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South FL diving between Christmas and New Year's?
- Thread starter stuartv
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I have never even seen a DM in the water leading dives in the Florida Keys, and that includes diving with Rainbow Reef. I have heard policies are changing for some, but when I dived there earlier this year, there was no DM in the water.
You will find some kind of time restrictions on pretty much any boat diving the reefs in the Key Largo area. They are so shallow that people could stay down for an eternity, and they have to keep a schedule. A couple of years ago I was on such a boat, and a couple ignored the time limit on the second dive in the afternoon. We were all packed up on the boat for quite some time, scanning the horizon in search of bubbles. Eventually they were spotted, and the DM swam out get them to come to the boat. They were oblivious to the angry stares from everyone else when they got on the boat. By then, all the other boats in the area had left for home. When we got back to the dock, it was dark.
You will find time and place restrictions in the overwhelming majority of boat dives in South Florida and around the world, frankly. A typical two tank dive in the Pompano Beach area, for example, will start with a wreck dive, with divers descending and ascending on a line, and then follow with a reef drift dive, with divers pulling a surface dive flag and the boat following the flags. Some operators will put DMs in the water on those dives that you can choose to stay with or not, and some operators will not. Most will give you a time to surface guideline for that second dive especially. I was once doing a South Florida 2-tank dive, both on a reef, with no time restriction on the first dive. My buddy and I took our sweet time, and when we got out of the water, everyone else had been on the boat quite a while. No problem for the boat or the rest of the customers--they just started the second dive on schedule, meaning my buddy and I did the second dive with very, very little surface interval. I learned my lesson.
Time limitations are necessary for an operator to run a schedule. I recall well a time that I was waiting on the shore for a scheduled afternoon dive in Aruba, and it got later and later and later and later. The boat finally came back from its morning trip, hastily unloaded, and was finally ready for us to load up and get off well after our schedule. I never heard why they were late coming back, but the result was that we had a greatly shortened dive because of it, and none of the customers on that trip were at all happy about it.
You will find some kind of time restrictions on pretty much any boat diving the reefs in the Key Largo area. They are so shallow that people could stay down for an eternity, and they have to keep a schedule. A couple of years ago I was on such a boat, and a couple ignored the time limit on the second dive in the afternoon. We were all packed up on the boat for quite some time, scanning the horizon in search of bubbles. Eventually they were spotted, and the DM swam out get them to come to the boat. They were oblivious to the angry stares from everyone else when they got on the boat. By then, all the other boats in the area had left for home. When we got back to the dock, it was dark.
You will find time and place restrictions in the overwhelming majority of boat dives in South Florida and around the world, frankly. A typical two tank dive in the Pompano Beach area, for example, will start with a wreck dive, with divers descending and ascending on a line, and then follow with a reef drift dive, with divers pulling a surface dive flag and the boat following the flags. Some operators will put DMs in the water on those dives that you can choose to stay with or not, and some operators will not. Most will give you a time to surface guideline for that second dive especially. I was once doing a South Florida 2-tank dive, both on a reef, with no time restriction on the first dive. My buddy and I took our sweet time, and when we got out of the water, everyone else had been on the boat quite a while. No problem for the boat or the rest of the customers--they just started the second dive on schedule, meaning my buddy and I did the second dive with very, very little surface interval. I learned my lesson.
Time limitations are necessary for an operator to run a schedule. I recall well a time that I was waiting on the shore for a scheduled afternoon dive in Aruba, and it got later and later and later and later. The boat finally came back from its morning trip, hastily unloaded, and was finally ready for us to load up and get off well after our schedule. I never heard why they were late coming back, but the result was that we had a greatly shortened dive because of it, and none of the customers on that trip were at all happy about it.
I have one tip about your preparations.
Last winter was an unusual one across the country, no doubt, and the cold drifted down to South Florida. Will this year be the same? I have no idea, but last year the cold impacted my South Florida diving. The water was fine--it takes more than a cold snap to cool off the ocean all that much. Let's just say the surface conditions were brisk. It took me a couple of dives to figure out that I needed to dress more warmly than I had expected between and after dives. If you have one of those scuba parkas, it would be a very good idea to bring it. If not, on some days you may want to bring a parka and knit cap to the boat.
Seriously.
Last winter was an unusual one across the country, no doubt, and the cold drifted down to South Florida. Will this year be the same? I have no idea, but last year the cold impacted my South Florida diving. The water was fine--it takes more than a cold snap to cool off the ocean all that much. Let's just say the surface conditions were brisk. It took me a couple of dives to figure out that I needed to dress more warmly than I had expected between and after dives. If you have one of those scuba parkas, it would be a very good idea to bring it. If not, on some days you may want to bring a parka and knit cap to the boat.
Seriously.
OP
Free Dive Guides | Rainbow Reef Dive Center | Key Largo, Florida Keys
Thanks for the post. And, yes, I understand about having schedules they have to meet. The thing that got me worried is Rainbow's page says 1 hour from the end of the dive briefing to leaving the dive site. On previous dive boats, I have been in the position of gearing up in the middle of a crowd of other people where, because of space, it boiled down to people kind of needing to take turns to finish gearing up and get in. So, from the time the first person gets in to the time the last person CAN get in, could be 15 minutes. And if things work out that I just happen to be the last person in, I don't want to get shorted into a 45 minute dive (or less) because of an arbitrary rule to fit the boat's schedule. And I don't want to feel like they've put me in a position of needing to be rude to the other people on the boat if I want to ensure I get my full dive in. I'm not that way and I would short myself on the dive before I'd be rude to the other divers. But I don't want the boat to put me in that position, either.
