March Destin suggestions?

[cdoc]

2 certified divers 100+ dives going to be in Destin for 5 days at the end of March.
I know very little of the area, having been there once before.
Can anyone suggest a good dive op and sites to dive. We are looking to boat dive and do not mind 100 ft and less.
Thanks.

 

[Tessunderwater]

I really enjoyed going out with emerald coast scuba. They have a great boat with lots of room and a really great staff. Plus their dive boat is one of the boats used in the jaws movie


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[Hetland]

I usually dive private boats out of Destin, so I can't recommend a charter, but I like ScubaTech for fills and surface support.

March on the Panhandle could have 65 degree water and 120ft inshore viz, OR zero viz, 55 degree water, 12ft seas, hepatitis-infected man-o-wars, and laser-armed megalodons with bad attitudes, and nothing left to lose.

Seriously though, have a back-up plan or two. There's a decent shore dive at the East Jetties, a nice one in Pensacola at the Ft. Pickens Jetties and a really nice one at St. Andrews Park in Panama City. Nearby Springs may be worth a visit too if the weather is particularly bad.

And I was only half-kidding about the man-o-wars. They usually make an appearance in the Spring, so be sure to bring a hood and gloves just in case.

 

[ohonu]

I like the Sea Cobra run by Scuba Tech a little better than Emerald Coast, but both are great Ops.

 

[Dwhite213]

And I was only half-kidding about the man-o-wars. They usually make an appearance in the Spring, so be sure to bring a hood and gloves just in case.

Last time I was there in March you had to have a hood for the temps not the stingers. I think it was mid to low 60's.

 

[amadus98]

+1 on scuba tech... friendly staff and good charters... Ill be in the area the same time hit me up if you want to do sum local shore diveing.

 

[TMHeimer]

I really enjoyed going out with emerald coast scuba. They have a great boat with lots of room and a really great staff. Plus their dive boat is one of the boats used in the jaws movie


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ECS is a great shop (actually declared #1 PADI shop in N.A. couple of years ago). I took quite a few classes there--superb instructors. But they almost never have charters until April. I recently did a good charter out of the W. side of Pensacola- Niuhi Divers, and years ago a good one with Dive Locker of PCB--if you don't mind the driving distances and early mornings. All the jetties dives from PCB to Perdido Key (AL) are slack tide dependent. Almost no high (or low) tides in Jan. at all, a couple in Feb. and more in March. The currents can be vicious and change suddenly. There are several spots on the bays/sound side that are mostly non-tide dependent, but also very boring and shallow. Another spot is the Destin Bridge (W. side free parking lot)--you can walk to a point and dive back to the bridge and get some decent depth. But again, very tide dependent--same as the jetties.