New diver heading to florida

[scubadada]

Hi trapper1981,

I started diving in SE FL in 2004 and did a few over 100 dives out of Key Largo through 2009. The shallow reefs and the Benwood would be great for beginner divers.

I discovered Boynton Beach and Jupiter in 2009 and have nearly 200 dives there. Drift diving in these locations is spectacular and has become among my favorites. Sounds like this is the where you will be diving. In my personal opinion, you may want to start off with some drifts in Boynton Beach. The reef is fantastic with depths around 60 ft. I would recommend Underwater Explorers as a great operator for both beginners and experienced divers alike. They take a maximum of 6 divers and as much attention as needed is available. Kevin Metz is nearly always in the water as DM and official flag schlepper. Boynton Beach is only 30 miles south of Jupiter and an easy drive down 95. After some dive experience, including drifts, Jupiter would be a great place to dive. I have had good experiences with JDC. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

Best of luck and good diving, Craig

 

[sportxlh]

It is really hard to judge what someone else will be/should be comfortable with compared to one's self........ I do most of my diving in Jupiter (with Jupiter Dive Center) and love it. With that being said, with only 5 dives, I would not have been comfortable diving in Jupiter. I dove in WPB and Key Largo a dozen dives before I tried Jupiter and, for me, that proved to be a good plan. Early on, I dove with the Scuba Club in WPB: the dives could be almost as deep as Jupiter and they are still drift dives, but, I think that the Scuba Club does a particularly good job of getting newer divers comfortable: they send several DM's down with each group and new divers rarely, if ever, come to the surface alone: there's almost always a staff DM or another Scuba Club regular that will come up with newer divers.

Maybe that plan of attack is not good for you, but it worked for me. Like I said, I now dive in Jupiter with JDC a vast majority of the time and think the world of the operation and the people there. I still occasionally dive with the Scuba Club, mostly because I like the people and they run one of the few two tank trips in northern Palm Beach county on Friday afternoons.

 

[Odo]

Diving Jupiter this time of year is not a problem. In the summer the current is usually super strong and requires experience. There are some nice dives in 60-70 feet. There are nice shallower dive spots out of West Palm.

 

[BVickery]

Welcome to an addicting hobby. Just listen and take the offer up on the Bridge dive and the easier drift dives. Trust me, you may think 'ahh, X dives is enough, I don't need some more." But when your dive vaca is closing, you all of a sudden start thinking 'Damn, really wished I did Y dive." Happened to me on my last trip to the keys.

 

[uncfnp]

Good advice from everyone. And from personal experience, unless the current is ripping, I much prefer a drift dive. I think they are easier. Generally, you do an easy descent, ride the current (proper buoyancy is King here), ascend when time or air indicate, and "Magic" there's the boat! The only instances in WPB when the current has been an issue, for us at least, has been the deeper wreck dives and then its usually a negative entry as well. If possible, get your instructor to review some techniques for dealing with current. You will love drift diving!

 

[sheeper]

diving in Jupiter is awesome. Inexperience just means you need a dive operator that can give some tender loving care.
My #1 favorite Jupiter operator is Scubaworks and Capt SL8R Charters. they have a brand new state of the art dive boat and an awesome crew.

 

[Steve Eady]

Looks like i'll be down in jupitor on Jan 15th and 16th and will have time to dive. What are the water temps this time of year ?. I will book one of the boat dives and maybe 2.

Thanks

 

[danvolker]

I have recently enrolled in SSI scuba classes(with nitrox cert) in Missouri I will be doing five open water dives at the Bonne Terre Mines(depth 50-60 ft) during Feb with the intention of diving Jupiter in march on my upcoming Spring Training vacation. I called Jupiter Dive Center and talked to a very heplful man and explained my newness and plans mostly worried about my inexperience ruining more experienced divers time he said i should be fine if I got my certification and felt comfortable. I have my hotel booked and was planning to dive on a tues only day i can but havent reserved a spot yet.Then I discovered this site and am learning about Drift dives the greater depths and Jupiter proabably not being for new divers. I have always wanted to dive a strong swimmer 31 yo male and in decent shape. knowing this now would I be better off driving down to West Palm Beach to dive at shallower depths this is something I will bring up with my dive instuctor but wanted some of your opinions on what i should do. Jupiter looks amazing but I can always come back in a few years after I get more experience but I have to get my first ocean dive on this trip.

You will be fine as long as your certification was "earned", rather than just paid for.
The only real difference between Jupiter and the 60 foot stuff you will have completed, is that your bottom time will not be as long....You will be likely to go through air a bit faster than the regulars on the boat, so the only real concern for you will be the boat helping you to find a buddy that is willing to cut their dive a bit short for you...and this is actually exactly as true if you were doing a 40 foot deep dive in the Keys....

The drift diving nature does not require more strength--actually less, as the boat will come to you, and many drift divers just let the drift do all the movement in water for them.

The key issue is who your buddy will be...this should have been taught to you by your instructor. You should NOT be buddied to another brand new diver, but rather a good diver, or a divemaster. Another brand new diver is not a good buddy, because you as a new diver, are not yet ready to be saving someone else--and that is a buddy responsibility, and with a brand new diver that may have been trained poorly--that is a real possibility you don't need.

Jupiter Dive Center has some excellent people associated with it--just convey it is essential that you get a quality buddy. If they can't guarantee this for free based on who they know is diving that day, you may need to hire a DM for this job. It is afterall, your job to have a buddy--this is the most important gear choice you will make--more important than which reg, which BC, which wetsuit, etc.

In the future, you will have buddies "planned in" to your dive vacations

 

[whalenm]

If you are diving in Jupiter, be sure to check out Scuba Works shop and Capt Sl8R Charters!! (They work together). They always have new divers on the boat and will make sure to keep you comfortable! The crew could not be more helpful, and it is a really fun day!! The boat is called Kyalami. You can check out their daily dive reports on facebook or youtube to see how much fun it really is!!

---------- Post added January 1st, 2013 at 07:51 PM ----------

If you are diving in Jupiter, be sure to check out Scuba Works shop and Capt Sl8R Charters!! (They work together). They always have new divers on the boat and will make sure to keep you comfortable! The crew could not be more helpful, and it is a really fun day!! The boat is called Kyalami. You can check out their daily dive reports on facebook or youtube to see how much fun it really is!!

 

[Amazz]

Hope to see you underwater.