Anyone shore dive doubles in Broward?

[LandonL]

This could be interesting.. how far out is the 3rd line?

 

[Trigger-F]

I swim out there all the time due to better vis. The Drop Off is the only spot with a little current, decent vis. But I understand, need to be a good swimmer and not recommended in rough seas. This site has a lot of info on the Lauderdale/Pompano dive sites.

Dive Sites - South Florida Diving Headquarters

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I've done the drop off multiple times from shore. Stay low, and hope they don't think your flag is an obstacle course..
We usually surface swim most of it, and drop down a couple minutes away. It's really shallow there. Enjoy the drop off, then turn and head back in underwater.

Sounds like an iffy plan at best. Why not just get on a boat? BTW I hear shore divers have pretty much tore up the reef at 6th ave in Pompano. Overturned brain corals etc.... all for the purpose of trying to find bugs that aren't there. Too bad, it was probably one of the top three beach dives from Palm Beach to Lauderdale

Sounds like anchors to me the way you describe it.
I am an avid beach diver, the population of beach divers is very small in comparison to boat divers, I would doubt beach divers are tearing up the reef. There isn't that much to tear up.
Overturned brain corals? Those things are heavy if they are big enough to hide a bug!!! I don't know of a single diver who is gonna go through all the trouble of turning over a brain coral when looking underneath is a lot easier.
Why not get a boat? Hmm for me boat dive = be there on time, pay the $$, tip the DM, limited on time, depth, and where to go. Beach diving = pay for parking and the air in my tank. Go when I want, where I want, how long I want.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Kayak diving is the way to go if you want to go way offshore. I have friends who have gone out to the 90 foot reefs in them to dive. As for me, I stuck to 35-ish depths.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Sounds like an iffy plan at best. Why not just get on a boat? snip

cuz this is 'Murca!
Some enjoy doing there own thing, own dive plan, own adventure. Plenty of divers of done it before too, as some have posted.

I have had plenty of boat traffic while on the 2nd reef too, has not stopped me yet My flag sits sits 3' from the water, still get buzzed.

I made a run at the 3rd reef on 9/25 off Commercial but bailed do to thunderstorm. Weather ap on my phoned showed that it wasn't going to get that sporty before I got in. Poked around 2nd reef until sun broke through.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I've seen boats just feet from the swim buoys buzzing past.. Just gotta keep smart.

Debby, the last time I kayak dived it included you and a rain storm!

 

[Nemrod]

cuz this is 'Murca!
Some enjoy doing there own thing, own dive plan, own adventure. Plenty of divers of done it before too, as some have posted.

I have had plenty of boat traffic while on the 2nd reef too, has not stopped me yet My flag sits sits 3' from the water, still get buzzed.

I made a run at the 3rd reef on 9/25 off Commercial but bailed do to thunderstorm. Weather ap on my phoned showed that it wasn't going to get that sporty before I got in. Poked around 2nd reef until sun broke through.

I have swam out several time to the deep drop off that I also call the Third Reef. It is a long swim, about an hour out, hour on the dive and an hour back in. BC, I do not use a stink'n BC for shore diving.

But, that said, it was a weekday and there was little traffic either time and one time I was ghosted by a shark on the way back. And to make it worse, the water was murky near shore and the tarpon were running all about me hitting me, oh joy. Since then I have preferred a kayak for these dives.

This is one of the reefs I have swam to solo, where the anchor is:

If I lived down there, which I do not, thank goodness, I would use a kayak. But I cannot get one into my luggage so therefore I swim, because I can.

N

 

[tekkydiver]

Sounds like anchors to me the way you describe it.
I am an avid beach diver, the population of beach divers is very small in comparison to boat divers, I would doubt beach divers are tearing up the reef. There isn't that much to tear up.
Overturned brain corals? Those things are heavy if they are big enough to hide a bug!!! I don't know of a single diver who is gonna go through all the trouble of turning over a brain coral when looking underneath is a lot easier.

Not anchor damage, no way. Take a swim out there and see for yourself. The damage is not in a direct line as if an anchor was dragged through. It was random destruction of lobster habitat. More like one or two groups of divers that come in wreak havoc and leave. I'm on the water a lot, and I've never seen a anchored boat there. Never a reason. The buoys are just a stones throw outside the 6th street beach dive and and boaters find it much easier to tie up there.

Why not get a boat? Hmm for me boat dive = be there on time, pay the $$, tip the DM, limited on time, depth, and where to go. Beach diving = pay for parking and the air in my tank. Go when I want, where I want, how long I want.

That translates to "I'm too cheap or too poor." I never met a diver that wouldn't ditch beach dive plans to accept an invitation to dive on my boat because the time was a problem, or didn't want to go to my spots In fact, they love the opportunity to see new areas or dive some of the local wrecks.

