Aug/Sept Diving Ft. Lauderdale/Key Largo

[MY01SHADOW]

Hey all:

I'm heading to Ft. Lauderdale the last weekend of August for a few days of diving with the family. Can anyone tell me what kind of weather/conditions to expect and any must see dives or otherwise while I'm there?

Plan to head to Key Largo for one of my five days, the rest will be spent around the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood area.

As far as experience goes we'll be four Open Water Divers + 1 master Scuba Diver/Divecon/deep-technical diver (tri-mix cert).

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[CBulla]

Hot clear mornings and days through mid afternoon when the showers come and cool things off with wicked neat thunderstorms for a while... then it clears up and gets steamy. The water will be georgous clear and in the upper 80's to lower 90's. Depending on where you stay in Lauderdale, it could be an easy trot out of the place your staying over the beach, to the water, swim out a hundred or so yards, and drop down headed east until you basically run into the reef.

 

[MikeJacobs]

Hot clear mornings and days through mid afternoon when the showers come and cool things off with wicked neat thunderstorms for a while... then it clears up and gets steamy. The water will be georgous clear and in the upper 80's to lower 90's. Depending on where you stay in Lauderdale, it could be an easy trot out of the place your staying over the beach, to the water, swim out a hundred or so yards, and drop down headed east until you basically run into the reef.

I wish I'd said that lol!

 

[MY01SHADOW]

Any Dive operator's in the area that you would recommend? We're actually staying in Pompano right on A1A.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[CBulla]

Dive operator? Ummm I've only been on a boat once over there and it was out of Deerfield Beach on a boat called Diversity. I used them because they were Spero friendly and well, you can guess what I did on that trip. Perhaps one of our Lauderdale divers can pipe up something. Other than that I'll point you to: http://scubaboard.com/t56629.html

Every other dive there has been shore diving to the reef. I stayed in Pompano a few weekends ago at a place called Villamar (www.villamar.com) for really good rates.. we did a dive down the road out of 8th street at night, a dive on the pier (part of an organized clean up), and tried to dive the reef right from the beach, but a strong incoming tide made that a task that even I didnt feel up to completing There is even more shore diving all the way down the beach.

 

[munkispank]

as well as the info for Fort Lauderdale/pompano, for Key Largo try to hit the speigal grove for a dive- awesome wreck, too cool to describe. If you have regualr OW certs they will want to see at least one dive logged to 80 ft to let you dive it, or you could be officially diving with your experienced diver and be OK. It's a great dive and not too difficult.
If you want a shallower key largo dive, try to persuade an operator to go to Benwood wreck- its only in 45ft and always has great sealife whenever I go. Overall, the reefs in Key Largo are in a good state in most places- even some of the more travelled ones have good pockets around and about.

enjoy

 

[Wristshot]

Lighthouse Scuba in Pompano.

W

 

[MY01SHADOW]

Thanks for the help!

Mike

 

[MY01SHADOW]

Will Check them out, Thanks!

Mike

 

[FLArmyBrat]

Just my 2 cents worth...

The beach access off of 12th Street is a good shore dive as well, if you are so inclined