Jump to content

  • These forums are for "after booking" trip communications, socializing, and/or trip questions ONLY.
  • You will NOT be able to book a trip, buy add-ons, or manage your trip by logging in here. Please login HERE to do any of those things.

Photo

2005: Memorial Day Florida Dive Trip!!!


  • This topic is locked This topic is locked
651 replies to this topic

#16 WreckWench

WreckWench

    Founder? I didn't know we lost her!

  • Owner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53,490 posts
  • Location:FL SC & Dallas, TX
  • Gender:Female
  • Cert Level:DM & Technical certs
  • Logged Dives:5000+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 02:31 PM

Last Aug we did a multi-location Florida dive trip and I loved it. We stayed at one hotel and traveled to dive sites....we dove Key Largo and Lauderdale by the Sea and then Deerfield Beach area and had a blast.

Do you all want to do something similar again? Or head deeper into the Keys? I need your input now so as to lock in dates for this destination? Someone even suggested going further up north from Deerfield as well!

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#17 bluedolphin

bluedolphin

    Everyone knows me

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 573 posts
  • Location:Raleigh, NC area
  • Gender:Female
  • Board Status:Private
  • Cert Level:Master Diver
  • Logged Dives:296

Posted 23 January 2005 - 02:57 PM

I'm partial to the WPB area, (I love those reefs) would need to know dates and such so I could decide if I fly or drive, also types of dive sites would play a major role in my decision. Would also want to know if diving days would be flexible or all or none?

For example if you all decide to do those deep wrecks or shore dives, neither of which is my thing, I would opt do visit family that day and would not want to pay for dives I knew in advance I would not be doing.

Linda
Happy Diving
Linda
Posted Image

#18 ScubaDadMiami

ScubaDadMiami

    I spend too much time on line

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,022 posts
  • Location:Miami Beach, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:Course Director; CCR Instructor
  • Logged Dives:2000+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 03:14 PM

I'm partial to the WPB area, (I love those reefs) would need to know dates and such so I could decide if I fly or drive, also types of dive sites would play a major role in my decision. Would also want to know if diving days would be flexible or all or none?

For example if you all decide to do those deep wrecks or shore dives, neither of which is my thing, I would opt do visit family that day and would not want to pay for dives I knew in advance I would not be doing.

Linda

I would imagine it will be like last time, where you decided which dives were for you and which were not. You pay for and go on only those you want.

Of course, I should say outings. If the outing is a two tank trip, you are either in or out.

I would not advise going out with those people you and I went out with on our Palm Beach dive!
"The most important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein

"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount

#19 Dejah

Dejah

    I spend too much time on line

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,218 posts
  • Location:Texas
  • Gender:Female
  • Cert Level:OW
  • Logged Dives:14

Posted 23 January 2005 - 03:33 PM

Well to answer WW's question, I am definately up for anything... I will however might be limited to the diving I get to do since I'll be driving down later to meet up with everyone and I'm not into Wreck Diving so I'd be more for the reefs.. BTW, how far is it to to drive to some of these destinations from Orlando?

How about everyone else? Any decisions on what you'd like per her question so she can get things locked down?


Dejah

#20 FlIrishman

FlIrishman

    Meeting folks

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 117 posts
  • Location:Melbourne, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:AOW, NTIROX - 500 DIVES, East Florida Coast wreck, reef and beach diving
  • Logged Dives:500

Posted 23 January 2005 - 03:41 PM

I've run "Deep Wreck Dives of Key Largo" several times. My suggestion would be a multi-place dive if your going for a week

Someone can arrange the Lauderdale dive - there are a lot of good places there to dive - See Also Yahoo - Groups - E-Divers. That group is in that area and can help with some suggestions - See Matt.

West Palm is nice, but the best dive boat i[ Rampage ]
http://www.irishmans...com/Rampage.htm
is now gone to Hurricane Heaven and the only boat that I'd recommend is Narcosis.
http://www.narcosisdivecharters.com/
I WOULD NOT dive on any other West Palm boat. Also the inexpensive Day's Inn is now being turned into Condo Trash. There are other places to stay on Singer Island.

But I'd still recommend 2 days in Key Largo and 1 day touring Key West [ Ya Gotta do the Key West Crawl ]. Maybe a dive in Marathon on the Thunderbolt. Call Conch Republic in Tavanier [ just south of Key Largo - overall less expensive and not Dive Nazi'ish ].
http://www.conchrepublicdivers.com/
They can set the group up in a nice place such as the Ocean Point - nice and close. Get down Friday night, maybe a night dive.

