I have wintered in Pompano Beach for a number of years, and I agree with those who say anywhere from Palm Beach south to Fort Lauderdale is your best choice. (The Spring Break issue is more in Miami and has nothing to do with the old literal idea of college students going there on break--most of the people in those raucous and violent crowds have probably never seen a college campus.)I wanted to ask you folks for some advice about relocating to Florida when I retire. I'd like to dive a couple times a week as long as my body cooperates. I was thinking about trying to get a part time job at a dive shop to supplement my retirement savings, meet a circle of friends, and hopefully be able to fill my tanks for free. I'm hoping I can get at least my dive master done so I have something to offer the shop.
With that said, I have no idea where to start in looking for a location to buy a place. Clearly, I want to be near dive sites. There's a lot of places I doubt I can afford to live on a retirement income. I also don't have any desire to be near typical spring break destinations and the craziness that goes with that.
Any recommendations on locations I can look at based on my goals- decent dive sites, dive shops for possible part time jobs, "relatively" affordable, not a typical tourist insane asylum etc. I have a few years until retirement but would like to start looking for a place now, possibly turn it into an air bnb and then move in when ready.
Thanks so much for any thoughts.
I can offer some information about why other areas are not as good.
- The panhandle area pretty much closes down for ocean diving in the winter. It is a very different climate from south Florida, and most locals think it is too cold for diving. I have physically been in that area for 11 days over a number of years during the winter in the hope of diving the Oriskany, but no trips were ever running, and most operations were shut down for annual maintenance.
- A relative who has also been coming down in the winter for years and was thinking of moving to Florida spent time each year for a while in different parts of the state, and she felt anything north of the middle of the state was just too cold then.
- She felt the gulf side in the south was too crowded and expensive. She is not a diver, but the diving is not all that great on that side. As someone said, if you choose to live there, you may want to commute to the east side for the diving.