Anyone scuba dive in Fort Lauderdale area?

[glypnirsgirl]

Hi - I am still not having any luck booking any resorts in the Keys with the weeks that I have on deposit.

So I am wondering, is there any scuba diving in the Fort Lauderdale or other beach area that I might be able to get into in September?

elaine

 

[baakfamily]

So I am wondering, is there any scuba diving in the Fort Lauderdale or other beach area that I might be able to get into in September?

Diving is huge in Florida.

I am going to Palm Beach Shores in July and have some dives and the PADI Drift course lined up. The following week I'll be on Anna Maria Island south of Tampa for some diving (provided the blobs of oil haven't come that far south by then!). The Palm Beach Shores area is apparently known for drift diving as the Gulf Stream passes close to shore there. The water is supposed to be very clear.

There is plenty of info on the web about Florida diving. Just Google. Lots of dive shop web sites list local wrecks. Florida is full of artificial reefs, natural reefs, and wrecks from Palm Beach southward down to the Keys. That would include Fort Lauderdale. The Tampa Bay area also has lots of artificial reefs.

You might want to buy a guidebook. I bought Ned DeLoach's Diving Guide to Underwater Florida.

If you want to try something very fun and unique, go to Epcot Center in Orlando. Certified divers can dive their aquarium (Google "Epcot Divequest"). It is quite expensive (what isn't at Disney?), but where else can you dive with 6000 animals of 60 different species all together? Sharks, sea turtles, and lots of other species. I went with my 12 year old son last year and we both loved it.

 

[BocaBum99]

There's lots of diving up and down the coast from Fort Lauderdale. The diving is okay. Get ready for carrying all of your gear, including your tanks onto the dive boats. Mostly drift dives. So, you need to carry a dive flag so the boat catch get you.

 

[UWSurfer]

There's a host of shops & boats which operate from Pompano Beach, just north of Ft. Laurdale whom I've had good experience with. As stated there are pleanty of wrecks sunk over the last 20 years as diving attractions and it can be quite an experience.

I've also dived the Living Seas at Epcot twice in my diving life...both times a blast. Expensive...but one of those once in a lifetime type of experiences.

 

[suzanne]

There is also beach diving off Lauderdale By The Sea, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. There is a reef system from 15 to 50 yards off shore. They start at about 15 feet and you can go out to 30 to 40 feet. Florida is very hard nosed about the dive flag so be sure you have it with you on all beach dives. They will give you a ticket.

If your into wreck dives there are several wrecks off Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. My favorite is the Wreck of the Dan about 110 feet to the deck. Awesome in good weather, current can get nasty at times. Tenneco Towers is another great dive.

If your staying in Fort Lauderdale you can arrange to do an afternoon dive in Key Largo and then drive down and back. Its about 4 hours depending on traffic from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo. Or contact Amoray Dive Resort she has her own boats and a small motel on the Bayside in North end of Key Largo. You might spring for the hotel and dives for 1 or 2 days.

Pretty much all of the local shops down here rent all the gear you need if you don't want to bring your own. Have fun where ever you go.

Suzanne

 

[baakfamily]

There is also beach diving off Lauderdale By The Sea, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. There is a reef system from 15 to 50 yards off shore. They start at about 15 feet and you can go out to 30 to 40 feet. Florida is very hard nosed about the dive flag so be sure you have it with you on all beach dives. They will give you a ticket.
...
Suzanne

How is the visibility in close to shore?

 

[suzanne]

Vis is is dependent upon conditions on day you want to dive. If is a good clear windless day or what we locals call a blue water day vis can be anywhere from 15 to 30 or 40 feet in close to shore. Windy or overcast then it shrinks to 10 to 15 feet. Best days for beach diving is when the winds are out of the west. This lays the seas down flat and you have the best diving conditions for boat or beach.

Check out Dixie Divers in Pompano Beach. On their website is a link to some of the local boat dive sites. Another great site is www.scubaboard.com this is an awesome site for divers. You can look thru it without joining, joining is free and you must join to post. Click on Forums, then arrow way down to United States click on it, then arrow down to sub folders and click Florida Conch Divers. This is a local group that knows anything and everything about South Florida Diving. You can even ask if someone is beach diving that you could go with on the days you want to dive. There is aways someone thats diving and they welcome new divers to join them.

Suzanne

 

[glypnirsgirl]

Thanks all for the information. I posted the question right before my surgery and I have been out of it ever since. Sorry about the late response.

I am glad to hear that shore diving is possible and I will be getting Ned Deloach's book. I have at least one other book that he has written, but I can't find it at the moment.

I like the idea of staying in Ft. Lauderdale and then driving to the keys for one or two days.

The scubaboard website is great. I had not seen that scuba forum before, just the one sponsored by scuba magazine.

elaine