Best Places To Live And Scuba In The U.S.A.

[Scubaguy62]

Florida is clearly the worst place to live. It's unbelievably hot and humid for the entire summer, which lasts from late February through mid December. It's one of the few places where you can be swarmed by insects in the dead of winter (you know, when it's 70 and moderate humidity). I have also heard (but not confirmed) that every type of poisonous snake in the US is in Florida. Clearly not every species is here (several rattlers from the desert, etc.), but I have personally seen (sometimes too close) Water Moccassins, Eastern Diamondbacks (5+ft and FAT), pygmy rattlers, and oh yeah, removed my dog from playing with a small coral snake in my father's yard in a 1/2 acre lot neighborhood. I have seen at least 5 coral snakes (quit counting rattlers and moccassins a long time ago), including a personal sighting of the largest coral snake I ever saw in the wild or in captivity 200 yards from a fire station and trailer park with kids (3+ft, maybe 4!) Did I mention the Gators that take a pet dog at least once every couple of years just on the UF campus? What about the spiders and scorpions, and roaches flying into my face?

Clearly, anyone who lives and works in Florida, particularly mechanical engineers, should look for employment elsewhere.

Perhaps so, but marine biologists, wranglers, and gator catchers, as well as salt water divers and other professions can make a very good living here

Got to agree about the bugs, although they seem to be confined more to the part of the state that is north of Seminole County..lol

Rick

p.s. how's the diving in VA?

 

[adder70]

Perhaps so, but marine biologists, wranglers, and gator catchers, as well as salt water divers and other professions can make a very good living here

Got to agree about the bugs, although they seem to be confined more to the part of the state that is north of Seminole County..lol

Rick

p.s. how's the diving in VA?

Heard VA diving's not bad, but I havent' been out here so far. I intend to possibly do a lake dive next weekend. I have heard that you can do some decent ocean dives, but you have to go out a ways and they are deeper than FL. (starting at about 80ft.)

Seminole county?! Have you been to Hendry county? What about Glades county? Sure, there aren't a lot of bugs near the east coast down south, but Broward is right in the middle of the Dade-Broward-Palm Beach metro area, where any open spaces are simply awaiting zoning for shopping malls or condos! I've even seen the 4 inch grasshoppers as close by as Jupiter. And my cousins found a potentially deadly (for children) species of scorpion in their closet in the western part of Miami. Did I mention it had a full backload of babies? Once you get away from the heavily developed areas, S. Florida has just as many if not more bugs.

Don't forget, most cities spray frequently to reduce the insect population.

 

[Roughwaterjohn]

My vote goes to Southern California, but I must admit I'm biased, I already live there. Yes it's expensive to live here (REALLY exspensive, so don't try bringing any of your good for nothing friends with ya) , but there is so much here. Mountains and deserts, a beautiful city and of course.... the diving. I try to dive 2-3 times a week.

I drive to the beach, put on my gear, walk into the water and dive. Cost, nothing (I dive so much, the local shops don't charge me for air). I can dive deep into the La Jolla Submarine Canyon, I can dive the shallow, life filled reefs at the Cove or the Marine Room, I can explore partially submerged caverns or swim in sun filled kelp forests. There are a multitude of beach dives all along the coast. It just depends on where I park, and where I feel like going.

If I want to get on a boat, I can visit the Coronado Islands off of Mexico in about an hour, visit Wreck Alley minutes from the dock, visit a submerged P-38 plane or do a blue water dive to see what swims by. Catalina Island, Laguna Beach and other wonderful dive sites are a short distance away, close enough to get there, dive, and be home in time for dinner. San Diego is a very diver friendly town.

John A.

 

[Roughwaterjohn]

Those are just thoughts. I would not dive cold water (anything north of Baja Calif) unless I had no other choice.

I've been diving in 80+ degree water, but I love the cold waters of the pacific. With a 7mm wetsuit, I dive year round and don't get cold unless its in the high 40's (but I still dive) :11: With limited visibility, cold waters and surf entries, it may not sound like fun, but the beauty is amazing and the life in these cold waters is diverse and at times, overwhelming. Cold is just a condition, which you protect yourself from. The seas and what they contain, is why we do it. I think you miss a great deal, by only diving warm.

John A.

 

[jjgibo]

again i am late to the party, but i did want to throw in my two pennies, wait i can't do that i can't afford to, it's expensive to live in Hawaii, but thats a whole nother discussion, but as best place to live and dive. Me personally i love hawaii. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else(although I am moving to So Cal for law school, hmm maybe i better not mention that i may not be let up from my uhm next dive) but hawaii. we have great diving, you can go from shore or boat, it can be as easy or difficult as you like. You can do the big game hunting Tiger Sharks(although not recommended) ahi, aku, ono, ulua, etc or you can do the small kine hunting like bugs, tako, mempachi, aweoweo, manini, etc. You can collect pearly shells from the ocean, shining in the sun, covering up the shore. ok ok sorry got da kine small kine distracted. You can watch fish eat other fish, you can watch people eat fish, you can go to different islands see different things, choke kine swim throughs and lava tubes for explore. as for living here, well its an island and you gotta get used to da island lifestyle, but if you take to it man there is no other. mo bettah in hawaii!! Come dive wit us here in da islands and den afters if you no like well den good go home, cause we never like you anyways, nah nah jus joke. anyways so thats why i tink hawaii stay da bessessest place for live and dive.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

My wife and I were at the outdoor pool this morning at our homeowners association, and we met two Canadians visiting our state for the first time. That began a discussion about what is the best place to live and scuba dive in the USA.

Here is the list we came up with, starting with the best:

1. Hawaii
2. Florida
3. The Carolinas
4. California
5. Oregon & Wash St.
6. Michigan
7. Texas
8. Georgia
9. New England

Thoughts?

Alaska diving is a cold but great experience.

 

[mtiffee]

I'd swap Hawaii and Florida, specifically the keys. I've dived both. Plus Florida has very easy access to the islands and the Carolinas.

 

[Rooster]

I made my choice seven years ago. After being stationed on Guam from 90 to 95 I was sent to NC. Missed the diving in the western pacific so much I retired from the Air Force and moved back to Guam in 97. Got a job with the US Postal Service. I'm now the Maintenance Manager of the Post Office here. My Wife has a civil service job with DODEA (military school system). Is it expensive to live here? Yes, but places like San Fran/Oakland, Honolulu, and others are just as bad. It's all in where your priorities are. There is give and take no matter where you live. If there were one perfect place to live, then everyone would live there. Me I choose to live on a small tropical island in the pacific.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

[/QUOTE] Is there a boat or shore access in Sitka? I'm in Eagle River and I'd love to dive during a long weekend in Sitka.

Christa

 

[archman]

How did Michigan get ranked over Texas?! We have the most pristine coral reefs in the United States... when you can get out to see the bloody things, 'course.
We also have amazing oil rigs, an abandoned nuclear missile silo, a flooded ancient Indian settlement, two thermally static, crystal clear rivers, several deep lakes with sunken pecan groves, a massive international reservoir, a lake you can spearfish in, a submerged Ice Age watering hole, an insanely dangerous cave, a brackish water bayou that can eat away your wetsuit... and oh yeah that siltfest in Athens.

We have GREAT diving variety! It's just all spread out.