Help. Florida coast trip planning

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pleasan7

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Hi all, I am a newbie diver married to an experienced diver. We are looking to take a trip early March, say the 5th (before the spring break) to Florida. He prefers Destin and I was looking farther along to Clearwater and then the Keys. We would want to drive down and maybe stay several places. Please list inexpensive places that you have enjoyed staying and especially dive companies that you enjoy working with. I truely want to make this a special vacation but keep a line on the money so that we get 5 days of diving instead of just 3. I know that he likes diving to things like wrecks where as I am in it for the fish. I love swimming with the different kinds.
Ok, just let me know if I could be more specific. Also, let me know if you know of any groups planning to go out in that time that we might could join.
Thanks!
Carol
 
There are keys all around Florida, but there is a lot of Florida between Clearwater the first of The Florida Keys, you know. Largo Florida is not so far, but Key Largo is over 300 miles from Clearwater, and Key West another 100.

Cheaper places to stay are easy, but keepiong the diving cheaper is different. You might want to ask Scuba_Jenny if she would help you, as I think she does some shore diving on the Gold/Atlantic Coast.
 
If you do stay in the Destin area, here is a link about the Jetties.
http://scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=724595&postcount=9

The two dive shops in the area offer boat dives for about $60.00 plus air, tanks, rental gear, and tips. There are several barges, boats, rock piles, and small reefs that these operations go to. They will do two dives on each trip.

If you come this way, send me a PM and I'll see if I can squeeze a dive in with you.
 
Hi!
SeaYoda:
If you do stay in the Destin area, here is a link about the Jetties.
http://scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=724595&postcount=9

The two dive shops in the area offer boat dives for about $60.00 plus air, tanks, rental gear, and tips. There are several barges, boats, rock piles, and small reefs that these operations go to. They will do two dives on each trip.

If you come this way, send me a PM and I'll see if I can squeeze a dive in with you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information. Keep us in mind, I will definitely let you know as I think we will probably come your way.
Keeping fingers-crossed for good weather.
 
DandyDon:
There are keys all around Florida, but there is a lot of Florida between Clearwater the first of The Florida Keys, you know. Largo Florida is not so far, but Key Largo is over 300 miles from Clearwater, and Key West another 100.

Cheaper places to stay are easy, but keepiong the diving cheaper is different. You might want to ask Scuba_Jenny if she would help you, as I think she does some shore diving on the Gold/Atlantic Coast.
Click to expand...
Thanks Don, I will see if Jenny will look in and add some information.
 
The boat dives will also be at least as expensive out of Clearwater/Largo etc. There is shore diving off the SW coast, Bradenton down to Venice. There is more shore diving and great drift diving ($50 a trip for boats) along the SE coast and then the keys are $50-60 per trip, unless you plan on multi-daying with one company and then they might drop it a little - or you get a large group going of course. There are also springs to hit on the way down from Destin to Tampa area, so a road trip might look like Destin, springs, Largo, Bradenton to Venice, WPB-Ft Lauderdale and down to the Keys, to take in pretty much every angle of FL diving available. What are you looking for wrecks, fish, reefs, sharks teeth???
 
In SE Florida, I pay about $60 per person for a two tank boat dive in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, or W. Palm Beach. However I dive from the beach for the price of a tank rental and parking. Dania, Commercial Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale, SE 8th Street in Pompano all are popular spots.

I have a boat dive booked in Key Largo over the Thanksgiving weekend for about the same price. You can find lodging for under $100/night.

Hope this helps.

Good luck and good diving!
 
Thanks - I do like to stay in the Clearwater area. I think that will be as far south as Gary would like to go.
Carol

simbrooks:
The boat dives will also be at least as expensive out of Clearwater/Largo etc. There is shore diving off the SW coast, Bradenton down to Venice. There is more shore diving and great drift diving ($50 a trip for boats) along the SE coast and then the keys are $50-60 per trip, unless you plan on multi-daying with one company and then they might drop it a little - or you get a large group going of course. There are also springs to hit on the way down from Destin to Tampa area, so a road trip might look like Destin, springs, Largo, Bradenton to Venice, WPB-Ft Lauderdale and down to the Keys, to take in pretty much every angle of FL diving available. What are you looking for wrecks, fish, reefs, sharks teeth???
Click to expand...
 
Hi Gary, Thanks. It will be a help. If our spring trip goes well then I hope to get him back out in the fall so I will then try for the SE Florida trip.
:crafty:

Carol

garyfotodiver:
In SE Florida, I pay about $60 per person for a two tank boat dive in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, or W. Palm Beach. However I dive from the beach for the price of a tank rental and parking. Dania, Commercial Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale, SE 8th Street in Pompano all are popular spots.

I have a boat dive booked in Key Largo over the Thanksgiving weekend for about the same price. You can find lodging for under $100/night.

Hope this helps.

Good luck and good diving!
Click to expand...
 
Hey fellow bubble blowers... (too much coffee this morning)

I was planning a trip to the Keys in Mid-January, but heard a lot of bad press about weather and currents being so bad that time of year. I'm not seeing any mention of there here.

Maybe I read through a bit fast too, but are they still recovering down there? Are we welcome to come visit this soon after such a horrible hurricane season?
 
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