Panama City, FL charter advice

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KubaTimbo

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Messages
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Location
North MS
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Looking for advice for Panama City, Fl. Charters, Dive Sites, tips, etc. Im a new diver (Padi OW) hoping to get some Advanced dive training while on vacation. Thanks
 
Pat Greene with Panama City Diving

DITTO,,,Pat's very customer oriented.
 
I don't know your timeframe but this time of year can be very hit or miss due to the weather. If you are wanting to take aow there is always the option to go the springs just north of PCB.
 
I don't know your timeframe but this time of year can be very hit or miss due to the weather. If you are wanting to take aow there is always the option to go the springs just north of PCB.
Vortex? I did "google" him and others prior to asking but did want to get some first hand experience. I would love to dive a wreck and then a reef while completing some of my "AOW" dives, which i will probably do the classwork online. Ill try to give him a holler sometime this wk. thnx for input. Btw. Is it worth getting my own tank. Al 80 for starters. I have slowly obtained nearly all my gear outside of a tank. But i just dont see my wife allowing that hunk of metal to be part of our vacation travel luggage!! Lol
 
Vortex? I did "google" him and others prior to asking but did want to get some first hand experience. I would love to dive a wreck and then a reef while completing some of my "AOW" dives, which i will probably do the classwork online. Ill try to give him a holler sometime this wk. thnx for input. Btw. Is it worth getting my own tank. Al 80 for starters. I have slowly obtained nearly all my gear outside of a tank. But i just dont see my wife allowing that hunk of metal to be part of our vacation travel luggage!! Lol
P.s. Probably be there in early June. But i would i probably need to book ASAP im assuming??
 
Vortex is just a training site that lots of instructors use. I don't think they have any actual instructors on site. In June the weather is generally more predictable. As far as buying an Al80 I wouldn't recommend it unless it helps out your local diving. As far as traveling with a tank you would have to remove the valve to fly with it and it is an al80 that are a dime a dozen pretty much at any dive shop.
 
Vortex is just a training site that lots of instructors use. I don't think they have any actual instructors on site. In June the weather is generally more predictable. As far as buying an Al80 I wouldn't recommend it unless it helps out your local diving. As far as traveling with a tank you would have to remove the valve to fly with it and it is an al80 that are a dime a dozen pretty much at any dive shop.
Thnx again. Congrats on the WIN!! Im not a "roll tide" fan! Grew up in Big Orange country!! Lol. But congrats anyhow!
 
P.s. Probably be there in early June. But i would i probably need to book ASAP im assuming??

AOW classes with most shops in the Pensacola -> Destin -> Panama City area are run 'on demand'. Scheduling early will help a shop lineup more students to fit your schedule (and give you more control over the dive sites) but there is often room for 'walk-ins' - even more so if you can dive during the week vs on the weekend.

When you pick a shop, make sure you can choose the 5 specialty dives you want - at the very least based on your post, you want to make clear you'd like to boat dive a reef and wreck as part of your training. Ask them how a typical AOW class is run, the specialties they like to teach, etc. I don't have any personal experience with instruction out of Panama City. Scubatech NWFL and Emerald Coast Scuba are both good shops in Destin that run charter boats and teach AOW.

A pretty common AOW class in this area is:
Day 1: Vortex or Morrison Springs (cheaper than a boat, shallow bottom to work off of, pretty benign conditions most days)
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Navigation
- Search & Recovery
---- most common substitution depending on the student would be Night dive in place of Search & Recovery if they are set on a night dive

Day 2: Boat Charter
- Deep
- Wreck
---- note that you can't do wreck and deep on the same dive. you can dive the same wreck twice (if it qualifies for deep) but most charters will go to 2 different sites. Out of Destin, the common wrecks are shallower than the natural reefs - so they usually dive a 75 - 90' reef 1st then move to a wreck in the 55 - 85' range.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, don't select Boat Diving as one of your specialties. Your instructor and charter crew should cover that as part of the natural experience of boat diving and it's pretty common sense stuff.
 
AOW classes with most shops in the Pensacola -> Destin -> Panama City area are run 'on demand'. Scheduling early will help a shop lineup more students to fit your schedule (and give you more control over the dive sites) but there is often room for 'walk-ins' - even more so if you can dive during the week vs on the weekend.

When you pick a shop, make sure you can choose the 5 specialty dives you want - at the very least based on your post, you want to make clear you'd like to boat dive a reef and wreck as part of your training. Ask them how a typical AOW class is run, the specialties they like to teach, etc. I don't have any personal experience with instruction out of Panama City. Scubatech NWFL and Emerald Coast Scuba are both good shops in Destin that run charter boats and teach AOW.

A pretty common AOW class in this area is:
Day 1: Vortex or Morrison Springs (cheaper than a boat, shallow bottom to work off of, pretty benign conditions most days)
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Navigation
- Search & Recovery
---- most common substitution depending on the student would be Night dive in place of Search & Recovery if they are set on a night dive

Day 2: Boat Charter
- Deep
- Wreck
---- note that you can't do wreck and deep on the same dive. you can dive the same wreck twice (if it qualifies for deep) but most charters will go to 2 different sites. Out of Destin, the common wrecks are shallower than the natural reefs - so they usually dive a 75 - 90' reef 1st then move to a wreck in the 55 - 85' range.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, don't select Boat Diving as one of your specialties. Your instructor and charter crew should cover that as part of the natural experience of boat diving and it's pretty common sense stuff.
Thnx. I actually did my 1st dive with Emerald C. @ Jetties. Good stuff. Keep the advice coming! If i cant do all 5 dives due to "whatever" then what happens?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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