Looking for experts on FL diving.

[BlueTuna]

Hey everyone,

Newish diver here. I was AOW certified last December in Bonaire, and since then I've done approx 40 Dives, probably 15 in Bonaire and 25-29 in my local quarries.

I'm seriously considering taking a trip to FL this winter (late Nov-Dec?) to do some diving, hopefully taking a week-long excursion to do as much diving as possible. (additionally, I'll likely be looking at real-estate, as I may want to move there, but that's a top for another thread).

I have a diving buddy that I met here in my home state who lives in Ocala, Fl and dives that area frequently. He mentioned taking some people to Oriskany, so that will definitely be on the agenda. I would also like to visit the Keys.

I'm not broke, but I do want to keep my budget in mind and not blow too much of my savings, since I do want to buy a house soon.

With that in mind. Here are some of my questions
1. Is there any place that offers Shore diving?
2. What are some of the best dives/must see places while visiting FL?
3. Are there resorts/package deals that include multiple dives per day/unlimited diving?
4. What are the typical rates for any boat/excursion type dive? The Oriskany dive will probably be $175 per person for a 2 tank dive.

Any information at all about diving in FL would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I’m not an expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one time.

On shore diving...major spots are Blue Heron Bridge (BHB), Lauderdale by the Sea (LBTS), and Venice Beach.

Some recommendations in the thread below, as well as some others in the Florida regional forum.

October trip - advice and recommendations?

On the Oriskany...it’s a good bit offshore, so you’re going to pay more to dive that than a lot of the boat dives in Florida that are a short haul to the dive site.

My advice on getting the most bang for your buck...maximize the amount of time spent in any one spot/hotel to get a decent rate. Ex. If you stay at LBTS...you can shore dive there and dive wrecks off Pompano Beach. That and less time driving around equals more time in the water. I pissed a lot of time and money away on not doing that

The only resort type packages that I’m aware of are in the Keys, but if you call around...there are shops in the rest of the state (ex. Pompano Beach) that have affiliate hotels with discounted rates.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Not really an expert, just a local.

1. There is a little in South Florida, like Lauderdale by the Sea, and BHB. You have teeth diving in Venice, but for the most part shore diving sites are pretty rare. But I don't shore dive so I'm not an expert at that.

Now there is spring diving, which technically is shore diving but most people don't really consider it to be shore diving. Most of the sites that allow normal open water divers (by which I mean people without cave training) and are worth going to are almost all commercialized, so the entry see is $20-30 per person plus tanks. Locations for these includes Paradise Spring, Ginnie Springs, Devil's Den, and Blue Grotto.

You also have diving the Rainbow River, though you can see almost everything as a snorkeler which is cheaper. For that you have a $15 county park fee, plus a $10 trip up the river by the ferry service that operates out of the park. You have another similar opportunities in the winter in that you can snorkel with manatees in the Crystal River.

2. Speigel Grove, the Vandenberg, and the Oriskany are probably the most famous sites. And then you have reefs in Key Largo, Goliaths in the Palm Beach area, and shark diving in the Palm Beach area too (though I'm not a fan of that).

3. No resorts that offer unlimited diving as there isn't much shore diving. Rainbow Reef and some other dive shops in Key Largo do offer stay and dive packages that offer a discount but nothing drastic.

4. Depends on the area. South Florida and Key Largo anywhere from $70-100 more for special trips. Trips in these areas are cheaper because they are close to shore (often you still have cellphone coverage) using boats that can hold more divers (sometimes as many as 30 divers before COVID). The Gulf is more expensive as you have to go out further so you are looking at $100+. The Oriskany is more expensive has it is 20+ miles offshore.

Prices have gone up in the Keys and South Florida due to COVID restrictions, on the gulf side things have stayed pretty normal as it is such a small industry that they've slipped under the radar. And most of the governments aren't super strict about things.

 

[SJT1961]

I have not dived Oriskany, but be aware that only the "island" (i.e. control tower) is within recreational dive limits. The flight deck is at 145', I believe.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Not really an expert, just a local.

1. There is a little in South Florida, like Lauderdale by the Sea, and BHB. You have teeth diving in Venice, but for the most part shore diving sites are pretty rare. But I don't shore dive so I'm not an expert at that.

Now there is spring diving, which technically is shore diving but most people don't really consider it to be shore diving. Most of the sites that allow normal open water divers (by which I mean people without cave training) and are worth going to are almost all commercialized, so the entry see is $20-30 per person plus tanks. Locations for these includes Paradise Spring, Ginnie Springs, Devil's Den, and Blue Grotto.

