October trip - advice and recommendations?

[iyakonboats]

Ok, planning our Oct 2nd -11th trip, we're driving so none of that 24-hour wait for flying, and we plan on just bouncing around from West Palm Beach (maybe even a bit further north like Jupiter or Hobe Sound) all the way to Miami (Maybe even Key Largo, not sure yet).

I've dived with Walkers and Pura Vida in WPB before, both great outfits, but also looking for new adventures too. I am looking at booking on "The Diversity", has anyone dived with them before? We really want to dive as much as possible, weather permitting. We prefer longer 3-tank trips, but won't shy away from a 2-tank either.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I did a drive and dive to Florida last year. I had a blast. One thing I’ll say on that...don’t do what I did (try to hit everything). You’ll spend a lot of time driving all over the place and it will take away from your time in the water.

My recommendation would be to pick no more than 2-3 different locations to minimize your time behind the wheel. You’ll also be able to get better hotel rates if you aren’t hopping all over the place like I was.

I think you mentioned in your other thread that you were thinking of getting your AOW cert. If you get that before or while you’re down there (that’s what I did), it will open your options. Ex. Wrecks off Pompano Beach and Key Largo.

Some ideas:

-Blue Heron Bridge

-Lauderdale By the Sea (I had a good time there shore diving)

-Pompano Beach. Fun drift dive and wreck diving. The visibility was absolutely awesome while I was there.

-Key Largo. If you make it that far south...nice reefs and wreck dives (if you get the AOW cert). I got to dive the Spiegel Grove, which was really something.

-Venice. Shark teeth diving. You’ve got those big HP133’s. You’d Likely not be limited by your gas supply.

Mainly wanted to chime in with input on the drive and dive thing though, as I’ve only made one trip down so far. Others with have much more input on the diving. I did the 15.5 hours down (Northern Virginia to LBTS) in one day, lol. Thoroughly enjoyed the drive down. The drive from Key Largo (83*) back to Virginia (23*)...not so much.

 

[iyakonboats]

I did a drive and dive to Florida last year. I had a blast. One thing I’ll say on that...don’t do what I did (try to hit everything). You’ll spend a lot of time driving all over the place and it will take away from your time in the water.

My recommendation would be to pick no more than 2-3 different locations to minimize your time behind the wheel. You’ll also be able to get better hotel rates if you aren’t hopping all over the place like I was.

I think you mentioned in your other thread that you were thinking of getting your AOW cert. If you get that before or while you’re down there (that’s what I did), it will open your options. Ex. Wrecks off Pompano Beach and Key Largo.

Some ideas:

-Blue Heron Bridge

-Lauderdale By the Sea (I had a good time there shore diving)

-Pompano Beach. Fun drift dive and wreck diving. The visibility was absolutely awesome while I was there.

-Key Largo. If you make it that far south...nice reefs and wreck dives (if you get the AOW cert). I got to dive the Spiegel Grove, which was really something.

-Venice. Shark teeth diving. You’ve got those big HP133’s. You’d Likely not be limited by your gas supply.

Mainly wanted to chime in with input on the drive and dive thing though, as I’ve only made one trip down so far. Others with have much more input on the diving. I did the 15.5 hours down (Northern Virginia to LBTS) in one day, lol. Thoroughly enjoyed the drive down. The drive from Key Largo (83*) back to Virginia (23*)...not so much.

We used to live in Raleigh and we would drive to Florida all the time, that was before we did SCUBA. Seems our distances are the same right now, from Houston to roughly WPB is about 15-16hrs. Also, like you mentioned, my wife also did, we tend to drive around too much so she wanted to plan it better and we decided to first stop in Hobe Sound or Jupiter, rest there for the day, and the next day we'll do our dive (all depends on dive availability, we may have to stop further South, we'll know by EoD today). Then we'll just work our way south to optimize our stay and time.

Thanks for all those recommendations, I wrote them down in our official planner for the trip, especially any shore dives we can do would be awesome. Many thanks!!!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I’ve dived with Diversity. A bit loose on COVID precautions but otherwise a good op. They use the Boca Raton inlet which is dicey at best. That means they get blown out more than the other boats.

Hit Boynton for sure. Starfish or Loggerhead.

Hit Jupiter. Kyalami or Jupiter Dive Ctr.

South FL Dive HQ in Pompano is also a good option as is Sea Experience in Ft. Lauderdale.

Narcosis is another good Palm Beach boat.

I can’t help with anything N of Jupiter. I’ve never dived up there.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I’ve dived with Diversity. A bit loose on COVID precautions but otherwise a good op. They use the Boca Raton inlet which is dicey at best. That means they get blown out more than the other boats.

Hit Boynton for sure. Starfish or Loggerhead.

Hit Jupiter. Kyalami or Jupiter Dive Ctr.

South FL Dive HQ in Pompano is also a good option as is Sea Experience in Ft. Lauderdale.

Narcosis is another good Palm Beach boat.

I can’t help with anything N of Jupiter. I’ve never dived up there.

I’ll second that recommendation. A couple of the crew were friends of my instructor. Diving with them and going out for dinner and drinks afterwards was the highlight of my trip.

 

[Lostdiver71]

Definitely do the Blue Heron Bridge, especially a night dive if you can. Both Force-E and Pura Vida have sponsored shore night dives in October and several boats have been doing 1 tank trips to the bridge in case they don't reopen night diving from shore by then.

 

[PoolsOpen]

In my opinion the best diving is Boynton, WPB, Jupiter, and Key Largo.
Ft Lauderdale is nice if you prefer shallower wrecks (70 ft).

Keep in mind that WPB and Jupiter are deeper ledges around 80 to 90 ft and Nitrox is STRONGLY recommended.
Also if you want to dive the nice wrecks in Key Largo (Spiegel Grove & Duane) you need to be Advanced Open Water.

Guides: in WPB & Jupiter - Narcosis, JDC and Kyalami all put guides in the water towing the flag. Most in Key Largo put a guide as well.
Ft Laud and Boynton do not put guides with FT Lauderdale being the easier place to dive (I'm going with your info of 24 dives or less). Just FYI

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide you really cant go wrong!!

 

[jf3193]

out of all of those options, is there similar visibility and water conditions?

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

out of all of those options, is there similar visibility and water conditions?

When I was diving Pompano Beach and Key Largo last January, visibility was 50’+. Conditions (ex. Visibility, currents, etc.) can vary though. There was zero current when I dove the Spiegel Grove. The current can be fairly strong there from what I’ve read. I lucked out.

 

[PoolsOpen]

Similar in that they can change from one day to the next.

From Key Largo to Jupiter expect normal vis to be 40-60 ft so you wont be dissapointed. However some days you will be greeted with 80-100 ft vis

Keep in mind that the deeper reefs WPB / Jupiter are just a bit darker due to the depths as compared to 30 ft reefs at Key Largo. Nothing crazy though and the bigger fish will make up for that. Also in WPB / Jupiter there can be stronger currents but its drift diving so you just go with it.

Different types diving but all good and I highly recommmend to try some of these different locations.