Well for us the water is colddddd
But for you it may not be so bad
I would say low 70's to upper 60's
I collect information on shore dives in the state of Florida and Lauderdale by the Sea has the most shore dives
Johnson stree, Daytura Ave, Hibiscus Ave, and Dainia Beach just to name a few sites I have dove.
Have fun
Kim P
I also have this information but have not been diving there.
Directions to site: I-95 to the Atlantic Blvd. Exit; go east across the intracostal bridge to Ocean Drive (a.k.a. A1A), then head south to SE 12th st. (look for the signs of the Fairfield Condominimum and the Best Western Beach Comber hotel); go east to the end of the street.
Parking: There are four (4) parking meters at the site (quarters only), $1.00 per hr. It's best to, especially on the weekends, be there between 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. as the meteres will be occupied if not there by then. If the meters are occupied, there are two benches on the other side of the meters; you can set up and get into your wetsuit (highly recommended as there are numerous areas of fire coral), and then go and park your car on the grass lot to the south of the shopping strip at the intersection of SE 12th St. and A1A, which is free. DO NOT PARK AT THE SHOPPING STRIP OR ON THE GUEST PARKING SPOTS OF THE CONDOMINIUMS; YOUR CAR WILL BE TOWED.
The diving: As in LBTS, this is a two tier reef, only that the first tier is much closer to shore, and a bit more varied in its topography. Do as best of a current assesment as you can and plan the dive accordingly. There is usually a gentle (.5 knot) north current there, but it can revert to a south current. The surface swim is about 75' to the buoy. My suggestion is to swim on your back to about 10 - 20' past the buoy; you should see the first part of the reef underneath you. The reef starts out patchy, but as you head east it opens up into a nice, healthy reef, with lots and lots of marine life. The reef is very nice if you start out going south, but it's even nicer if you start out going north. Keep the current in mind though. Bring your camera as this is a macro paradise with lots of juvenile damsels, blennys, neon gobys, wrasses, etc., as well as lots of fan and christmas tree worms and other criters. On occassion, a turtle might just come up and say hi, and I've seen two blue ring octopusses there (very highly poisonous). Max depth, between 20 - 25' depending on whether you make it east of the second tier. The dive is excellent for newly certified divers, as well as those who love a good shore dive. An excellent spot for night diving.