Two dives on the Duane or one on the Speigel Grove and one on the Duane
http://www.irishmans...e.com/duane.htm
http://www.irishmans...iegel_grove.htm

The 2 dives on the Eagle 287 foot freighter - the former Aron K. She was sunk in Dec 1985 in 110 ft of water [ THIS IS THE BEST DIVE ]
http://www.irishmans...e.com/eagle.htm

Two dives on the Bibb. She rests on her right side in 145 feet of water
http://www.irishmans...re.com/bibb.htm

Then if your interested, some of the snowbirds can do the shallow Key Largo Reef dives [ Mollasis etc ].

Sounds like a Potential Really Great Week
Geo / Melbourne, Florida
10 years of Florida Diving.

#21 Genesis

Genesis

    People are starting to get to know me

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 215 posts
  • Location:Near Destin, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:Caveish
  • Logged Dives:200+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 04:11 PM

I'm in for deep/long/leave-me-alone dives on wrecks around there, and reefs are cool too.

I will want to bring my 50% bottle though and do deco, along with some penetration. If I can't get a shop to leave me alone on my profile (I've had trouble with this down there) I'd just as soon bring my own boat down and do it that way.

#22 WreckWench

WreckWench

    Founder? I didn't know we lost her!

  • Owner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53,490 posts
  • Location:FL SC & Dallas, TX
  • Gender:Female
  • Cert Level:DM & Technical certs
  • Logged Dives:5000+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 04:11 PM

Ideally I'd like to find one place if possible to act as home base and then travel to dive sites from there so as to minimize hotel changes for those of us flying in. We could do several days in one hotel and several in another but ideally to do 1 hotel would be best and then drive each day to our destination. Last year we stayed in Lauderdale by the Sea and then drove to Deerfield and Key Largo etc.

And we will do what we did last year...we'll offer a combination of shore, reef, and wreckdiving so you can pick and choose. If I have enough people we can do one boat of wreckdivers and one boat of reef divers...of course this trip is a logistical challenge to accommodate people who want to only dive the weekend...those who fly in and want to dive all the days and of course different diving skill/preference levels!

But Walter and I up for the challenge...that is if you all help out alittle! :P

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#23 FlIrishman

FlIrishman

    Meeting folks

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 117 posts
  • Location:Melbourne, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:AOW, NTIROX - 500 DIVES, East Florida Coast wreck, reef and beach diving
  • Logged Dives:500

Posted 23 January 2005 - 05:12 PM

Ideally I'd like to find one place if possible to act as home base and then travel to dive sites from there so as to minimize hotel changes for those of us flying in. We could do several days in one hotel and several in another but ideally to do 1 hotel would be best and then drive each day to our destination. Last year we stayed in Lauderdale by the Sea and then drove to Deerfield and Key Largo etc.

And we will do what we did last year...we'll offer a combination of shore, reef, and wreckdiving so you can pick and choose. If I have enough people we can do one boat of wreckdivers and one boat of reef divers...of course this trip is a logistical challenge to accommodate people who want to only dive the weekend...those who fly in and want to dive all the days and of course different diving skill/preference levels!

But Walter and I up for the challenge...that is if you all help out alittle!  :P

I believe Conch will let you penetrate - if your properly certified!

Tough choice, but Key Largo has the reefs and the wrecks and is closer to Key West. My choice would be dive with Conch Repuboic, stay at Ocean Point.

Geo

#24 ScubaDadMiami

ScubaDadMiami

    I spend too much time on line

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,022 posts
  • Location:Miami Beach, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:Course Director; CCR Instructor
  • Logged Dives:2000+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 07:18 PM

I'd have concerns about anyone that would think that Rampage was good. Not a personal attack, but, if this is all I can judge by, I would be skeptical.

I did one dive on Rampage with Blue Dolphin. First, after making us all stay together in a giant line on the dive, the dive master kept taking the surface float and anchoring it into the coral, stopping at different things during a drift dive. So, most of the group just grabbed onto the coral to keep from having to swim against the current. I instead wore myself out, swimming against the current in order to keep from drifting away.

Then, they actually hassled me for making a safety stop during my ascent, claiming that it caused them not to be able to track divers in the water because I would become separated from everyone that just blew up to the surface. Hey, if you are going to get bent, bye bye. I am not going to die with you just to say that we stuck together to make life easier for the operator or if you don't know what you are doing.

Ultimately, my dive with them concluded with them having divers all over the place, and I was very thankful to have my five foot safety sausage with me that day or I might never have been seen and picked up.

I also hate the way several boats in Palm Beach County use ramps as opposed to ladders for exiting the water. Though I have kevlar knee pads, I still don't want to risk getting holes in my dry suit by having to crawl out of the water. I have recommended a few places to Kamala where we won't have these issues.

