Hi guys,
This summer got away from me.Tried to dive in the Panama City area early Aug. on vacation. Weather and sea state was terrible. That's the Gulf for you! Can't predict it with any accuracy, it seems.
Wanted to get my PADI or SDI AOW done. I'm PADI OW now, Now with work schedules, I will probably have to do it after the first of the year, maybe in the Jan-Mar. time frame. I do business with Divers Supply in Atlanta. They are a SDI shop now. Great group of guys!
Thinking of water temps in the upper Gulf during the winter is pretty cold from what I've heard from other divers.
Do any of the open year round springs in N. or Central Fla. allow or have the depth for all the dives, including the deep dive for PADI or SDI AOW requirements?
If not, I may opt to doing a trip to West Palm Beach with Divers Supply, since the temps are not near as brutal during that time of the year from reviews from others.
Lake Jocassee in SC about 2 hrs. away would be another option, but it wouldn't warm up much until later May or early June. Gets me cold just thinking about. Brrrrr!!!!!!!!!
Getting up in years, and want to be a better and more accomplished diver.
Thanks!
Temps in the gulf are tolerable until late november, maybe even December. Not much colder than the springs. 60f on the bottom, which is fine (but not fun) with a full 7mm wetsuit. Youre not going to find many open water springs with enough appropriate depth for deep diving, and even then it wouldnt really be advanced.
