Florida diving

[patback]

Anyone know of any specific places in Florida that has nice snorkeling/ diving spots? Thinking of trying it out this summer or early fall, but have no idea where to start.

[milk]

sombrero reef in the keys ( i think off marathon island ) ... federally protected reef with spectacular coral! I even saw a reef shark!

[guyot]

I cant say enough about this guy : http://hstrial-cwinters1.homestead.com/

 

I think I paid $50 each for my wife and I to go. Here is the deal. You go to key largo marina, get on this big sailboat. He sails you out to whatever reef has best water and tide conditions that day (we went to molasses reef). He hands you the snorkeling gear, and you muck about the reef for 3 hours. Best part is the MAXIMUM number of passengers is 6. The day we went it was us and one other couple! Absolutely the best deal I have encountered in the Keys!

 

For a place to stay, check out Key Lime Sailing Club....small beach cabanas on a private beach with free-to-use snorkel gear, kayaks, fishing gear, etc. It's like staying at a friends house in that there is no room service and no one to bother you. Also, the price is great and if you are interested in sailing at all your house comes with a 22' sailboat that you can use free of charge to run around the gulf side.

 

Probably the two best places in the keys to do business with that I have found, and I lived down there for a couple years so trust me, I looked around a lot!

[Yves17]

Typhoon lagoon disney lol

[Coprile]

Yes the keys is the obvious answer here and probably the answer you were looking for if you are some rich yuppie who can afford such things... but if you are looking for something cheaper and closer (unless you live in south florida already) or possibly something REAL/DIY or something original and at your own pace and not some tourist trap guy taking you and a buncha people out on a boat to something thousands of tourist do each year. Id look into the north east florida concrete reefs.. jax beach (jacksonville is the most worthless town on earth but the reef off shore is nice.. Id rent a boat or "borrow" one and go out there with your gear and take a look.. or flagler).. Plus hotels are cheap here.. Its not a tourist trap cause there arent any attractions here.. and boat rentals are affordable or you can be a robin hood pirate like me and borrow boats from all the rich people cause this place is over ran by them and I say take whatever you want from them cause they dont deserve anything.. Theres also a lot of good spots around st pete, pensacola, and the west coast.. but if you want to see natural reefs and dont mind the drive and sitting in that parking lot we call miami and inching through that hellhole then you can go to the keys... but.. you arent going to have much luck finding anywhere to stay down there. Its ways overrated. The hotels are expensive. The locals just see you as a dollar sign.. I think you'd get more bang for your buck anywhere else. They keys and miami is literally a trap. You cant just go down there and get out in a day. Miami prevents that with traffic. You're looking at 80-100 dollars a night MINIMUM.. and thats if you can find a room or campsite or book ahead and youre that ONE in a MILLION guy who they didnt lose your reservation.. so if you dont mind wasting a buncha money go for it.. but I live in florida and Ive tried to go to the keys for a day trip and its impossible. Be prepared to spend more time parked on some road around miami than anything else.

[Coprile]

ps if you dont have a day or two to sit in south florida traffic.. Id forget south florida.. unless you got all the time and money in the world.. I still cant see the point in wasting that much time or money.. if you can fly to one of the keys.. do that.. It just hurts my head to think of all the money people waste down there. Theres just so much to consider.. Depending on what kinda person you are I can give you more Fla survival tips..

 

Are you old or young?

Do you work hard and get little time off and not enough money to go out and do things like this all the time or are you rich and have everything handed to you on a plate and money isnt an issue?

Do you know anything about boating?

Do you know how to scuba dive?

Where do you live/are you coming from?

Do you have sofla contacts or a planned place to stay

[coley54]

Coprile, where in Florida do you live?! I hardly see Jacksonville as worthless...If you wanna talk worthless, lets try Palm Coast, lol. And you really don't have to be 'rich' to go to the Keys. I'm not anywhere close to being rich. I live paycheck to paycheck but when we vacation, we can afford the keys. Its really not that bad.