Looking for a good place to dive

[sportxlh]

I'm surprised no one has suggested the Keys: especially Key Largo. The shallow reefs are some of the easiest to dive in the state and there are plenty of topside activities. The only negative for diving any ocean diving in Florida during spring break is that marine conditions and weather conditions are variable. Sometimes dives get cancelled as a result. However, the Keys have plenty of other activities.

Some of the dive shops/boats I've used in the Keys include Conch Republic Divers, Rainbow Reef (provides dive guides), Horizon Divers and Silent World. There are plenty of others too.

If you are looking for dirt cheap places to stay, the Hungry Pelican will do, though it is not overly nice but might be right for a bunch of college students. If you have a bunch of friends making the trip with you then you can consider a condo and split the costs. I've stayed at Ocean Pointe and it is pretty nice.

 

[SashaW]

There are so many places for snorkeling in Florida. I found this article and it has "The Top 10 Florida Snorkeling Spots" » Top 10 Florida Snorkeling Spots I hope that is helpful!

 

[Steve_C]

For easy, interesting, diving for beginning divers the Keys are a 10.
Springs are nice but not what I would want to spend a vacation doing. I like to see life and coral.
You can get some packages out of Key largo, dives plus lodging which can cut the cost some.

The difference between north and south florida is maybe 5 hours each way. If you are going for the week it is worth the time. You can even break it up with a dive along the way.

 

[Chasin' Tales]

Is there anything good in Pensacola?

Yes! There's a good shore dive off the beach at Park East. You can shore dive the jetty at Ft. Pickens. You can drive over to Destin and shore dive the jetty there. I think there's a new shore dive in Perdido Key. There's also plenty of options for an offshore dive charter - nearshore wrecks and natural bottom. Just because Pensacola doesn't have the pretty coral reefs like the keys doesn't mean there isn't good diving. Same can be said for Panama City.

 

[CajunDiva]

For easy, interesting, diving for beginning divers the Keys are a 10.
Springs are nice but not what I would want to spend a vacation doing. I like to see life and coral.
You can get some packages out of Key largo, dives plus lodging which can cut the cost some.

The difference between north and south florida is maybe 5 hours each way. If you are going for the week it is worth the time. You can even break it up with a dive along the way.

I agree completely. And for someone looking to enjoy spring break, a drive south through the state of Florida is just the ticket! There are so many fun things to see and do in Florida...enjoy the ride

We drive from Louisiana down to the Keys on a regular basis, and always have a great time on the road trip. Our first trip to Key Largo was 14 years ago, and we chose the destination because we were new divers and wanted to enjoy the shallow reefs. Now even though we have experienced over 500 dives in different areas around the world, we continue to go back to Key Largo because we still see new things and have great dive experiences with all of the friends we have made there. We consider Key Largo our dive "home".

 

[tcpip95]

Ditto on the Keys. We live in Ft. Myers, and are making a point of driving down once a month to dive in Islamorada, Key Largo, and Marathon. Great dives, plenty of reefs, and reasonable costs.