Mexico Beach or Panama City

[philmottrek99and02]

We are considering dragging the boat down this May to do some diving and fishing. Anyone got any recommendations of places to dive, viz, places to stay on the beach, boat launches, night-life, etc?

We will be dragging along 2 bubble watchers to stay on the boat, so they might want to be entertained after working on their tans. :cool2:

I'll be posting this in the FL Conch Section as well.

 

[Dive-aholic]

You'll probably have more luck in PC. There is a shop in Port St. Joe you can call to get information on dive sites, but I think most of where they go is rubble sites. Here is their dive site page with the few wrecks they do have - Dive Sites | Daly’s Dock & Dive. Panama City has a little more available - Shipwrecks, reefs and other Panama City dive sites. As for boat launches, just cruise Hwy 98 and you'll see one every few miles. Night life - Club LaVela is the largest club in the US according to their ads. I've never been, but it sounds like they are the place to go.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

One of the best wrecks in the gulf is closer out from Mexico Beach than from PCB, go dive the Empire Mica!

Mexico Beach is far less developed and IMO, a much nicer place than PCB(especially during Spring Break season).

 

[Phil_cotton]

Would have to agree with Suprbugman - if your down that way during spring break I would avoid Panama city(You mentioned May so you will probably be after spring break as many start in just a few weeks). I know there are seveal artifical reefs etc just out of mexico beach Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association Inc. - Mexico Beach, Florida From what I have seen you would be mostly around 30 fsw unless you went further away from St. Joseph bay. Hotel in mexico beach would be Mexico Beach - El Governor Motel, located right on the sands of Mexico Beach, Florida stayed once or twice during a gumbo festival a few years back, not bad, they do have a heated pool we enjoyed in January that year. Parking across from the hotel for the boat and the boat ramp is less than a mile up the street toward panama city. If you wanted to go and put in at Panama City you would only be around an hour away.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Spring break has already started in PC.

 

[philmottrek99and02]

Thanks to all and congrats Mat on the engagement news. She is one lucky lady. Anyone got any great deals on a 2 or 3 bedroom house available from the 14th of May for a week?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Spring break has already started in PC.

Starts now, ends in August This is PCB we're talking about.

 

[philmottrek99and02]

We have made a choice to rent a place on Ono Island and make our gulf transit through the Perdido Pass. Fish on the way out, dive (spear), fish on the way to the next spot (if necessary), dive (spear), Fish on the way back in and drink. Get up the next day and repeat.

I am looking at the Google KMZ files now.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Ono's nice, but its a long way from PCB

 

[philmottrek99and02]

Where do you live now?