You also have diving the Rainbow River, though you can see almost everything as a snorkeler which is cheaper. For that you have a $15 county park fee, plus a $10 trip up the river by the ferry service that operates out of the park. You have another similar opportunities in the winter in that you can snorkel with manatees in the Crystal River.

2. Speigel Grove, the Vandenberg, and the Oriskany are probably the most famous sites. And then you have reefs in Key Largo, Goliaths in the Palm Beach area, and shark diving in the Palm Beach area too (though I'm not a fan of that).

3. No resorts that offer unlimited diving as there isn't much shore diving. Rainbow Reef and some other dive shops in Key Largo do offer stay and dive packages that offer a discount but nothing drastic.

4. Depends on the area. South Florida and Key Largo anywhere from $70-100 more for special trips. Trips in these areas are cheaper because they are close to shore (often you still have cellphone coverage) using boats that can hold more divers (sometimes as many as 30 divers before COVID). The Gulf is more expensive as you have to go out further so you are looking at $100+. The Oriskany is more expensive has it is 20+ miles offshore.

Prices have gone up in the Keys and South Florida due to COVID restrictions, on the gulf side things have stayed pretty normal as it is such a small industry that they've slipped under the radar. And most of the governments aren't super strict about things.

For the OP...there’s a whole thread that’s dedicated to BHB...BHB Trolls. Lots of pictures. On that one, diving there is tides dependent.

On LBTS...you have three reef lines off the beach. Two that are easily accessible from the beach (the third is a ways out and mainly hit by boat). It’s a very cool spot (I like shore diving). Park, feed the parking meter, gear up, walk to the water and hop in. I can’t wait to get back down there one of these days.

I hit LBTS & Pompano Beach, as well as Key Largo when I was down in FL. I got to dive the Spiegel Grove. One thing to keep in mind is that the site that you’re scheduled to hit is not necessarily the site that you’ll dive. There are weather and other considerations. Ex. The boat I was on wasn’t scheduled to hit the Spiegel Grove. We diverted there as a secondary location. I was happy with that.

I have not dived Oriskany, but be aware that only the "island" (i.e. control tower) is within recreational dive limits. The flight deck is at 145', I believe.

Yup. The Navigation Bridge is going to be about the limit for AOW.

Niuhi Pensacola - Oriskany Dive Charters

Their picture. They’ve got a nice website. I’ve been wanting to dive with them for a bit now.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I have not dived Oriskany, but be aware that only the "island" (i.e. control tower) is within recreational dive limits. The flight deck is at 145', I believe.

Yup. The Navigation Bridge is going to be about the limit for AOW.

Niuhi Pensacola - Oriskany Dive Charters

I personally would do the Oriskany as a tech dive with scooters and trimix. But that is because I see it as a one and done type of dive as it wasn't cleared for penetration other than the island.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I personally would do the Oriskany as a tech dive with scooters and trimix. But that is because I see it as a one and done type of dive as it wasn't cleared for penetration other than the island.

That’s part of why I didn’t dive there when I was down last year. For a recreational dive...I’m not sure if the juice is worth the squeeze (to me).

Don’t get me wrong...I’m sure it would be an awesome dive, but I wouldn’t be content with a plan to just hit the top of the stack. From the reading that I’ve done, the impression I’ve gotten is that operators don’t consider the nav bridge (~120’) to be a recreational dive.

That and depth wise...that would be pushing it, based on my experience (max of 113’).

 

[EFX]

Devil's Den and Blue Grotto, two springs in Williston, FL. off of route 27 (go west from I-75), are $44 and $48 respectively. Those are weekday prices, not sure if more expensive on weekends. They both have web sites so you can verify the price and amenities if necessary. Blue Grotto allows solo diving, Devil's Den does not. Blue Grotto is 102 ft. max, Devil's Den is about 45-50 ft.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Devil's Den and Blue Grotto, two springs in Williston, FL. off of route 27 (go west from I-75), are $44 and $48 respectively. Those are weekday prices, not sure if more expensive on weekends. They both have web sites so you can verify the price and amenities if necessary. Blue Grotto allows solo diving, Devil's Den does not. Blue Grotto is 102 ft. max, Devil's Den is about 45-50 ft.

Jeez $45 for BG. They must really have that training market locked that they don't care about drop in divers. Personally I only visit for events and training. But I'm a cave diver so caverns like BG aren't places that I visit often.

 

[BlueTuna]

This is making me think twice about that Oriskany Drive. I'm only AOW, no other certifications (not even Nitrox, but I did dive with a Nitrox tank once in Bonaire). I also prefer seeing the flora and fauna over wrecks.