SE Florida for timid beginner, early March

[Schwob]

I agree with holding off on Jupiter until she feels more confident. My husband's just a few dives into picking up diving again, and found the "dive dive dive" rush to enter the water, and submerging asap, pretty stressful. And the current can make the challenging to newer divers... We did the Okinawa, Copenhagen, and reefs off Pompano in Dec, and those worked better for him

That said, the water at Blue Heron and off Jupiter was warmer this weekend than I expected, I would have been ok in my 5mm (75-76F). So check the temps right before your trip to see which suits you need

Will do, but still lacking the reference by feel... Know 80 and beyond (3mil or tshirt
.. , pending on how much beyond and air temp) and 72... 70 (7 mil for my wife) ..... 65 (7 mil + hood for my wive) ... 55 and below (we'll wait with that for my wife, want to go diving again...)
No idea what 74...76 does over 72 but she does not have a 5 mil and 3 mil seems maybe still skimpy...... but, yes, I am watching the temps. Doubt the water will be able to shoot more than 2 deg. up in 2 weeks so.

 

[myshadeofred]

I am in the process of scheduling a Keys diving trip and a Boynton Beach diving trip, the latter in early March. I was shocked to find the prices in the Keys to be so expensive, admittedly I hadn't been there in years but you can expect to pay upwards of $250 per nite for anything decent in either place. After reading a lot of reviews about places in Boyton and West/North Palm beach there seems to be a definite line between low end hotels that people actually live in, with a heavy presence of law enforcement for around $100-$120 per night and a decent 4-5 star hotel in a nicer area for double that.

Hey if you're going diving the weekend of March 9th I can give you more info about our planned trip, you could join us. We're doing a day in Boynton and another in North Palm beach, doing mostly wrecks.

If you see my other thread, I have an issue with Dive Ops who will cancel last minute if they don't have enough divers. I found one in Boynton and one in North Palm who won't do that.

So I have been there before and will be there next week. I booked through the dive shop and after looking around it was the best deal but not fancy. But if I could I would do air Bnb because there are some RVs for decent prices but my friend snores and I couldn’t do it. I don’t have any reference for Boynton because I’m staying Key Largo. Good luck though.

 

[aquacat8]

former, life long, scared of water non-swimmer

I really think your wife might prefer boat diving to shore diving at this point, as long as you go on an easy boat to an easy site. Shore diving can be an exhausting schlep, and it’s not for weak swimmers. The support, community, service, and comforts of a boat will probably make her feel better. Unless you hire a guide you are really on your own shore diving. It can be a real pain dropping off gear, leaving someone to guard it, finding parking, (tip: you need a non electronic car key to dive with), staggering across the sand in heavy gear, swimming out, finding the good stuff on your own, navigating back underwater, hopefully without getting swept far from your entry by shore current, doing a surf exit, staggering back across the beach, finding a place to wash your now very sandy gear, getting the car, etc. Sure it’s cheap, but you want her to LIKE this. Shore diving is like cooking while camping. Boat diving is like going to a restaurant. Tip the boat well! You know your woman... which would she prefer?

 

[aquacat8]

Also a boat has a head, that’s nautical speak for a bathroom. Proximity to or lack thereof can be a real deal breaker for a woman. Man does not always think of this.

 

[Schwob]

@aquacat8 :
In general terms you are right of course (amd it now skews that way), although I myself much prefer independant DIY diving over the alternative (If cost was ignorable, I might rethink, but I like DIY and navigating etc...). She certainly likes her comforts, but (my guess from what I've seen) at about 1.5 feet waves boat diving and easy shore diving (think Bonaire) become a wash and at 2' or more the boat, especially hanging on the line with the rudel of others become scary to her (yet, will change with practice inching slowly up to the 3' wave mark). Then shore diving at a protected location would win out.

The head, ... the communal head on a dive boat, well, some may prefer it over the alternative. Not us. Not lying about it.

Overall however, our trip changed over the weekend. Another couple (friends) are coming as well and may go for an OW class ...if Padi ever gets around on answering whether the material is going to be abailable in their native language.

But that for now puts us onto or near Key Largo for the very most of our time... and boat diving ... and some trouble finding lodging on relative short notice...

I still hope to get a BHB dive in on the maybe 6th., certainly on the 12th.

 

[aquacat8]

Oh sounds great have fun! I have done most of my dives as shore dives so to me a boat is treat, but shore diving rocks too!

 

[Schwob]

Oh sounds great have fun! I have done most of my dives as shore dives so to me a boat is treat, but shore diving rocks too!

We will. Thanks.

 

[bladder]

Also a boat has a head, that’s nautical speak for a bathroom. Proximity to or lack thereof can be a real deal breaker for a woman. Man does not always think of this.

Only if she's timid. I was on a dive boat once that had no head, there were about 6 of us on the boat, none of us knew each other. This chick suddenly dropped the lower half of her wetsuit, sat on the edge of the boat and dropped a load in the water and politely asked for some toilet paper.

It's only a problem if you make it a problem.

 

[aquacat8]

Ew... if a load is what I think it is! Did anyone backroll into the water after that? Also remember this is a comparison with beach diving where the bathroom might be nonexistent or a long sandy hike away... Another thing at certain times of month ladies may have to do technical maneuvers in the bathroom that are definitely private!

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .

I still hope to get a BHB dive in on the maybe 6th., certainly on the 12th.

My wife and I and another couple are planning to dive BHB on the 6th. We have no plans to do any ocean diving this trip--just BHB. My wife loves that place.