Pompano Beach - Force E

[soamelt]

Force-E is great. I've only been to the WPB store once, but the Boca and Pompano ones are my LDS'. Great friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful staff at both (I imagine that WPB can't be much different).

 

[deepstops]

The price per trip is the same wether you go through Force-E or the individual boats, so you can either find a dusty old phone book and spend time calling different boats to see where they're going and if they're going, or you can just let Force-E do it for you. It's a good system for everyone.

That's only for people from NYC

The locals mostly use online booking.

 

[Tom Winters]

Good to see the kudos for Force-E. As a side note, subscribers to their newsletter sometimes get some trip discounts thrown in there.
People may disparage phone books in this thread, but they re invaluable for starting a fire in a chimenea.
Just look up "chimenea" in either the white or yellow pages, tear out that page and the others near it, crumple and burn them.
After that, the phone book ceases to have any further application.

 

[Chugwhump]

Another endorsement for Force-E here.
I have been patronizing them since the 70's.
Should you have an issue where you are dissatisfied, and there is not much of a chance of that, you can contact Skip, the owner easily and directly.
He will follow up with a contact to you by telephone or whatever form you prefer in about 30 seconds or less after receiving the message.
I have only had 1 minor gripe with them in 33 years.

Chug
Wants to know whatever happened to that Lenny guy and Sportsman's Paradise.

 

[deepstops]

Wants to know whatever happened to that Lenny guy and Sportsman's Paradise.

Their free air fills for life if you bought a tank from them put them out of business

 

[Chugwhump]

Oh.
I thought it was their lousy gear and crummy service.

Does anyone remember his radio ad where he stated...and I quote...
"There are no bad bad scuba regulators".
His were made in Taiwan and there were no replacement parts available.

I never had any of their stuff.
Mommy made me dive Dacor.

Chug

 

[ONESPEED]

Another endorsement for Force-E here.
I have been patronizing them since the 70's.

Me too, back when they were called Nautilus, when I was a kid my mom would leave phone messages for me at the one on Atlantic Blvd. if she couldn't find me, knowing I'd end up there at some point.

 

[garyfotodiver]

The Pompano store will more than likely put you with Parrot Island Island, the Boca store uses the Diversity. Both are great ops, I like the diving better in Boca (more big ledges) then Pompano (also closer for me), so I prefer the Diversity.

Boca uses Parrot Island, South Florida, The Diversity, and a few others. I have dived with each of these named three; all are great, very customer-oriented.

Go in to one of their three stores, tell the manager what you want to dive, and (s)he will find you a match.

Full disclosure; Force-E Boca is my LDS in south Florida.

 

[D2Diver]

I will be going to Pompano Beach FL from June 24th to the 29th. I was thinking of diving with Force E. Anyone heard of them and have any comments? This will be my first time to this area. Any suggestions? What is the norm for a wet suit for this area?

I will be by myself on the dives, so if anyone wants to join me, that would be great.

Thank You.

I go to the Pompano Force E all the time. Not only can they book your dives for you but if you tell them what you are interested in seeing (reef/wreck beginner/advanced)they will help you pick the right dive trip. All the stores are staffed by great people who are extremely helpful. I swear they must have to take personality tests before being hired.

 

[fmichaelk]

While there are many good charter operators in the Pompano Beach/Fort Lauderdale area, there are also some great shore dives. The Inside Reef at Lauderdale by the Sea is terrific as is the reef behind the Pelican Grand Beach Resort. The advantage is that you can do 3 or 4 dives a day for only the cost of parking. See pictures at Picasa Web Albums - michael.