Southeast Florida recommendations

[backinthewater]

From everything I read here on Scubaboard, it looks like we should consider forgoing our annual Keys trip to try Southeast Florida. But where? We would like to do a weeks worth of diving, sampling the wrecks and drift dives, along with shore dives. Research here on Scubaboard seems to show a lot of positive comments for Fort Lauderdale for wreck and shore diving, but I also hear a lot of very good things about WPB.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. We are two divers traveling with our families, with one of us diving since 1979, and the other only certified about a year, to complicate matters somewhat.

Thanks much

 

[DiverDave76]

West Palm Beach is great. This is the point where the Gulfstream comes closest to the continental US. 5 to 10 minutes to great diving. Terrific reefs, lot's of wrecks, pretty fish, and lot's of Pelagics. I have been diving with Diving Solutions for a number of years. Wouldn't think of using anyone else.

www.divingsolutions.com

If I were you I would dive 1 day in WPB, work my way down and spend a day diving Boynton and the Ft Lauderdale area. Go on down towards Miami and then wrap up with a couple of days in the keys.

Dave

 

[DiverDave76]

By the way...what part of SC do you live?

Dave

 

[Scubakevdm]

Or... You could go diving with Splashdown, just south of West Palm. We have alot of fun, and I love diving with the folks I meet on the board. Anyway, check us out at WWW.Splashdowndivers.com, and check out the Boynton Dive Report in the Florida Conch Divers forum on this board.

 

[Scubakevdm]

If I were you I would dive 1 day in WPB, work my way down and spend a day diving Boynton and the Ft Lauderdale area. Go on down towards Miami and then wrap up with a couple of days in the keys.

Dave

Hey, now that's a good idea. Good thinking Dave. Maybe they could even post reports on all the dives. Sorta like a tester's choice of Southeast Florida dive sites.

 

[backinthewater]

By the way...what part of SC do you live?

Dave

Thanks for the input guys. It would be great to "skim" the coastline diving - Great Idea. Of course, non-diving family will have to buy in on the moving down the coast idea. Maybe I can sell it to them as a way to see which areas they like best so that we can return later in the year (more diving for me!!).

Any specific dive sites I need, or have, to hit?? Especially wrecks?? Also on the shore dives?

We live in Rock Hill, which is in upstate SC just below the state line and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thanks again for the input

 

[Scubakevdm]

Well, Some of my favorites are The Horshoe, Casino, Lynn's,Tabletops, and Delray Ledges. My favorite wreck here is the Tony, but I'm not a hard-core wreck guy, I care more about thwe fish than the wreck or how deep it is.

 

[Padipro]

Here is a link to a list of some of the wreck sites here in South East Florida just to show you what's available to dive.

Dive Sites

Persoanlly I like either American Dream II or Pro Dive myself. They're boat very good, have nice boats and a great crew.

If you'd like anymore info just PM me and I'd be glad to help out.

 

[DiverDave76]

backinthewater,
I'm a Wofford grad...got quite a few friends from the Rock Hill area. Haven't seen them since college...more years ago than I wish to think! Not much diving in the upstate! You could get down to lake Jocassee. I dive there once or twice a year.
Delray ledges are a terrific dive. Seems that there are no bad places to dive down there. Each site is unique and different. You won't go wrong anywhere down there.

Dave

 

[DiverDave76]

In fact I do that at least once a year with several of my buddies. We go out of Riviera Beach Marina (WPB) on a small liveaboard. We skim the coast up to Ft Pierce or south towards Biscayne bay depending on the weather. We lobster and spearfish 4 to 5 dives a day for a week. Coming up in 2 weeks! Can't wait. Don't think I've found a "bad" site yet!!!

Dave