I'm thinking about a trip to Florida

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caseywilson

Registered
Messages
62
Reaction score
9
Location
Ridgecrest (SoCal)
# of dives
25 - 49
First, let me admit to being a vacation/recreational OW diver. I live in the NW corner of California's share of the Great Mojave Desert and make only a couple dive trips each year. I'm shopping for a trip to Florida. I would prefer boat diving in an area with no or only mild drift conditions. I welcome suggestions.
 
When do you want to come?
Some differences in suggestions based upon the calendar.

Chug
Wants to know what a "desert" is.
 
When do you want to come?
Some differences in suggestions based upon the calendar.

Chug
Wants to know what a "desert" is.


And what depth are you looking for?
 
Fl Keys
 
FL keys meet your needs and are the best shallow reefs in the State overall.

However, don't be put off by some drift dives. Around West Palm Beach, the operators conduct them on reefs in the 50-65 foot range by dropping the group with a DM who carries the flag. You and you buddy just stick to the DM and let the current carry you along the reef. Really no effort at all and very relaxing. The boat follows and picks you up on the surface. If the ocean is calm this is a great way to dive.

The reefs around West Palm and Boynton have lots of large marine life such as goliath grouper (year round and very reliable), reef sharks (hit or miss), and turtles (very reliable and almost guaranteed in the summer).
 
West Palm and Jupiter have been my most enjoyable areas to dive lately. Its such a thrill seeing the big fish, and the overall terrain seems to be a little more interesting. Down south does have more colorful pretty fish/reefs it seems.
 
It depends on what you want.

If you like shallow reefs with a lot of fish, hard corals, soft corals, sponges, not much current than Key Largo is the place to go. There are also some very good deep wreck dives there too but these do have a considerable amount of current.

If you want to see a big fish like goliath groupers, sharks and turtles, Jupiter is considered the best. The diving is relatively deep, at least 80' to the bottom and these are all drift dives. However, you will not be seeing hard corals.

If you are willing to do an easy shore dive, you can dive the Blue Heron Bridge. It has piles of small and very interesting creatures that you are unlikely to see anywhere else or at least rarely. It is a great dive. Also, since this is at West Palm, you can do boat dives on the reef at 60' or at the Breakers at about 40' depending on where they go. These are drift dives. It is quite near to Jupiter. Again, no hard coral.
 
However, don't be put off by some drift dives. Around West Palm Beach, the operators conduct them on reefs in the 50-65 foot range by dropping the group with a DM who carries the flag. You and you buddy just stick to the DM and let the current carry you along the reef. Really no effort at all and very relaxing. The boat follows and picks you up on the surface. If the ocean is calm this is a great way to dive.

The reefs around West Palm and Boynton have lots of large marine life such as goliath grouper (year round and very reliable), reef sharks (hit or miss), and turtles (very reliable and almost guaranteed in the summer).

If you don't mind reefs 60 to 80 I highly recommend West Palm Beach. We do most of our diving there. I love the drift dives and except the wrecks, have rarely encountered a lot of current. And Blue Heron Bridge is a nice macro shore dive.
 
Chug Wants to know what a "desert" is.[/QUOTE:
Hmmm, how to describe my tiny part of the Mojave... The sun shines about 360 days a year, our sand dunes are more than a hundred miles from the ocean, a heavy rainfall is when the drops hit four inches apart for five minutes, scorpions outnumber mosquitos, and we only see mildew in picture books. :) Aintcha glad ya axed? Ironically, I was born in Corpus Christi and raised in Galveston, was stationed on the Inland Sea of Japan with the USMC, spent 3 1/2 years in Hawai'i, and another seven in San Diego. Today, you couldn't afford to pay me enough to move.
 
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