FL trip in October

[RandomGuy1]

I am going to be going to Orlando with my family in October, and I have talked my wife into allowing me to have a few days to take off and go diving. If you had 2 days to dive and needed to stay waiting about 3 hours of Orlando, where would you guys recommend diving? I am thinking about Jupiter, and I would like to be able to do at least 3 dives per day over the 2 day period. If it worked out, I would like to dive BHB as well while I'm there. Does this sound like a reasonable plan, or does anyone have any better suggestions?

Also when I come down I will be looking for someone to dive with, if anyone wants to buddy up that weekend. It will probably be Oct 16-17 that I can dive.

 

[bobsea43]

I think you have a good plan and if I still lived in Melbourne I would probably meet you there, but I don't so can't. As you will learn if you don't know diving BHB is real tide dependent. But you may be able to do it in the afternoon after doing two dives on one of the boats. I prefer Jupiter Dive Center and have dived with them for years. And, on second thought since you are talking about weekend they will probably be running an AM and PM boat so that would help you with the BHB schedule!
Good luck and enjoy your visit!

 

[drrich2]

Does the goliath grouper aggregation run that long? If so, would be nice to hit the 'wreck trek' (Zion, Ms. Jenny & Esso Bonaire) dive while they're around.

I hit Jupiter diving with Jupiter Dive Center last September and had a fine time; my trip report in case you want to see what it was like.

Richard.

 

[RandomGuy1]

That is an awesome trip report. Thanks for posting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pavao]

The tides on the dates you're planning are a bit bad for doing boat dives and the BHB on the same day, 11:00 AM on the 16th, no afternoon boats that day, and 11:40 AM on the 17th, so you'd be out for the AM boat and very close on schedule to make the PM boat.

Alternatively, to achieve your goal of minimum 3 dives a day, on Friday you can do a 3 tank dive with Jupiter Dive Center, and 4 dives on Saturday by going on AM and PM boat

 

[RandomGuy1]

I had a feeling that the tides wouldn't work out for me. On the plus side, I did just get the wife to agree to let me do the BHB dive one day through the week that week. It would just suck driving from Orlando down the 2 1/2 hours and back. Hopefully I can make it happen.

 

[sheeper]

dive Jupiter. it's just awesome diving.

two charters I use are:

Capt Sl8r www.jupiterscubadiving.com this operation blows the socks off anyone else in area. that's why he gets sold out. #1 pick

Florida Scuba Charters www.floridascubacharters.com great op....a little more south. smaller boat (10 divers). can't go wrong here either

and of course look up Vero Beach Scuba Club on facebook. You can join in on any of our dives! we have DMs and/or instructors on most club dives that know these sites like their own backyard!

 

[sportxlh]

Lots of good suggestions so far. I tend to dive with Jupiter Dive Center: note that while Friday won't normally have an afternoon trip, JDC does have a three thank dive on Friday mornings. Very few shops have Friday afternoon dives in the area.

Another option if you really want to dive BHB and not take a separate drive, is to dive it Friday but get out of the water by 11:30, clean up and then hurry to the Scuba Club for an afternoon dive. They are the only shop in the area that I know of that routinely runs a Friday afternoon two tank dive and the shop and boat are pretty close to BHB. Check in time is 12:30. On Saturday you can dive with JDC, Sl8r or whoever.

Another option is to call Force-E to see if anyone beside Scuba Club is running a Friday afternoon boat that would allow you enough time to dive BHB and make it to the boat. Force-E or Pura Vida can also rent gear for the BHB dive.

 

[Johnoly]

.... It will probably be Oct 16-17 that I can dive....

Last year, those were the dates several dive boats saw the huge manta rays between Jup & WPB as they migrated thru the area. And if you want to make the wife happy, it's also prime lobster season, just get a license, read the rules and catch a few. For a cheap no frills safe diver's hotel, try Super 8 in North Palm Bch.