Hi All from Bradenton Florida

[PaulRSE]

As with most finding this site; I'm glad I found it. Searching for people, places, and stories (a place to tell and place to read). That's why I'm here!

It's that time again, and I hope you're like me: Hooked! (for 3 years now).

I have 67 dives and about to do 30 more hopefully now through Aug. But I need some training.... not on how to dive but where to go. I have access to a boat for in and around the Bradenton area. Any ideas besides the Regina (Sugar Boat). I haven't done it yet but I'm putting my sights on it for the next weekend or two.

I drive down to Key Largo 4 or 5 times a year; about a 4 hr drive. Wish I could hook up with some divers in the area to learn the Tampa ropes... so to speak.

Good diving to all! Hope to have Great stories to tell soon. I have some shark video and pictures available on my website, but my server is down right now. Just moved here and haven't hooked it up to my Cable-modem network yet.

C-ya,

Paul

 

[dlndavid]

Hi Paul and welcome to ScubaBoard. Check out the Florida Conch Divers , they are an active group.
David

 

[bdrannik]

Hey Paul, welcome to ScubaBoard. I'm also in Bradenton.. Most of my dives are off Venice Beach looking for teeth but I''d always be up for joining you on the boat as the restoration of my 21' Chris-Craft center console is still in progress. I had high hopes for the Regina sugar barge but was rather dissappointed on the two times that I've been on it out of five attempts (3 times the vis was less than a foot and after scraping into/against a large hunk of metal I called the dive). Being a transplant from northern MN most of my wreck diving was done in Lake Superior where the cold fresh water keeps many wrecks looking something almost like a boat. The Regina was just a couple of large chunks of iron sitting on the bottom, although it was a nice change of scenery from the typical Gulf "desert" look. There is a rather nice small reef just off the northern end of the Venice public beech but it doesn't seem to get mentioned much on the board. Red Rock Reef off of Boca Grande is also a nice dive close to shore. Somebody posted some photos/report recently of a dive on the sunken Army tanks in this area - they looked interesting and are on my "dives to do" list...

Here are some photos of the tanks in a members gallery:

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=55524

 

[Li'l38]

Wish I could hook up with some divers in the area to learn the Tampa ropes...

You know that ol' saying, be careful what you wish for.........:11:


I'm just kidding Check out the Florida Conch Divers link dlndavid gave you. There's tons of SBers from your area. Many dive the gulf regularly. Welcome aboard, you're gonna love it here!

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy and welcome to SB!

You'll find a lot of new buddies on the Florida forum...

Good to have you here. Click here to PM me if I can help you get started in our various forums.

:bandit_2: don

 

[Jason Ooi]

Welcome to SB

 

[PaulRSE]

Thanks for the welcome, all. I appreciate the links, too.

 

[PaulRSE]

Brent, thanks for the message. I was wanting to go tomorrow somewhere, even if I viewed desert, but the wind's are wipping up ragged. Seas 5 ft, so the vis will probably be nada. I'll be flying out of town the following 3 weekends, but after that I'll be back in town and we'll try to do something. IM me or post me a message after the 30th.

 

[PaulRSE]

Brent, let's plan a Army Tank's Dive for Saturday, May 6th pending weather. Are you up for that. Let me know the details of that dive and if anyone has the GPS coordinates, please let me know. How Deep, how far off shore, where to put the boat in, etc. Thanks, Paul

 

[Curt Bowen]

As with most finding this site; I'm glad I found it. Searching for people, places, and stories (a place to tell and place to read). That's why I'm here!

It's that time again, and I hope you're like me: Hooked! (for 3 years now).

I have 67 dives and about to do 30 more hopefully now through Aug. But I need some training.... not on how to dive but where to go. I have access to a boat for in and around the Bradenton area. Any ideas besides the Regina (Sugar Boat). I haven't done it yet but I'm putting my sights on it for the next weekend or two.

I drive down to Key Largo 4 or 5 times a year; about a 4 hr drive. Wish I could hook up with some divers in the area to learn the Tampa ropes... so to speak.

Good diving to all! Hope to have Great stories to tell soon. I have some shark video and pictures available on my website, but my server is down right now. Just moved here and haven't hooked it up to my Cable-modem network yet.

C-ya,

Paul

What do you need to know?

I also live in Bradenton

Curt Bowen