Need Dive advice-Tampa, Keys.

[condor13090]

A friend and I are planning to be near Orlando for a week of Hang Gliding at Quest Air Park but we want to do a few dives south of Tampa also. Would like some direction on some favorite places...or if you live there and you would like some company to do some diving please let me know...Many thanks, George Adams from Syracuse.

 

[luminary]

Hate to be a downer, but diving in our area right now probably isn't worth the drive over. Last years red tide pretty much decimated things, and we didn't have great diving to begin with. I haven't been out this year so I'm not speaking from experience, just from what I've heard fellow divers say.

If you've got the itch, the diving over in Palm Beach is probably a better choice.

Of course, you could always head way south to the keys, but that's not a short trip from Orlando.

Diving under the Blue Heron bridge at Phil Foster park is one of the best shore dives in the state. Here's some good info on doing the dive. On the one dive I've done there, I saw an Octopus, 2 Sea Horses and a pair of flounders in a mating dance to name just a few cool things. That's not a bad drive from Orlando, but you do have to time it properly so that you're diving at the right time (slack tide).

 

[condor13090]

Thanks for the information...I've been dying to get down there for a long time and now it's no good? There has to be some good diving in the keys...right?

 

[luminary]

Diving in Tampa has never been great. I've dove here mainly because I live here. I wouldn't recommend it as a dive destination. There are plenty of good dive locations within range of Orlando, Tampa just isn't one of them IMO. Palm Beach is only a little further (ok, maybe twice as far but still only a couple hours) and the diving there is great. I've got a bit of an affinity for PB diving as I grew up and got certified there.

Depending on where in the keys you go, you're looking at a 5-7 hour trip down. But the diving there is just fine. Definitely worth the trip, but only if you're going to stay for a couple days. It's too far to drive for a single dive trip.

 

[condor13090]

I dove in Bermuda and recently on the RMS RHONE in Tortola of the British Virgin Islands last January...so like you say it might not be worth it.
I thought diving in Bermuda was really nice...maybe I should go there again instead. Thanks!