Most dives for the $$ in Florida?

[bilsant]

If I was saving money, I'd go shorediving.

If you're going the shorediving route, check out http://www.meetup.com/goldcoastscuba

They're a dive club that does an awful lot of diving from Pompano to Hollywood, and LBTS is kind of their home beach. There are a bunch of shore locations along the Broward coast for which you can most likely find scheduled dives by the GCS group during your stay. Don't get sticker shocked over their membership dues...give them a call. I think they offer a free trial period...

Once you pick a home base dive shop, purchase a 10-fill card - which will render parking fees the most expensive part of each dive...also dicker with management over renting any gear you may need for the whole week. If dealing with GCS, make your desire known to dive Blue Heron at least once or twice while you're here...GCS will most likely schedule a club dive and see if anyone else want to go along...carpooling to the Keys or Jupiter is certainly not unheard of with these folks either...and they get a group discount on the boat dives they schedule.

In any event...have fun!!!

 

[iluvtheocean]

If I was saving money, I'd go shorediving.

If you're going the shorediving route, check out http://www.meetup.com/goldcoastscuba

They're a dive club that does an awful lot of diving from Pompano to Hollywood, and LBTS is kind of their home beach. There are a bunch of shore locations along the Broward coast for which you can most likely find scheduled dives by the GCS group during your stay. Don't get sticker shocked over their membership dues...give them a call. I think they offer a free trial period...

Once you pick a home base dive shop, purchase a 10-fill card - which will render parking fees the most expensive part of each dive...also dicker with management over renting any gear you may need for the whole week. If dealing with GCS, make your desire known to dive Blue Heron at least once or twice while you're here...GCS will most likely schedule a club dive and see if anyone else want to go along...carpooling to the Keys or Jupiter is certainly not unheard of with these folks either...and they get a group discount on the boat dives they schedule.

In any event...have fun!!!

definately +1 for gold coast. Talk to Steve at the shop like Bill said. and if you want a guide for the local spots give Scuba_Jenny a pm. She can also help with dialing in your weighting & trim properly.

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

I did WPB a few years ago when I had only been diving a short time and was still just OW. Went with a very experienced friend of my daughters who lives there and it was a great 2 tank drift dive. Good for starters. I don't remember the dive op though.....

Jeff

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Bilsand and iluvtheocean are right about the shore diving. It's a great way to save $$.

But, shore diving is totally weather-dependent and we often have wind this time of year that makes shore diving not reliable. If you plan to shore dive, you should have back-up plans for boat dives, which can go and give good diving even if the ocean gets choppy that would ruin a shore dive.

The one exception is Blue Heron Bridge, which is in protected water, but that is good for a couple of dives only and then you would want to see other things like reefs, etc.

 

[Boca Kris]

I would contact Paul Varian at Varian Charters, he's the top dive boat charter captain here in South Florida, with tons of secret numbers. Give him a call at 561-305-0224

 

[sportxlh]

Gold Coast Scuba and shore diving in LBTS are great ideas.

Another thought is to look at dive operators that offer pre-paid discounts. I dive with Jupiter dive center and they have a couple of deals such as a prepay card for 5 trips and get a 6th for free. If you were going to be here for a while, you could purchase the trip card I do, pre pay for 20 dive trips and get 8 additional trips thrown in for free (average price of $47 or so per two tank dive trip). Other shops offer similar deals, so look around.