Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > Special Interest Group (SIG) Forums > SCUBA/Snorkeling

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06/22/2006, 09:04 AM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
what is the best place to scuba dive in florida

What is the best place to scuba dive in florida.
Thanks for any help puffer21
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #2  
Old 06/22/2006, 05:25 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
anyone
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #3  
Old 06/22/2006, 09:43 PM
thor32766 thor32766 is offline
Keeper of Tangs
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chuluota, FL
Posts: 4,781
well the keys are a great area, off ft. lauderdale. How do you plan on getting to the reefs?
__________________
Everyone you meet, knows something you don't.
  #4  
Old 06/23/2006, 08:59 AM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
drive can you. Me and my cuz want to learn how to scuba dive and we thought we would in florida. Is the keys good what about west palm beach. we want to dive at two different places. one with a lot of turtles and the other a coral reef. any ideas
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #5  
Old 06/23/2006, 06:33 PM
DaveG99 DaveG99 is offline
Life's better on 1 wheel
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Downtown Dallas Texas
Posts: 1,104
there are some shallow reefs off the coast in south florida. Actually from about vero allthe way down to the keys. Deerfield beach has a little reef that you can get to from the shore that is prety nice. But the best is in the keys. If your in florida you might as well go all the way to the keys. Its well worth the extra driving.
__________________
Dave G

click on the red house for my MYSPACE page with pics of my tank
  #6  
Old 06/23/2006, 06:54 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
what about west palm beach what is there is it good.
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #7  
Old 06/23/2006, 07:04 PM
Freed Freed is offline
Ich Rumor/Myth Buster
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ft. Wayne, IN.
Posts: 5,350
The best is pretty much anywhere from Key Largo to Key West. You can even stop along the highway in spots and see amazing fishes, starfish, etc. The reefs are way out about 5-10 miles so you would have to join one of the charters that go out every hour or so. Sharky's is the one that I went on in Key Largo. The reefs are amazing. You can actully find some reefs along Miami as well if you go off shore about 200-300 yards but nothing like the reefs in the keys.
__________________
Freed
  #8  
Old 06/23/2006, 08:01 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
ok thanks
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #9  
Old 06/25/2006, 07:50 PM
georgiaredhead2 georgiaredhead2 is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Valdosta, GA
Posts: 33
Ok here ya go . Islemorada in the keys not too far down. Stop in at "Bud N Mary's" dive shop and they can take you to a feww good reef walls, minnow caves or a good 130ft. wreck. It's all good and nice. Pretty cheap dives but awesome. I've been many times.
__________________
Escalators are great, they can never break, only become stairs.
  #10  
Old 06/25/2006, 08:00 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
ok thanks
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #11  
Old 06/27/2006, 12:47 PM
TriniReefer TriniReefer is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Rockledge, Florida
Posts: 224
I live near West Palm and i dont think it has anything there.And i dont think you could see turtles anywhere in florida.But correct me if im wrong.If you find a place to dive for them let me know!
  #12  
Old 06/27/2006, 02:34 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
oh well what i read said turtles are in west palm beach
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #13  
Old 07/12/2006, 06:36 PM
hockeyjimm hockeyjimm is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Orlando
Posts: 37
Quote:
Originally posted by TriniReefer
I live near West Palm and i dont think it has anything there.And i dont think you could see turtles anywhere in florida.But correct me if im wrong.If you find a place to dive for them let me know!
I've seen turtles off every coast (Party Grounds) Daytona, (Princess wreck) Deerfield Beach, (2nd reefline) Miami Beach, (Looe Key) Big Pine Key, (Eagle wreck) Islamorada actually it was on the ride back from the wreck).

Ya just gotta keep you eyes open.

HJ
  #14  
Old 07/12/2006, 09:09 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
oh
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #15  
Old 07/13/2006, 11:59 AM
uscgbeachbum uscgbeachbum is offline
I'm accident prone
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 687
Don't go diving EXPECTING to see turtles. They aren't very common to see. Also, don't expect to see a bunch of them. You're lucky if you see just one.
__________________
If someone wrote a book about your life would anyone want to read it?
  #16  
Old 07/13/2006, 12:10 PM
hockeyjimm hockeyjimm is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Orlando
Posts: 37
No you're right. They just happen. The only time I expected to see then was off of Maui at a site called Turtle Town. Saw over 20 in about a 35 min span. Snorkled out there the next day and before we even got close saw 5 or 6.
Found a 1' baby hiding under a barrel sponge in 3' of water off of Big Pine once. He had a big hook on his hind quarters in the soft flesh. We took him on board are performed surgury. He seemed grateful when he was released.
The best was to spot them in the Keys is to be towed behind a boat with a sled. You can submerge 5' or 25' (if you're tough) and just glide along. I've run across quite a few that way.
I'm headed back down there next weekend to do some sledding.

HJ
__________________
WWW.HockeyJimm.com
  #17  
Old 07/13/2006, 03:06 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
Is hawaii where maui is. How close is maui to the paradise island in the bahamas.
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #18  
Old 07/14/2006, 07:23 AM
uscgbeachbum uscgbeachbum is offline
I'm accident prone
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 687
Have geography class yet? Maui, Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean while Paradise Island is just off of Nassau, Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean. I'm guessing...5000 miles?
__________________
If someone wrote a book about your life would anyone want to read it?
  #19  
Old 07/14/2006, 08:51 AM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
oh and yes i have had geography i just never really passed.
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #20  
Old 07/15/2006, 09:07 PM
billsreef billsreef is offline
Moderator
10 & Over Club
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 12,688
Now you have a reason to learn geography, it's good to know where all the good dive spots are
__________________
Bill

"LOL, well I have no brain apparently. " - dc (Debi)
  #21  
Old 07/16/2006, 01:44 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
ya i guess.
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #22  
Old 08/13/2006, 04:30 PM
fnicklaus fnicklaus is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 147
Take a trip down to Cay Sal Bank in the Bahammas if you would like to see turtles and sharks. I saw at least a five foot long Loggerhead sea turtle there. Also 20-30 grey reef sharks. There are not many small animals to speak of but you may see turtles. At the Cayman Islands, I saw a turtle on every dive.
  #23  
Old 08/13/2006, 04:36 PM
fnicklaus fnicklaus is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 147
By the way, Maui is one of the islands in Hawaii. There are many islands within the Hawaii islands. Save your money up. It is a good location as well to see turtles in.I have not done any diving in Florida, so I don't know what the dives are like. I've seen many turtles while diving though.
  #24  
Old 08/14/2006, 12:40 PM
puffer21 puffer21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,898
well i didnt really want to see sharks
__________________
Im having so much fun.
  #25  
Old 08/20/2006, 03:34 PM
BirdManFSU BirdManFSU is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 17
A little bit more info on exactly what kind of dives your looking for and your certification level would help. Hands down the Keys have the most variety in regard to wreck and reef in Florida all within a relatively close proximity. It also has a ton of tourist ammenities and night life. The east coast has some good reef dives and the west coast has mainly wreck dives. Central FL is full of freshwater springs, sinks, and river dives. Take your pick, FL's got it.
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009