Coming to Key West Feb.10-24th.

[Deep VI]

Hello all,

At long last I'll be able to dive again. Moved to AZ a couple years ago from Panama City, FL and am itching to get back in the water. Experience wise, I'm AOW/Nitrox and have about 250 dives under my weight belt. I've checked the sticky threads already and am looking for specifics. Was wondering what wetsuit to bring for the water temps. Would I be able to get away with the 3mm, supplemented by a 3/5 hooded vest? Also maybe some shore diving locations as I'll my afternoons to myself. Also would love to get in as many night dives as possible. I'll have a car so I can travel. I'd really like to dive the Vandenberg and maybe drive up to get in the Spiegel Grove. I love diving wrecks, so is there any other's I should put on my don't miss list? Since I'm in the region, thought maybe a shark dive would be in order. I'd also like to get in a little spearfishing, so any lines on spots I could dive from shore would be nice or spear friendly charters. Of course if I could hook up with a local that would be great too. I wash a mean boat and am willing to pay in beer! Thanks, Duncan

 

[sportxlh]

In Key Largo, the Duane is also an interesting wreck.

Florida is not like the Bahamas when it comes to shark diving: operators do not chum the water. There are ops that can take you to dive sites where you are likely to see sharks, but there is no guaranty. If you really want something that is close to being a guaranty of seeing sharks, take a drive up to Jupiter on one of your free days in Florida. I saw a couple of dozen reef sharks on one of the dives I did with Jupiter Dive Center in December (though note that the same dive site only had 3 last Friday).

To the best of my knowledge, the keys have no shore dives. I've heard rumours that a couple of the old quarries created to mine limestone for the oversea railroad can be dove, but they are dark and murky. I've also heard you can dive from the shore in Bahia Honda, but the currents are wicked and you'd best do the dive with a very experienced local: very few people that I know of bother with the site. Best bet for shore dives would be the mainland in Dania Beach or Lauderdale by the Sea. You mentioned you'll have afternoons to yourself and that is why you were looking for shore dives: many ops in the keys run afternoon boats as well. If your dive buddies don't dive in the afternoon, you still can!!

Since you have wheels, you can come up to the mainland for more wreck diving in Ft Lauderdale too. Some ops in Ft Lauderdale, WPB and Jupiter allow spear fishing.

Your wetsuit choice will depend on the time of year you are coming and your tolerance for cold. Many people dive with no wetsuit in the summer. I dive a 3MM in the summer. A lot of folks will dive in a 3MM wet suit along with a hooded vest, as you described, in the winter (I used to) but I wear a 7MM now. Temps will probably be in the low 70's or high 60s in the winter and will top out above 80 in the summer.