Tiger Sharks are back early this year!

[Florida Scuba Divers]

Rather than re-enact it in this thread, here's a link to There's a bill in Congress to ban shark feeding dives. It's a complex issue where real world experience had often not lined up with what many people would've expected, and there are a range of species, locations & methods that don't invite painting with an overly broad brush. The issue is debated there.

I'm glad to see Scuba Works offering package deals that can help simplify trip planning and budget estimation, although it looks to me like all entail the customer staying at that same hotel (said to be a 'luxury' hotel). From the webpage:

"PACKAGE DETAILS

Our shark dive packages are based on the number of days you intend to stay for your shark diving experience. Each day costs $395.00 and each package is inclusive of 3 tank dive trips on the Emerald Charters with a gourmet lunch each day, 3 Nitrox tanks, and a room at the Wyndham Grand Hotel at Harbourside Place. Our packages are exclusive of airfare, transfers, gear rentals, and gratuities."

Anybody in the Jupiter area got experience with the Wyndham Grand Hotel, & care to comment on what staying there is like?

Another note; one of the advantages of a land-based trip over a live-aboard (I like both!) is that with some land-based locations, you don't pay much more for a hotel room with 2 - 4 people, for example, than for 1 person. So if you're traveling with family or friends, that can cut costs way down. So, is the Scuba Works $395/day package built to allow for people traveling together willing to share a room? What might they save?

Richard.

P.S.: I hope that bill is buried dead; I'd like to come dive with Emerald Dive Charters next spring and see 1st hand what I've been reading about, get to see some species new to me.

Hi Richard, We would love to have you come dive with us next spring. The $395 per person per the day is based on double occupancy at the Wyndham Hotel. If you want to do three or four in a room then the cost would go down by $100 per person per night. I have stayed at this hotel a few times and it is absolutely gorgeous! Plus, walking distance to the boat and access to many great restaurants and shops. Hope to see you in the spring! John

 

[Florida Scuba Divers]

Why the nitrox requirement?

Nitrox is a requirement because of the length of the dives and to maximize your time with the sharks. Plus, nitrox is a much safer gas when doing three dives.

 

[Florida Scuba Divers]

Because they have to get out past some mile-from-shore limit (don't rember exact distance), and it gets relatively deep. 90-100' from memory. Doing three dives/day at that depth... bottom time is really enhanced with EAN. Honestly, an air diver in the group would force longer surface times, limit bottom times for the group, which is typically managed by the DM on this type of dive.

Exactly right and well said.

 

[LoudounFisher]

Makes sense, I figured it must be a depth thing.

I heading to Daytona to race next weekend, then heading south for some diving. Just one shark dive would make me content.

 

[drrich2]

Hi Richard, We would love to have you come dive with us next spring. The $395 per person per the day is based on double occupancy at the Wyndham Hotel. If you want to do three or four in a room then the cost would go down by $100 per person per night.

If someone comes solo, I assume there's an uncharge since the given rate is for double occupancy. How much extra for a single customer?

Richard.

 

[scubadada]

@drrich2

No reason to be hung up on the package. You could always do the dives ($100 weekdays, $125 weekends) the tanks (I think you would want the steel 100s @ 21.50 each) and hotel separately. There are quite a few hotels in Jupiter and the surrounding area. As an example, I stayed at the Jupiter Waterfront Inn once, it was quite nice, free breakfast, significantly less than the Wyndham Grand Juipiter. I assume you would fly into West Palm and have a car.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Caveeagle]

FWIW, I had a great experience in Feb of '16 down off W.Palm. I found it very interesting that we arrived on site for dive #1 as the only dive charter in sight. By the time we were ready for our 2nd dive, there were at least three other boats hovering around 3-400 yards away. I asked our captain if this was typical? He responded that he know two of the boats and they were "anti" shark diving, but would bring divers in relatively close to show off some sharks, and still claim moral high ground for not baiting in the sharks.

https://s-diviac-com.s3.amazonaws.com/media/cache/2c/e1/2ce103a77298ea641beade83669b7301.jpg

 

[scubadada]

I have done the Jupiter Wreck Trek and ended up at the Esso Bonaire during the Emerald's surface interval, once, even with the empty bait box still down. There were a few residual sharks and Goliath Grouper, not much different that any other dive there

 

[HalcyonDaze]

FWIW, I had a great experience in Feb of '16 down off W.Palm. I found it very interesting that we arrived on site for dive #1 as the only dive charter in sight. By the time we were ready for our 2nd dive, there were at least three other boats hovering around 3-400 yards away. I asked our captain if this was typical? He responded that he know two of the boats and they were "anti" shark diving, but would bring divers in relatively close to show off some sharks, and still claim moral high ground for not baiting in the sharks.

https://s-diviac-com.s3.amazonaws.com/media/cache/2c/e1/2ce103a77298ea641beade83669b7301.jpg

A number of the boats that don't bait still hit the Wreck Trek, although it seems like most of the time it's either before the shark boats get there or late in the afternoon after they've left. I occasionally volunteer on a private boat doing filming and research work (which was possibly one of the ones you saw in the lineup); we've had a few times where we've dropped in after Emerald has gone home and are sitting there with bait and chum, then looked around to see the customers from another dive boat lined up behind us waiting to see what happens next. They're typically disappointed; I think usually what happens on the last dive is the sharks follow the divers and the bait up and away from the wreck, then disperse.

 

[Caveeagle]

A number of the boats that don't bait still hit the Wreck Trek, although it seems like most of the time it's either before the shark boats get there or late in the afternoon after they've left. I occasionally volunteer on a private boat doing filming and research work (which was possibly one of the ones you saw in the lineup); we've had a few times where we've dropped in after Emerald has gone home and are sitting there with bait and chum, then looked around to see the customers from another dive boat lined up behind us waiting to see what happens next. They're typically disappointed; I think usually what happens on the last dive is the sharks follow the divers and the bait up and away from the wreck, then disperse.

The trip I referred to originated from West Palm. I am not familiar the Wreck Trek. Our dive was not near any significant reef or wreck, and the bait box was pulled up at the end of our dive.