Visting Florida... recommendations for diving in Ft Lauderdale.. or go to Keys?

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Kathleen Sea Hare

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Hello,

I'm a newbie diver and visiting Florida for the holidays in December. I am flying into Ft Lauderdale and wondering is there anywhere along coast in this area you like diving? Is it better to drive down to the Keys and dive there?

I like shore dives and don't have any experience with boat diving yet. Prefer to dive with a Dive Master who can guide me on a tour. I don't have my advanced cert yet, so there's that limit too.

Any recommendations of areas you like to dive in, or dive shops you like to use? Just trying to get more dives in and experience so any recommendations is appreciated.

Thanks for info!
- Kathleen
 
Go about an hour north of Fort Lauderdale. Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach is legendary for its muck diving. You park under the bridge and walk right in. There's also great drift diving off Boynton Beach. Boats take you out to a reef around 1/4 mile from the shore. You drop in and the current flies you over a very nice reef. It's my favorite way to dive. It's shallow too. A 60' max depth is all you need. The boat follows you and picks you up when you are done.

It's been a while since I dived these spots so I can't recommend a particular boat or operator. I'm sure others will fill in though.

Hey folks, is Kev's Underwater Explorers still going strong? Underwater Explorers - About
 
Was just in the keys and found the diving 4 miles out to be way too much for me this time of year. Waves 4-5 foot, very serious surge even at 25 feet, visibility not great, and current - not good when the boat is moored.
 
There are several easy shore dives @ and near to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. The walk-in one south of the pier is really easy, The one past the end of the pier is pretty easy, and the ledge further out from the end of the pier is a fun drift dive If you don't surface swim to it (Boatists Suck).

There are other sites just north and south of LBTS.
 
Go about an hour north of Fort Lauderdale. Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach is legendary for its muck diving.

I wouldn't consider BHB to be muck diving. It's a beach entry shore dive that includes artificial reef structures, small purposely sunken wrecks and lots of tropical fish and other types of marine life. It gets very crowded and it's been hit hard recently with storm activity and tropical fish collectors as well as poorly trained divers that spent too much time on the bottom. These things have made quite an impact but it's still a pretty good dive.

Fort Lauderdale, in my experience is not really worth diving, except for a handful of smallish wrecks in the area. I've found the reefs to be dead, and rarely have I dived there without seeing garbage.

The Keys are your best chance of seeing some healthy corals and there are a few areas that are still very healthy and full of tropicals and marine life but it's getting a lot more spotty in recent years, that's for sure. You've got 9 wrecks within recreational limits but most are not for beginner divers.

I've been spending my diving time in Boynton and West Palm in recent years, because I'm all about drift diving over wrecks. Tried Jupiter for the first time earlier this year and there are a few wreck dives available but I found them to be subpar.

Pompano has the best volume and variety of shipwrecks in different depth ranges to accommodate the entire skill range of the diving population. I can't say the same about the reefs though.


Note- You won't find any coral reefs further north than the Keys. .
 
Is it better to drive down to the Keys and dive there?
I like shore dives and don't have any experience with boat diving yet. [Kathleen

There are virtually no shore dives in the Keys.
 
It may be fun to go diving in Ft Lauderdale. When I was there last December, I needed my 3mm suit, and the water was very choppy on the surface. I went with Sea Experience and since I was by myself, I hired a DM to go with me, so there was additional comfort there. they do 2 dives where first dive is usually to a wreck (aprox 60-70 feet) and second a shallow (30 foot) drift dive on a reef. Although the reef is not as nice as the Keys, it was still a great learning experience to get comfortable with a deep dive and drift dives. And with the DM, I knew I would not feel bad if I had to call the dive for any reason. The people as Sea Experience were really great.
I have not gone to the keys in December, only in July, so I do not know what it's like there then, but the reefs are much nicer and diving around the "Christ of the Abyss" is fantastic.
Have fun!
 
Lauderdale by the Sea is the best South Florida shore dive spot. The keys have better reef, but require a boat. Blue Heron Bridge is a place to go when desperate for a dive and the seas are too rough.
 
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