Kayak diving is the way to go if you want to go way offshore. I have friends who have gone out to the 90 foot reefs in them to dive. As for me, I stuck to 35-ish depths.

The way to go? Really? Drag a kayak and dive gear to the beach paddle out 1.5 miles to 90 ft reef, anchor, get dressed, dive a tank, fight the current back (unless you fight it on the 1st half of the dive and drift back), take you gear off, get back on the Kayak, paddle 1.5 miles in, drag the yak and the dive gear up the beach and to the car and load it up. Same routine for the 30 ft dives, just a shorter paddle.. What could be easier an easier way to save 60-70 buck?

I have a boat, and can't give you one reason why beach or kayak diving is better. Break down and spend the money or make friends with a boater who likes to dive. Not trying to be at all mean spirited, just telling it like it is.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Debby, the last time I kayak dived it included you and a rain storm!

Whaaaaat?? Get back out there!!!

Not anchor damage, no way. Take a swim out there and see for yourself. The damage is not in a direct line as if an anchor was dragged through. It was random destruction of lobster habitat. More like one or two groups of divers that come in wreak havoc and leave. I'm on the water a lot, and I've never seen a anchored boat there. Never a reason. The buoys are just a stones throw outside the 6th street beach dive and and boaters find it much easier to tie up there.



That translates to "I'm too cheap or too poor." I never met a diver that wouldn't ditch beach dive plans to accept an invitation to dive on my boat because the time was a problem, or didn't want to go to my spots In fact, they love the opportunity to see new areas or dive some of the local wrecks.



The way to go? Really? Drag a kayak and dive gear to the beach paddle out 1.5 miles to 90 ft reef, anchor, get dressed, dive a tank, fight the current back (unless you fight it on the 1st half of the dive and drift back), take you gear off, get back on the Kayak, paddle 1.5 miles in, drag the yak and the dive gear up the beach and to the car and load it up. Same routine for the 30 ft dives, just a shorter paddle.. What could be easier an easier way to save 60-70 buck?

I have a boat, and can't give you one reason why beach or kayak diving is better. Break down and spend the money or make friends with a boater who likes to dive. Not trying to be at all mean spirited, just telling it like it is.

Geez, where do I start with this obnoxious post? Thank goodness I don't know you. I certainly will never dive with you. Your translation is 100% off. First off, I lived down there (Broward and Keys) for 35 years, was a professional NAUI instructor in Broward for seven of them, and owned three boats. I've made thousands of beach dives (yes, even when I owned boats, because I love beach diving), and also hundreds and perhaps thousands of charter boat dives as well (I stopped logging years ago). Kayak diving is my absolute favorite. It has NOTHING and I do mean absolutely NOTHING with saving money. And what an elitist attitude!! You think only people of means should have the pleasure of diving? You think there's something wrong with people who don't have a boat diving anyway (and I'd bet diving more frequently as well, unless you happen to crew a dive charter). I miss diving down there, but right now I'm taking a break from SoFla and the Caribbean and touring the good ol' USA in my motorhome. And I still have a kayak and my dive gear and it is stowed in the basement of my motorhome. Have a nice day and for heaven's sake, lighten up.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Not anchor damage, no way. Take a swim out there and see for yourself. The damage is not in a direct line as if an anchor was dragged through. It was random destruction of lobster habitat. More like one or two groups of divers that come in wreak havoc and leave. I'm on the water a lot, and I've never seen a anchored boat there. Never a reason. The buoys are just a stones throw outside the 6th street beach dive and and boaters find it much easier to tie up there.



That translates to "I'm too cheap or too poor." I never met a diver that wouldn't ditch beach dive plans to accept an invitation to dive on my boat because the time was a problem, or didn't want to go to my spots In fact, they love the opportunity to see new areas or dive some of the local wrecks.

Simply put, then you've never met Jenny.
Normally I might be inclined to agree with you, as I am the kind of diver that would tend towards preferring a boat dive - however having dove dozens of times with Scuba Jenny I can tell you that the typical restrictions on time that might not apply to normal humans like myself, actually do constitute a limitation for her.
Jenny is part mermaid - I've come out of the water with her after a 2 and a half hour dive with 500 psi and she has enough air left for another 2 hours. Dropping down on a 70' reef or a 90' wreck and having the Captain tell everyone to be back on board in an hour basically means Jenny is surfacing with a half a tank unused - and most boats running are hitting spots she's probably already dove a hundred times.
She's an independent spirit, an avid shore diver, and knows the beach spots of southeastern Florida better than anyone. What she is not, is cheap.
So, while your opinion may seem justified in your mind given the attitudes of the typical weekend or tourist diver you're accustomed to - here, it just comes off as uninformed, and a wee bit presumptuous.