Diving near Aventura?

[jejton]

I'll be taking taking my family down to Aventura this coming April to visit with my brother that just moved down there. I've done a couple trips to Key Largo, and loved it. May take the wife and kids down to the keys for a few days, or to the Gulf coast (never been there). Haven't yet decided, but the bulk of the time we will be staying at Aventura. I'm hoping to sneak in a few dives while there and was looking for recommendations for a local dive op. I'll be bringing my own gear but would prefer a guided dive - kind of leery about buddying up with strangers.
And while I'm out at - would you recommend a diversion to the Gulf coast for something new (diving, or just beach exploring with the kids)? Or should I stick with the Keys for those 2 or 3 extra days we'll have?

 

[jejton]

Anyone?


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[Scuba_Jenny]

Go north to Broward County. American Dream on 17th St. in Ft. Lauderdale will be the closest, followed by SeaExperience. Both very good boats.
If beach diving is your fortay, grab a flag and find a parking spot. You can dive just about anywhere if you find a place to park. But you have to go to at least Hollywood Blvd or north. Anything further south and the first reef is too long of a swim.

 

[jejton]

Never did beach diving and will be the only diver In my group so will check them out. How much further is Jupiter? Am I looking at a full day excursion if I go there?


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[Scuba_Jenny]

Jupiter is going to be an hour and a half north, give or take a few minutes. It will be a full day.

 

[sportxlh]

Ives Dairy Road is exit 16 or 17 on I-95 and Jupiter is exit 87. I can make the drive from the ingress/egress point to the other in much less than a hour if traffic isn't bad, but I drive quickly . Weekends aren't bad but if you plan a weekday trip, the highway will be crowded with commuters and it will take forever. Jupiter is worth a try just because you're likely to see big animals like turtles, sharks, goliath grouper, big green moray's etc. etc.

A shorter drive is Boynton Beach which also has nice reefs and you can see many of the same marine animals though the probability is a bit lower.

Pompano is even closer to Aventura and you have the choice of shallow reefs (quite beautiful), moderate depth reefs and lots of interesting wrecks.

Lauderdale by the Sea has really nice beach diving too and Gold Coast Scuba has a club with active members.

These are the operators I like in the various locations (just my preference, there are plenty of others): Jupiter Dive Center, Pompano Dive Center, South Florida Dive Headquarters, Scubatyme, Underwater Explorers, Splashdown. Force-E dive shops can also book various boats and arrange for a guide as can Gold Coast Scuba. Check out the various websites to see if you like the look of any of these shops and dive boats.

Sanibel is a nice overnight trip to the west side of the state if you like shelling with the kids on the beach. Naples has a nice and quaint downtown for shopping and restaurants, though you can find much of the same in SE Florida. Don't make the trip to the west coast for diving, it's good for other things like beaches, site seeing and restaurants, etc.

 

[jejton]

Sportxlh thanks for the great info. Just what I'm looking for. I will check out those shops. Pompano and launderdale are probably more doable as this is a family gathering so will be hard for me to disappear for a day. Sanibel looks like it might be nice for a couple of days if I can find inexpensive accommodations.


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[Scuba_Jenny]

Probably not inexpensive in Sanibal this time of year, but Ft. Myers you should be able to find something.

 

[scubadada]

Hi jejton,

Sportxlh gave you some good advice. I would try to get up to Jupiter at least once. Jupiter Dive Center is very good and routinely puts a guide in the water. The dives are a bit deeper, hopefully you're nitrox certified or the dives are quite short (25 vs. 45 minutes). JDC opens at 8, dives go out at 9. It's about 75 miles, leave early and the drive is not as bad, weekends are much better. You could be back by early afternoon

The reefs in Boynton Beach are spectacular and the wreck of the Castor has a resident Goliath Grouper population. Boynton Beach is about 45 miles from you. I go out with Underwater Explorers, Starfish, and Loggerhead. None routinely put a guide in the water but I would generally not hesitate to join a group on the drift dives with these operators. I have not dived with Splashdown for some time, but recommended by sportxlh. I think they may put a guide in, you could easily check

Enjoy your trip to SE FL

 

[ignacio275]

Hello, I am right here in Aventura and I can take you diving right here, send me a private message let me know when you get here and your level of experience, I dont usually take ppl, i own my own boat and i usually dive twice per week, but i am open to try it