Diving near Orlando?

[steelsaint]

I am planning on making a trip down to Orlando, Florida in August. I am looking for a good dive shop or dive boat to go with near the Orlando area (within 2 hours or less).
I want to do some ocean reef or wreck diving.
Who would you recommend?
I can always use a buddy

 

[Jupiter31]

From Orlando, I always recommend Palm Beach County

Try:

Jupiter Dive Center (although you say August, and that time of year is known for calm seas, don't go to Jupiter if you are a total newb, or very rusty)

In West Palm

Scuba Club of the Palm Beaches
Jim Abernethy
Bill Walkers "The Wetter the Better"

Lantana/Boynton Beach
Starfish Enterprise

All great OP's - if you are rusty, suggest Scuba Club - they do a good job with less experienced divers.

Some may also recommend Daytona area; don't have experience w/ any OP's to recommend.

Also - do a search, because this question gets asked frequently; recently as a matter of fact - you will see other suggestions too.

 

[Orlando Eric]

Back when I lived in Orlando I drove to Jupiter for dives all the time. The profiles favor Nitrox at 80~90' feet x 2 dives. On air it is around 20min and 20min. On Nitrox it is 45min and 45min. The current is between 1/2 Kt to 3 Knot depending.

A little further and you are in Boyton Beach divng with UnderWater Explorers or as the SB family calls it, "Kevin's boat." There is a thread on here about Diving in Boyton you will find all the info you need for that locale.

 

[John_B]

Florida's Turnpike is the easiest way to get to good diving from Orlando. Jupiter or WPB is going to be more like two and a half hours one way, depending on where you are starting from and how fast you are willing to push your speeds.

Another option would be to dive with Sea Dogs out of New Smyrna Beach, which is a spearfishing boat that has a fairly long haul out to the sites they dive (do you get seasick easily?) and, like any coastal dive charter, are subject to canceling the trip due to winds/wave heights. They run a safe operation, you'll have to pass a safety quiz if you've never been spearfishing with them before. If spearos aren't your thing, then you'll want to look elsewhere.

With <25 dives, I'd recommend that you try to get to Key Largo instead, but YMMV. You certainly aren't going to make that trip down in 2 hours, more like 4-1/2 one way (if traffic in South Florida isn't nutty).

 

[Dayo Scuba]

You may also want to check out some of the springs to dive in that are in the Orlando area. As others have said Ocean Diving is best south of Jupiter.

 

[steelsaint]

Thanks. Is the gulf side any better than the Atlantic? I am really looking for some good reefs.

 

[steelsaint]

Back when I lived in Orlando I drove to Jupiter for dives all the time. The profiles favor Nitrox at 80~90' feet x 2 dives. On air it is around 20min and 20min. On Nitrox it is 45min and 45min. The current is between 1/2 Kt to 3 Knot depending.

A little further and you are in Boyton Beach divng with UnderWater Explorers or as the SB family calls it, "Kevin's boat." There is a thread on here about Diving in Boyton you will find all the info you need for that locale.

Any particular boat that you recommend out of Jupiter?

 

[Jupiter31]

Thanks. Is the gulf side any better than the Atlantic? I am really looking for some good reefs.

IMO, no

Viz tends to be worse, water tems cooler, boat rides longer, less choice of what to see underwater

Of course, the muck diving contingency on this board may disagree and tell you to experience the joys of finding sharks teeth in Venice, where 12 ft of viz is a great day : )

Seriously, there is diving all over FL, but if you want the best consistant diving, The SE Coast is your best bet.

 

[RTBDiver]

Those that say you should go to the Keys instead must be a little narced. Now if you were certified and shouldn't have been due to dive shop pressure on the instructor thats different but Jupiter and WPB offer some nice dives for newbies. WPB is more popular and therfore has more diveboats so it is easier to find one that will accomadate newer divers and not alienate others but that is the biggest difference.
I have certified hundreds of owdivers in WPB. They had sometimes 2 dives under their belt and sometimes none and thousands do check out dives there every year so for anyone to suggest you go elswhere for diving seems a little odd.
Now your pushing the 2 hour thing but whats an extra hour?
I no longer bring classes there and the operator I used has moved on but there are still some good ones i am sure. I promise any of the larger operations, while maybe a bit crowded at times, are used to all different levels of experience and can work you through any questions or issues you may have.

 

[Jupiter31]

Agree that PB County has the best diving in FL, although I would not recommend Jupiter for a total newbi (which the OP's profile suggests) - depths at majority of sites are 70 - 90 feet; current, good chance for large animal encounters, etc can be too much for some. West Palm, Boynton sites a litter easier.

I love Jupiter, but experience of 2-6 dives per month there over the past few years made me seriously reevaluate its suitability for new (or rusty) divers. Have seen on too many ocasions folks without the experience to dive there.

Different story when diving there while under the supervision of an instructor.