Two weeks in Florida in August

[Nianne]

Hi,

I'm planning 16 days in Florida from the 2nd of August and I'm wondering which dives I should absolutly plan to do.

Insofar, I've booked 3 nights in Orlando (if you have any tips on what is the best park to visit I'm listening too), 3 nights in Crystal River, 2 nights in Naples, 6 nights in Key Largo.

I was wandering if the trip to Key West for diving the Vandenberg is worth it, riding 400 miles just for the wreck.

I'm travelling with my buddy, who's AOW with nitrox and deep. I'll be MSTD at the time.

We're big fans of wrecks and nudibranch. And we'll have a car.


Better idea for an itinerary ? Suggestions about what we shouldn't miss, what we HAVE to do and where to go ?

 

[domdiggity]

Make sure you hit Blue Heron Bridge in west palm. You could do a day trip while in orlando. Also boat dives out of daytona, and ft pierce that do wreck dives. West palm is about 2 hours from orlando, daytona is an hour and ft pierce is about 1 hour & half. I've been on the boat out of ft pierce and had a great time.

 

[Uber Dave]

I can't speak to Key West but I worked for Ocean Divers In Key Largo and they have a good operation if you want some wreck dives.
Ocean Divers - Key Largo Scuba Dive Center

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Nianne

Looks like you may be planning your trip from Switzerland. My wife and I returned last summer from a 2 year stint in Basel. During that time, I did most of my diving visiting our home in Boynton Beach, but also did a couple weeks of liveaboard in the Red Sea and did nearly a week liveaboard wreck trek down the the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West.

Looks like you may be looking for some more advanced rec diving. I don't get down to the Keys as often as I used to. Horizon Divers frequently offers 2 tank dives to the Spiegel Grove and to the Duane and occasionally goes to the Bibb. Rainbow Reef goes to the Bibb sometimes and offers more unique deep and drift dives on Molasses and French Reef. ScubaBoard's @NetDoc and his better half, @mselenaous live and work in Key Largo. I would bet they would be glad to help you with your visit, you could send them a personal conversation.

The Vandenberg is really a great dive, huge ship with a tremendous amount to see. I did 3 dives on it and barely scratched the surface. It's a long, long drive from Key Largo, I'm not sure I would make it during a trip like yours vs. getting in more dives and relaxing in Key Largo.

Best of luck, good diving, Craig

 

[bmorescuba]

I second domdiggity. If you want to see Nudis, your best chance is to check out Blue Heron Bridge. I've seen a couple in Key Largo, but BHB has more reliable sightings. There are some fantastic wrecks off the Palm Beaches as well as in Key Largo. I enjoyed the Vandenberg and felt like it was worth the drive. If you're interested in the scene at Key West, which is nothing if not interesting, then that could be an additional reason to trek down there. If you don't make it down, be sure to check out The Duane, The Bibb, and The Spiegel Grove in Key Largo - they each have differenct characteristics. [nudi from BHB]

 

[The Chairman]

If you're in Orlando with just over two weeks... have some fun. Go dive Alexander Springs. Shallow (about 1:30 away) and it's different. Lots of turtles, the occasional gator and tons of fish. If you want something deeper, do Blue Spring (1:15 away) near Orange City on a week day (weekends are nutzoid). Blue Heron bridge is an awesome dive (3:30 away)... just sync it with the tides. While you're inthat area, by all means, dive the Castor just to see all the Jewfish! If you make it as far south as Key Largo (about 5 hours), join @mselenaous and @Capt Jim Wyatt at Rainbow Reef for a few dives. We are the Scuba Capital of the World for a reason.

 

[Nianne]

I didn't mention it because it's gonna be a night wasted after more than half a day of travel, but we land in Miami, and my guy really really love animation parks, so Orlando is a trip north mostly for him.

So between Miami and Orlando it will just be a drive, no stop on this coast. And, really norther than Orlando is out of question, too many miles !

What about Devil Den ? Is it nice ? And the manatee, better to snorkel or dive with them ?

 

[The Chairman]

What about Devil Den ? Is it nice ? And the manatee, better to snorkel or dive with them ?

Devil's Den is an hour+ North and manatees (Crystal River) are another half hour out. If you do swim with manatee, it's snorkle only unless they come on you by accident. FWIW, Blue Spring has a ton of manatees in February, but you're not allowed to swim with them.

This should go without saying, but you should know that all fresh water in Florida is gator infested. Swim and dive with care... in fact walk along the bank with care as well.

 

[Nianne]

Blue Spring is too far from Miami for two weeks trip and I'll be there in August !

Yeah, I did understand that, but even in the place where tour guides take you diving ??

 

[The Chairman]

Sry. The manatee are another hour plus north of Orlando. So is Devil's Den. Blue Spring is a bit closer.