If we were to move...
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Can't think of anywhere I would rather live than where I do. It gets hot in the summer, but most of the year the trade winds keep it cool. Quality of diving is A1. General quality of life is high, being one of the more affluent parts of the Caribbean. Living in the Caribbean is not for everyone, but if you can put up with the quirks it can't be beat.
If I find somewhere else, I'll let you know but until then I am staying put.
If I find somewhere else, I'll let you know but until then I am staying put.
Daytona Beach, diving there sucks, but it is a close enough drive that you can make it down to West Palm Beach in a couple hours, Pompano Beach/lauderdale (AWESOME) in about 4, and the keys fairly quickly too... Plus, they have Bike Week and Biketober Fest. Ormond Beach is very nice, Flagler Beach if you like small surf towns... But up that far there is still a seasonal change every year, it is hot, but it cools off in the winter (gets down to the 40's at night in the winter sometimes), but there are nice seasonal changes, there is diving FAR offshore, but it isn't a dive destination... There are a couple springs within a half hour drive that are cool...
As soon as you get down past Vero Beach/West Palm it tends to stay hotter for more of the year...
We spent this past summer there and really enjoyed it, plus it was cheap, we lived in a 2 bedroom duplex less than a block from the ocean, and a very active beach (my girlfriend lifeguarded on) and it was only 650/month plus electric (which was cheap). Beachside there aren't as many bugs as mainland, but they still have them, but if you keep the pest people coming your fine (ours landlord kept the pest control coming and our lawn immaculate at no charge)... I'd recommend Elenor Village in Ormond Beach... If your looking for affordable and beach living, again, no close by diving, but it is the WEATHER you mentioned, and it is the BEACH LIFE, Close enough to drive for diving regularly, and it is all about motorcycles...
The Seattle area is a wonderful place to be a diver. I have six very reasonable shore diving sites within 30 minutes of my front door, and about 20 within 90 minutes, as well as half a dozen different charter boats. The Sound is protected, so you can dive about 360 days a year (and more, if you are more tolerant than I am of harsh weather and rough surface conditions). We have a bunch of decent dive shops and a few superb ones, and a very large community of active divers. The water is full of life, ranging from giant octopuses ten feet or more across to a wild variety of multicolored nudibranchs.
Viz tends to be low, so I don't know that there's much reliably good snorkeling, but there are good places to free dive.
Unfortunately, the motorcycle season is definitely limited.
Viz tends to be low, so I don't know that there's much reliably good snorkeling, but there are good places to free dive.
Unfortunately, the motorcycle season is definitely limited.
Kevrumbo
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. . .Los Angeles County, the Birthplace of Recreational Scuba: where you can snowboard/ski in Winter Mountain Wilderness; then turn back around to swim, surf & night dive in Kelp Forests at Mainland Beaches; and finally come home to Suburbia with a perfect Mediterranean Climate --all done within either a span of 12 hrs, or a leisurely paced Weekend. . . !
One word my friend:
Monterey
Hands down the best combination of diving, access to major urban areas, access to mountains (important to us) and access to diver services. Our next property purchase (~3 months) will be in the Carmel/Monterey CA area
Monterey
Hands down the best combination of diving, access to major urban areas, access to mountains (important to us) and access to diver services. Our next property purchase (~3 months) will be in the Carmel/Monterey CA area
akmike. . . it's time to change your name spelling to ar, yes Arkansas. Lake Ouachita in the Ouachita National Forest is a clear lake with hundreds of small sandy islands, you can claim for a weekend. It is the number one houseboat vacation rental lake in the country. . . no desert sand view, protected national forests. Two or three months a year with no need for wetsuits, a 5 mil suit will be comfortable for all but 3 months a year.
Most dives can start with snorkel tours. . . watching the fish swimming over sandy bottoms, or hunting the rock faces for crystals. Switching to SCUBA you can hunt fish, with most game fish legal to hunt, sight see surprises left by other divers, like the perfect use for a golf cart and clubs. Between dives there are several air fill stations around the lake, with equipment rental, and friendly local divers that will help you find interesting dive locations.
Reaching dive sites can be out of the back of your car, out of a small fishing boat, minutes from boat ramps, or miles from any houses or developments from a houseboat with a hot tub on the upper deck. You can tie up the houseboat close to restaurants, or in your own private cove, where you won't see one boat a day. Your choice.
Anywhere in the country you'll have to be concerned with weather. Hurricanes in Florida, Earthquakes in California, Tsunamis in the northwest. . . Well Tornadoes in the central part of the country. Tornadoes are usually smaller than the path of Interstate 35 in Texas, with far fewer fatalities than that highway in Austin Texas.
You mention motorcycles. . . Choose to ride in twisting country roads, or Interstate highways, straight through mountains of Arkansas, Tennessee, You're in the middle of the country, so you can go anywhere.
I don't live there, but I'm in driving range, and I've been there often.
I'd move back to the Seattle area if I had the choice, for all the reasons TSandM mentioned. I would even add a couple more: Close to BC (a cold water diver's wet dream), and lots of good flights to Pacific destinations leaving from Seattle. The entire West Coast is within road trip distance, including Baja, Mexico.
As far as living concerns go - lots of areas around Seattle to choose from. Live in town if you want, in the suburbs, or pick one of the more rural areas. If I had the job portability you have, I might choose to live in Snohomish or Skagit County- closer to the San Juans and BC, and still an easy drive to Seattle if need be (although a long commute). There are tolerable real estate prices in all three counties.
Washington's motorcycling community is alive and well, mainly in the summer. Lots of fun places to ride to.... Cascade Highway, anyone?
-B
As far as living concerns go - lots of areas around Seattle to choose from. Live in town if you want, in the suburbs, or pick one of the more rural areas. If I had the job portability you have, I might choose to live in Snohomish or Skagit County- closer to the San Juans and BC, and still an easy drive to Seattle if need be (although a long commute). There are tolerable real estate prices in all three counties.
Washington's motorcycling community is alive and well, mainly in the summer. Lots of fun places to ride to.... Cascade Highway, anyone?
-B
Mattleycrue76
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I am gonna have to put in another vote for the greater Seatlle area. The diving here rocks! And what's equally important: The diving community is one of the friendliest and most committed that you'll find anywhere.
SoCal, where recreational diving began.
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