South Florida help

[gr8jab]

I've got 4-5 nights to spend in South Florida in November (not Thanksgiving). I will be alone, and want to do a bunch of diving.

I can go anywhere from Riveria Beach to Islamorada. I need to get a good value, but I'm not without means either. Airbnb or Hampton Inn is my speed, so I can find reasonable lodging anywhere in between.

I wouldn't mind diving Blue Heron Bridge, but high slack tides are between 6:30 and 8:30 while I'm there, and I'm not sure if that jives with park hours.

My first inclination was to get a package deal at Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. I can do 4-5 dives a day with them.

Anyone else have any suggestions or ideas???

 

[Trailboss123]

I've got 4-5 nights to spend in South Florida in November (not Thanksgiving). I will be alone, and want to do a bunch of diving.

I can go anywhere from Riveria Beach to Islamorada. I need to get a good value, but I'm not without means either. Airbnb or Hampton Inn is my speed, so I can find reasonable lodging anywhere in between.

I wouldn't mind diving Blue Heron Bridge, but high slack tides are between 6:30 and 8:30 while I'm there, and I'm not sure if that jives with park hours.

My first inclination was to get a package deal at Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. I can do 4-5 dives a day with them.

Anyone else have any suggestions or ideas???

Not a bad choice to go with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. I have been diving in all of the locations mentioned. For my money and on a 4-5 night trip in October, I would be looking at an Air BNB somewhere in the Boynton Beach or Delray Beach area and I would be diving out of Boynton Beach with any number of good dive operators there. I really enjoy Starfish Scuba South Florida Scuba Diving Charters - Starfish Scuba - 561-212-2954 and Loggerhead. @scubadada will provide you with some additional preferred dive ops. As for Blue Heron Bridge, double check tide charts and also check in with E-Force Scuba for additional info.

Take into account that I really enjoy the drift diving, sea life and the reefs along the stretch between Delray and Jupiter Beach over the diving I have experienced in the Keys. Just my personal preference. Flying into and out of Fort Lauderdale from Oregon is also going to be much more economical and convenient.

 

[The Chairman]

Go for a dive on the Castor out of Boynton Beach. Some of my favorite diving is out of the Two Georges Marina.

 

[scubadada]

Go for a dive on the Castor out of Boynton Beach. Some of my favorite diving is out of the Two Georges Marina.

The Castor has an endemic population of Goliath Grouper of 20-30 individuals.This goes up dramatically during aggregation, end of August through early October.

 

[The Chairman]

The Castor has an endemic population of Goliath Grouper of 20-30 individuals.

By "Goliath Grouper", he means Jewfish and they are awesome. We don't use the "G" word.

 

[gr8jab]

Pete, can you recommend any specific boats out of Two Georges Marina?

 

[The Chairman]

Pete, can you recommend any specific boats out of Two Georges Marina?

All of them are great... my fav was Global Underwater Explorers and @Scubakevdm It's been years since I dove there.@Scubadada would have a better line on them.

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, and don't forget the Loggerhead either. It's a bigger boat, but I had some great dives there.

 

[hammet]

Loggerhead, Starfish, Underwater Explorers all great boats and great crew out of Boynton.
Also recommend walker and narcosis out of riviera beach.

 

[seaseadee]

My vote for Starfish. I’ve been on all the @The Chairman refers to and personally prefer Starfish Starfishscuba.com