Location Idea

[travelpro]

Flying into Orlando for a business trip. Would like to know where I could get some diving in sat and sun. Don't mind having to drive far and could start from 3pm on Friday. I would fly out Monday. Could fly out from Maimi. Even so, wonder if the keys are still doable .

Any other location ideas?

I prefer large coral, swim thru's, big stuff and large schools.

I would love an ocean front room for $100 or would use my Hilton points.

Traveling solo so need a DM in the water
THANKS

 

[Rich Keller]

If you can fly out Miami then the Keys are doable. I will be coming to the Keys on Saturday and diving Sunday morning.

 

[travelpro]

Thanks.

The keys have been on my to do list. Reading the many posts it seems Key Largo is the dive spot with Rainbow Reef as they put DM's in the water.

 

[BVickery]

Keys are VERY doable if you drive @ 3pm on Friday, spend Sat. diving (could easily get in 2 2 tank dives and a night dive).

You may be 'eeehhh' on a Reef Night Dive, but I have done 2 of them and loved them both times, and one was with horribly visibility.

 

[timg]

Could work out well for you, winds are dying down, potential for a great few days of diving coming up.

Check the conditions here: NDBC - Station MLRF1

 

[danvolker]

palm beach is about 3 hours away from you....Go to the Hilton on Singer Island....When yo want to leave...West Palm Neach Intl Airport is 15 minutes away...
The Hilton is a real Dive Resort , with special packages for divers.....See it in hotel tab of www.sfdj.com. along with video which will show why you will love their diving....

 

[The Chairman]

The Keys will be nice this weekend as Tim pointed out.

 

[Reck Diver]

I'd skip Riviera Beach. You will find with you want in the keys.... except for the $100 oceanfront room. When you find that, let the rest of us know! If you decide against the keys, look in to the Greater Ft. Lauderdale area. Lots of activity and lots of great diving opportunities.

 

[sportxlh]

You'll enjoy anything from Jupiter down to the Keys.

in Jupiter, your pretty much guaranteed to see big stuff, turtles, goliath grouper, sharks (reef, bulls and nurse are common), large green morays, sometimes spotted eagle rays, etc. My favorite Op is Jupiter dive center:

Jupiter Dive Center

Palm Beach has more colorful reefs and there are a lot of good dive ops in the area. Again, your likely to see turtles, maybe a goliath grouper and possibly some reef or nurse sharks and likely large southern sting rays. You're also likely to see large moray's too. Plus, lots and lots and lots of tropical fish. there are many great ops in WPB: I've been out with the Scuba Club, Jim Abernathy Scuba Adventures and Walkers but there are lots of other ops too. Force-E scuba shop can get you on any boat.

Ft Lauderdale and Pomano are also fun places to dive, espcially on the multitude of wrecks which can attract goliath grouper and of course, lots of fish. Scubatyme and South Florida Dive Headquarters (I'm diving with this op next weekend) have nice links that describe wreck and dive sites in the area. Gold Coast Scuba or Force-E Pompano can also arrange to get you on almost any boat in the area depending on what sort of diving you want to do.

Visit One of the "Top Ten" Scuba and Snorkel Dive Locations, Sunny Sourth Florida, with South Florida Diving Headquarters
http://www.scubatyme.com/ or .:: SCUBATYME ::.
Pompano Dive Center another good operator
Gold Coast Scuba » Your Site Name

Diving in the Keys can be great but check where the op is going before you schedule: a lot will go to shallow reefs, which while beautiful, might not be what you are looking for. Ops I've used and enjoyed include the following:


Conch Republic Divers
Silent World Dive Center
Quiescence Diving Services , Inc., One of Key Largo's Finest Diving Operations

You have good airport options with Miami, Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood or West Palm Beach

Enjoy


EDIT: I HAVE NO IDEA WHY SOME OF THE TEXT CAME OUT GREEN

 

[Herb-alaska]

I did the very same trip flew into Orlando and drove to West Palm and dove Friday Saturday and Sunday with the Scuba Club out of west Palm. Great shop it was off season ( January) and everyone thought that they were cold at 72 degrees but coming from 38 degree Alaska water I thought it was great. The boat has plenty of room for 20 divers but we dove every day with 10 max had two DMs in the water leading the dive so I did not have to worry about anything except taking care of myself and having a great time. All the dives are drift so there is little to no work it was just a lot of fun and the reefs and the wrecks that we hit were varied so I had not repeats on the 3 days of diving.

Being from Alaska I have no vested interested in this shop I just had a great time and am not afraid to say it.

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