I’m willing to go as far as Bimini or as far north as the Jupiter area, can anyone recommend a solid dive tour company? This would be my fourth Drive so I’m a bit of a rookie. Living in Vegas it is a little difficult to get tide time.
New here, Headed to Miami looking for recommendations in the general area
- Thread starter Typical Vegas Girl
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Pharmasaur34
Registered
We've been using Rainbow Reef in Key Largo a lot since I'm still pretty new. They are very friendly to people without buddies since they put guides in the water with you, the sites are pretty shallow which helped me get comfortable with diving and then with new gear, and their prices are great especially if you buy their packages.
In the Pompano area, I got certified with Scuba Dive It, which is a small dive shop where the owner/instructor will gladly dive with anyone who might want to dive but still feel new. I dove with him for a couple of my first dives after certification since my buddy wasn't available. Since then I've also used Dixie Divers and Pompano Dive Center and both were very helpful to newbies on the boat with us who had questions or gear issues.
Don't think you can go wrong with any of the shops in either Key Largo or Pompano area from what I've experienced. And both of those are an easy drive from Miami.
In the Pompano area, I got certified with Scuba Dive It, which is a small dive shop where the owner/instructor will gladly dive with anyone who might want to dive but still feel new. I dove with him for a couple of my first dives after certification since my buddy wasn't available. Since then I've also used Dixie Divers and Pompano Dive Center and both were very helpful to newbies on the boat with us who had questions or gear issues.
Don't think you can go wrong with any of the shops in either Key Largo or Pompano area from what I've experienced. And both of those are an easy drive from Miami.
I dove with Gary and Brenda at Conch Republic in Tavernier
Tournesol2000
Contributor
I went with Sea Experience for my first deep dive at a wreck. Hired a DM. Could'nt be more happier with them and the service. I also felt that a DM will work with me and my pace for that first dive. It worked out well.
If you are not going for a deep dive, then most shops out there are great (I have worked with 3 in the Ft Lauderdale/Pompano area).
SE are in Ft Lauderdale.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes, and who/where you ended up diving with.
If you are not going for a deep dive, then most shops out there are great (I have worked with 3 in the Ft Lauderdale/Pompano area).
SE are in Ft Lauderdale.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes, and who/where you ended up diving with.
I've dived with Rainbow Reef, and Conch Republic in Key Largo. And I have dived with Sea Experience in FLL.
Conch Republic and Sea Experience treated me like a local, I dived my dive, they gave me a hand when I needed it, and overall it was a good experience.
But as a new diver you might benefit from a DM guided dive, in that regard my issue with Rainbow Reef would probably be a benefit for you. I also did a DM guided dive with Conch Republic (tagged along since I needed buddy), it was a good dive nothing negative to say about it, and I did feel that Conch Republic's DM was a little bit more knowledgable about the dive site (Spiegel Grove), since it was an older guy doing it more for income/fun than a young intern working toward instructor status, so he had a ton more dives in the area.
Conch Republic and Sea Experience treated me like a local, I dived my dive, they gave me a hand when I needed it, and overall it was a good experience.
But as a new diver you might benefit from a DM guided dive, in that regard my issue with Rainbow Reef would probably be a benefit for you. I also did a DM guided dive with Conch Republic (tagged along since I needed buddy), it was a good dive nothing negative to say about it, and I did feel that Conch Republic's DM was a little bit more knowledgable about the dive site (Spiegel Grove), since it was an older guy doing it more for income/fun than a young intern working toward instructor status, so he had a ton more dives in the area.
sportxlh
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,599
- Reaction score
- 1,376
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Vegas Girl. I would also recommend Rainbow Reef divers. Conch Republic divers is my favorite shop, followed by Quiescence, but I also will dive with Rainbow Reef periodically. The benefit to a new diver is they put guides in the water and don't charge you extra for that service. They run a very large divemaster and instructor certification program and those are the in-water guides. The main negative is that the boats are usually crowded.
If you don't want a guide, think about Conch Republic or Quiescence
If you don't want a guide, think about Conch Republic or Quiescence
Ghost Diver #
Contributor
For a solo diver unfamiliar with the dive site it’s hard to beat Rainbow reef.
- Messages
- 19,759
- Reaction score
- 18,612
- Location
- Philadelphia and Boynton Beach
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
Jupiter Dive Center puts in a guide, Narcosis in West Palm puts in a guide, none of the operators in Boynton Beach routinely puts in a guide.
Look into Key Largo Dive Center.
I chose them for our spring break trip because it would have been my son's 6th OW dive. 6-pack op and they put a DM in the water.
Turns out we were blown out and couldn't dive (everybody was beached) but they took the iniative to contact me repeatedly to consult on forcasted conditions and options. And no hassle when I called it off for conditions that were, maybe within their limits, but beyond realistic for my son.
I chose them for our spring break trip because it would have been my son's 6th OW dive. 6-pack op and they put a DM in the water.
Turns out we were blown out and couldn't dive (everybody was beached) but they took the iniative to contact me repeatedly to consult on forcasted conditions and options. And no hassle when I called it off for conditions that were, maybe within their limits, but beyond realistic for my son.
Similar threads
