good ft. lauderdale operators for new divers

[pokeable]

Hi, my husband and I are going to be completing our certification OW dives at the end of July and we have a trip to Ft. Lauderdale planned for the middle of August. We'd like to go on at least 1 dive for one of those days. What are some good dive operators for brand new divers? We'd prefer to have a divemaster in the water with us just in case.

 

[deepstops]

Hi, my husband and I are going to be completing our certification OW dives at the end of July and we have a trip to Ft. Lauderdale planned for the middle of August. We'd like to go on at least 1 dive for one of those days. What are some good dive operators for brand new divers? We'd prefer to have a divemaster in the water with us just in case.

On the boats running out of Fort Lauderdale and Pompano, I'm not aware of any that put a DM in the water with you. Two good boats would be American Dream and Sea Experience but the DM will cost extra I'm pretty sure.

Up in Boynton Beach (30 minutes north), you could dive with Underwater Explorer and Kevin Metz. He guides every dive on his boat unless you ask him not to
He will also give you tips and pointers that will help you improve your skills quickly.

 

[DebbyDiver]

I highly recommend Sea Experience (although the others that Deepstops recommended are also quite outstanding!) I'm recommending SeaXP because it is a fast catamaran-hulled boat, meaning it doesn't rock side to side. Super friendly and safe captain and crew, they are my go-to dive op in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy your visit!

 

[pokeable]

I don't think we NEED a divemaster in the water. I just thought it'd be a good idea since I'm not sure how good our navigation skills are going to be underwater.

Thanks for the advice! (And yeah, a boat that doesn't rock a lot is good since I'm prone to motion sickness.)

 

[DebbyDiver]

If they do a wreck for the first dive (which they usually do), it's real easy to navigate. As you descend the line, note where it is attached to the wreck, then keep track of where you are. They pretty much always do a drift dive for the second dive...your team will have a float flag so when you are done, inflate and wait next to the flag and the valet parking captain will come and pick you up!

There are usually experienced locals on board who are happy to buddy up with you; however, that's not a promise, just my experience with that boat (and I was frequently the local who you would buddy with, until I recently moved).