 
Kind of an individual answer. The charters run year round, but the boats REALLY thin out December through about March/April. Through the winter months you can count on low 70's and high 60's based on my personal experience. For the last two years I have dove a 1mm year round. I got cold a few times last winter, but once I bought a binnie for my head I never had problems again. Although, I am considering setting up to a 3mm or 5mm. From what I remember, visibility is never great. Usually around 30 feet on average.

Although, one really nice advantage is that the boats ARE NOT crowded! Instead on trying to gear up with 20 other people around you, you might have 5 or 6 other people. That alone I find MUCH more enjoyable!

Other then that, I would just say you have to be a little more flexible with your schedule. During the summer you can count on almost EVERY weekend being great conditions. In the winter, I find myself making diving decisions on Friday :)
 
The gulf stream passes closest to Florida in PB, so basically the water will be cool year round. To give you an example from my computer logs- one time in August I did some dives there with water temp at max depth of 73 degrees F, and have dived there in december at 77 degrees! I use a 3/2 mm wetsuit yearround in PB for comfort (but I can withstand cold).

Dove with Pura Vida, they are great. Also you might want to check out Jim Abernathy's shark dive. The diving is great, best drift diving anywhere, and excellent fish life, turtles, sharks, etc.
 
Good points Dolphincrc... Agree about Pura Vida too... Trevor runs a good operation there. Although, have to disagree with you on Jim Abernathy's. He is the one charter in WPB I REFUSE to get on. Unsafe in my experience and had terrible drops everytime I dove with them. As for the shark dive - all the dive operators hit it. Just ask for NW Double Ledges. Same site - different name.
 
Thanks for your replies. If anyone is diving Dec 28 or 29 in West Palm...I'd like to maybe dive then. Anyone? Weather permitting of course.
 
Walt,
The Down Under Dive Club from Melbourne will be on Narcosis next Saturday (13th)morning. A few of them are SB'rs. I won't be there... I'm planning on the REEF Fish ID course...

Al
 
I found a slot on Pura Vida's boat this Saturday AM. Maybe I can get back down soon and try Narcosis. I will have to find a dive buddy on the boat, unless someone on here wants to buddy up with this new diver.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

Back
Top Bottom