---------- Post added December 16th, 2015 at 03:40 PM ----------
Thanks, John. I'm new to diving, but I grew up in north FL and I'm not new to being out on the Gulf.
Being cold on a boat sucks and I will definitely go prepared. Even on a warm, sunny day, the right breeze and being wet can be miserable.
I thought that was an odd way to time it as well and I have to wonder if they really mean splash time.
I have very limited experience in the Keys but both ops I dove with put guides in the water, Key Dives in Islamorada (recommend) and Captain Hook in Marathon (not recommended).
1+ on DRIS's suggestion of a boat parka!
sportxlh
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I've only been out with Rainbow Reef once for a long weekend of diving, I usually dive with Conch Republic or Silent World when in the Keys but my dive buddy wanted to give RR a try. I've found Silent World and Conch to be pretty accommodating for experienced divers. On the Rainbow Reef trip, once the crew realized that my buddy and I were experienced and didn't need hand holding, they let us jump in the water first (we didn't use a guide) on each dive and we were routinely the last divers back to the boat. We were limited to an hour because of the schedule, but we got a solid 60 minute dive on each of the shallow sites. Rainbow also let me dive solo on the deep wrecks with a solo certification and redundant gear on one of the days when my buddy took a different trip. I have to give them credit for their flexibility on this as well.
I love the Keys but as uncfnp pointed out, Jupiter and WPB are pretty awesome as well: you routinely will see big critters like sharks, turtles, goliath grouper, big green eels, etc. etc. Some of the wrecks and reefs have year round goliath grouper and reef shark populations while other sites are known for aggregation of Lemon sharks or goliath grouper during spawning and mating season. Many of the north Palm Beach boats will want you on the surface at about the 55 minute mark which is usually plenty of time for most people since they'll run out of NDL time or gas on an 80 cf tank given the 80-90+ foot depths. I've read in uncfnp's posts in the past that Narcosis is a bit more flexible than some of the other dive boats when it comes to dive times. I usually dive with Jupiter Dive Center and they like the nitrox divers back on the surface at 53-55 minutes on the first dive. I almost always run out of NDL time on my second dive and start heading to the surface at the 45 minute mark. I like to get down to Pompano and Ft Lauderdale as well since they have some pretty neat wrecks and the shallow reef line is spectacular.
Johnoly
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Katch
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Just noticed this thread...
I'll be driving down to Tampa next Wednesday and spending Christmas with family. My Jeep will be loaded with dive gear, tanks, and an inflatable kayak. I'm planning on some diving around Jupiter (or maybe the Keys) on Monday and Tuesday and maybe Sunday. My after Christmas plans are fairly flexible as I don't have to go back to work until January 6 or 7.
I've been to the Keys many times (even took my AOW with Rainbow Reef), but I haven't in the Jupiter/WPB other than Blue Heron Bridge once on my way to the Keys. Let me know your plans and if we are in the same area, we'll have to meet up for a dive/drink or two.
Which shops do you deal with around Manassas? I usually get my tanks done at Virginia Scuba, but I've done some training with Coral Edge (solo and likely beginning TDI tec classes). --- I live in Lake Ridge
Steve
I'll be driving down to Tampa next Wednesday and spending Christmas with family. My Jeep will be loaded with dive gear, tanks, and an inflatable kayak. I'm planning on some diving around Jupiter (or maybe the Keys) on Monday and Tuesday and maybe Sunday. My after Christmas plans are fairly flexible as I don't have to go back to work until January 6 or 7.
I've been to the Keys many times (even took my AOW with Rainbow Reef), but I haven't in the Jupiter/WPB other than Blue Heron Bridge once on my way to the Keys. Let me know your plans and if we are in the same area, we'll have to meet up for a dive/drink or two.
Which shops do you deal with around Manassas? I usually get my tanks done at Virginia Scuba, but I've done some training with Coral Edge (solo and likely beginning TDI tec classes). --- I live in Lake Ridge
Steve
Ghetto Diver
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I have gone with RR a few times with my kid, mostly in the summer. DM's were in the water on all dives. Sometimes you we could opt out of being guided, sometimes not given the option. Briefings were done on site, but we were ready to splash once moored, so not much time wasted. I am not one to be hand held nor need it for this type of diving, but if you want to make the cool swim throughs like in French Reef, you best tag along [we hit 4 last time]. If given a heading etc I am confident I will find the first one, but after that, meh. As others have posted, WPB/Jupiter is must as well [my AO]
OP
Cool, Steve! I mostly get my tanks done at VA Scuba, too. And I have done all my training, so far, with Coral Edge. The two shops are SO different, but I like them both.
The way things are starting to look, I *think* my g/f and I are going to rent a place in WPB for the week and dive wherever suits us with that as a base.
Sheeper (on SB) is part of (runs?) Vero Beach Scuba Club and they are meeting to dive BHB on Monday, the 28th. If the rest of the plan comes together as it looks now, we will probably try to be there for that.
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