Dive near Orlando?

[afdgf]

I have not quite gotten the geography of Florida down yet. We may be in Orlando for a time and we were trying to figure out the closest place to dive in saltwater from Orlando. What do the Florida diving people recommend? We like Key Largo but that seems a little far from Orlando. It also seems like there are some major currents at some of the locations that might be a little challenging for us old folks. Thanks for any advice.

 

[sportxlh]

For the easy and close, try Disney's Dive Quest.... you dive in the big salt water aquarium tank in Epcot's Living Seas.

Jupiter is about as close as you'll get for a boat charter: it is 2-2.5 hours south depending on exactly where you'll be in Orlando. As you suggest, it is drift diving but there are many older folks that regularly dive out of Jupiter. If the marine conditions aren't bad, then drift diving is the easiest of all diving. You drop on the reef, drift with the current and the boat comes to pick you up. The only time that it is troublesome is when waves are 5 feet and you're trying to climb on the boat ladder. Pompano is about an hour south of Jupiter and the shallow reefs there are very nice if the marine conditions aren't bad: if marine conditions are bad, then you'll have surge.

 

[Superlyte27]

Jupiter is about as close as you'll get for a boat charter: it is 2-2.5 hours south depending on exactly where you'll be in Orlando.

Uh, Daytona has charters and is an hour away.

 

[drrich2]

If memory serves the Daytona area doesn't have a good reputation for visibility?

Here's my Jupiter Trip Report from September 2014; head about a half hour (roughly?) farther south and you hit the West Palm Beach area, giving additional options.

Richard.

 

[afdgf]

Your trip report was very helpful.

 

[sheeper]

not much "good" diving from Daytona. Long rides to deeper low viz dives. there are a couple of interesting wreck but not easy diving.

Jupiter is your best bet from Orlando. Lots of people from Orlando come and dive with our dive club when we run out of Jupiter (www.verobeachscubaclub.org). Jupiter is know for big sealife with turtles, sharks and lots of fish!

 

[Oldbear]

I have hear really good things about the Disney Dive, like the behind the scene tours...just a little cold in a 3mil.

 

[Superlyte27]

I love that you guys think Daytona has bad vis. No wonder our lobster are triple the size of the lobster in the south.

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

It may be a bit of a drive but I did a nice drift dive down in West Palm Beach a few years back.

Jeff

 

[PatW]

West Palm Beach is just a bit farther south then Jupiter. You can do a boat dive there at less depth and usually less current than Jupiter but fewer pelagics. Also you can dive the famous Blue Heron Bridge at West Palm for great macro life.