Regarding diving in the Keys, I have to admit that I was not thrilled when I had to pay $30 for a nitrox top up on my tanks (when I can get the same thing in Miami or Broward for $12) when we were in Key Largo last year. I also felt that there was not another inch available on the boat. Everything in the Keys is so much more expensive.

I think we would be better served by going to the best places that are not so popular. They Keys have some nice places and some cool wrecks, but there are places that are just as nice and that are less expensive in Miami-Dade up to Palm Beach counties. Besides, wouldn't it be more fun to go someplace new instead of going back to where you all went last year?

Edited by ScubaDadMiami, 23 January 2005 - 07:20 PM.

"The most important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein

"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount

#25 FlIrishman

FlIrishman

    Meeting folks

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 117 posts
  • Location:Melbourne, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:AOW, NTIROX - 500 DIVES, East Florida Coast wreck, reef and beach diving
  • Logged Dives:500

Posted 23 January 2005 - 07:36 PM

I'd have concerns about anyone that would think that Rampage was good. Not a personal attack, but, if this is all I can judge by, I would be skeptical.

With an attitude like that, I'd be sure that you were NOT on any dive boat that I"m on! I've dove Rampage for over 10 years, and they were the Safest Dive Boat in WP!

Geo

#26 Marvel

Marvel

    I spend too much time on line

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,057 posts
  • Location:Lauderdale By The Sea, FL
  • Gender:Female
  • Cert Level:AOW, Nitrox
  • Logged Dives:200+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 07:46 PM

Well, I was not crazy about our Keys dive op last summer- I'd strongly prefer to use Islandventure if we go back down there again- Brian's motto is "No stress diving" & he delivers it. He also does not have a problem with dealing with more tech oriented divers, even when on the same boat as recreational divers. He's got two boats so arrangements for different types of dives could be made. OTOH, I absolutely loved Captain Tony & the Diversity out of Deerfield but his boat is a little smaller. One truly fantastic dive op to take a look at is American Dream II out of Ft Lauderdale. Great boat, great crew- absolutely the best boat I have ever been out on. Parrot Island Scuba also runs a darn good couple of boats & Jerry is very good at making deals with the e-diver group. I'm not familiar with any of the dive ops in WPB.

Unfortunately, the hotel that you guys stayed in last time is no longer- torn down to build condos but of course LBTS has lots of little hotels & still has great beach diving, if not quite as good after last years hurricanes.
Marvel

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C. S. Lewis



Posted Image

#27 Genesis

Genesis

    People are starting to get to know me

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 215 posts
  • Location:Near Destin, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:Caveish
  • Logged Dives:200+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 08:22 PM

Conch will only permit decompression diving if the entire boat is people who "meet their qualifications."

BTW, there is no such thing as a "wreck penetration" card - from anyone.


Let's ask the question another way - are you CAVE Cert?? If not, you should NOT be entering wrecks!!


I've dove with Conch before.  We had a good time, but it was clearly a 'recreational' trip and they made that quite clear when we boarded.  They did not, however, give me grief about my diving doubles.


I think you'll find most of the Key's Divers are like that! Conch is much better than any that I've dove with in Key Largo! And I'm probably more safety concious then most other divers!

Do you have a dive partner that's as qualified [ experience and equipment as u ]?? If not, I wouldn't want to be diving with ya! Yahoo - Groups - E-Divers is the group to set up some tec dive for ya!

Geo

Stil recommend Wrecks [ 110 - 145 ft ] and reefs of Key Largo [ 0 - 25 ft ]!

What do you think my avatar is? Me exiting a cave. Yes, I have a cave card, and yes, I cave dive, and yes, I also penetrate wrecks. I'm regularly 1000+' from an exit on cave dives.

Wreck penetration is IMHO more dangerous than cave diving. I've yet to see a cave with sharp steel edges and electrical cables hanging down from the ceiling!

I do both and while there are similarities there are also significant differences.

Again - there is no such thing as a wreck penetration certification.

I challenge you to find one from any "mainstream" agency. There are dive shops that offer their own "custom-rolled" classes in this, but if you look back at the agencies they claim to represent you will NOT find that class described there. For instance, one I've seen on the Atlantic Seaboard claims to offer a NAUI "Technical Wreck Penetration" class, but go to NAUI's web site and there is no such class described! Its a "home rolled" class that they have applied to NAUI to be able to teach under their insurance, and were granted permission - but there is no recognized card you can be issued if you complete it.

There simply isn't an "accredited" way to be "certified" as a wreck-penetration diver.

