Lauderdale Shore Dive Guide

[xiljin]

Hey guys, my google-fu may be lacking but I'm having trouble finding a decent guide/faq on shore diving the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea area. My wife and I will be driving down from Jupiter for our first Lauderdale shore dive within the next week or so. We're trying to make the most of our time and are curious about the following -

• Best places to park and enter (where to drop gear, gear up, rinse?)
• Any detailed maps similar to those you can find for Blue Heron Bridge?
• Most convenient shop for tank rentals
• Best days/times to avoid crowds
• Preferred spot for post dive refreshments

Any other tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bmbeaty]

Hit up Datura avenue. There's a good access point there. The first Reef is right off the tip of the pier. The second Reef is much nicer, but it's 1/2 mile out. I use Gold Coast scuba for fills. I had a bad experience with the other close shop. I would definitely go during the week- weekends get crowded. If you have more questions feel free to ask. I'm no expert but I have a fair number of dives in the area. Be warned- there's no free parking in the area. There's a bank right off commercial blvd that lets you park all day for $5 (vs$2/hour). I usually drive down to datura, drop my gear and my buddy and then park over at the bank. Save a few bucks that way.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

 

[seeker242]

Datura Ave at beach, Toll parking, benches and rinse hose. Gold coast scuba for tanks. Best time is early morning imo.

This is a pretty good article.

 

[xiljin]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful! I'll report back once we've had a chance to dive it ..

 

[MrChen]

Find parking and swim east Some buddies and I went a week ago and couldn't find parking at Datura, so we went south to the next street. We still couldn't find close parking, but we entered there and still had an great dive. What we found important was to make visual references of the buildings where we were entering. We got out there, swam north on the east side of the ledge and swam back south on the west side of the ledge. My favorite part is the swiss cheese rock formations. You can usually find some lobster hiding in them.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

So.. how was the dive?

 

[Texasguy]

Parking can be done at Dolphin Harbor Inn on Datura and A1A. The owner is pretty good, enter the Inn office, talk to him nicely about parking a few hours, give him a $5-10 and he'll be happy. He says he has got more parking than tenants every time.

 

[tarponchik]

I use sinkfloridasink.com as guidelines. Tried many of the sites and erojacks at Dania Beach further south is the best one, IMHO.