The "wreck" course that is generally offered by the various agencies (either as a "specialty" or whatever) is a joke and in no way prepares you to penetrate wrecks, although some shops kinda claim it does (especially in their online marketing materials.)

There is also a major issue with most of the shops in the Keys that offer EANx in that they do not partial-pressure blend. They're all using Nitrox sticks or continuous entrainment devices. They are also not hyperfiltering their air.

This is a major problem for me as all my backgas tank sets are O2 clean, I fill my own tanks, and thus if some shops fills my tank full of oil I will be the one that goes "boom" later on when I return home and go to mix up some gas. Tearing down my doubles to re-O2-clean them after every trip down there is not on my list of things I want to be doing. The last time I was down there I ended up having to re-clean two sets of double 72s, and I was NOT amused. I can bring my portable hyperfilter with me, but that doesn't address issues with their O2 handling protocol if they partial-pressure mix (I have some stories there to tell as well.)

Basically, I have issues with the shops I've found around the Key Largo area. If I am going to come down there to do a few reef dives or screw around on the Benwood, that's ok - but I'd prefer to come down there and do a nice 60 minute runtime dive on the Duane or Bibb, including ~20 minutes of deco or so, running video through the bowels of the ship. THAT is my idea of a fun dive.

(BTW, a short clip of a couple of recent cave dives (video) can be found at http://www.scubaforu...s-www?post=311)

On the Mainland there is Fill Express, which is known to do things 'right' and they have nice gas prices on top of it. However, they're impractical if you're staying in
the Keys.

Paternalism noted and intentionally ignored. Let's hope that's not a POV that's part of the site here, or my stay - and association - will be brief.

Edited by Genesis, 23 January 2005 - 08:32 PM.


#28 idive2

idive2

    Meeting folks

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 126 posts
  • Location:sw florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:AOW NITROX
  • Logged Dives:140

Posted 23 January 2005 - 08:23 PM

Ideally I'd like to find one place if possible to act as home base and then travel to dive sites from there so as to minimize hotel changes for those of us flying in. We could do

kamala, from the lauderdale area you could easily get up to boynton for some great drift diving and almost instant access to the pompano, lauderdale,
deerfield charters. station in lauderdale dive the area and-or head north
by car to the areas mentioned...my .02 cents !

#29 WreckWench

WreckWench

    Founder? I didn't know we lost her!

  • Owner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53,490 posts
  • Location:FL SC & Dallas, TX
  • Gender:Female
  • Cert Level:DM & Technical certs
  • Logged Dives:5000+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 11:31 PM

Finding a shop that understands this and is cool with it down there on a mixed boat, however, is basically impossible. I've tried. If you folks can do better, then you've definitely got two of us who will be there to dive with you.


If the boat regardless of mix belongs to the same group...then allowing several hardcore divers to be first in and last out is a non-issue...ESPECIALLY if given a max run time. We do that all the time in NC on our charters and it works out very well for ALL divers!

Since the smaller boats (e.g. 6-packs) run $600+ to rent the entire boat, it gets expensive fast to get someone to leave you alone. For that kind of money (daily!) I'd rather bring my Hatt down - sure, it'll cost me 3-4x that much, but I can bring the boat down there with a few "T" cylinders of O2 and my compressor on board, tie up to the Duane's mooring system, and sit there for several days diving "at will" with zero issues or hassles - and be very cost-competitive with renting 'whole boats' for tech charters, especially when I add into the fact that I can live on the boat too, so there's no hotel bill.


Hmmm....we are talking about a Holiday weekend here...too bad we couldn't just charter YOUR boat for the techies! :teeth:

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#30 Genesis

Genesis

    People are starting to get to know me

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 215 posts
  • Location:Near Destin, Florida
  • Gender:Male
  • Cert Level:Caveish
  • Logged Dives:200+

Posted 23 January 2005 - 11:38 PM

Finding a shop that understands this and is cool with it down there on a mixed boat, however, is basically impossible. I've tried. If you folks can do better, then you've definitely got two of us who will be there to dive with you.


If the boat regardless of mix belongs to the same group...then allowing several hardcore divers to be first in and last out is a non-issue...ESPECIALLY if given a max run time. We do that all the time in NC on our charters and it works out very well for ALL divers!

Since the smaller boats (e.g. 6-packs) run $600+ to rent the entire boat, it gets expensive fast to get someone to leave you alone. For that kind of money (daily!) I'd rather bring my Hatt down - sure, it'll cost me 3-4x that much, but I can bring the boat down there with a few "T" cylinders of O2 and my compressor on board, tie up to the Duane's mooring system, and sit there for several days diving "at will" with zero issues or hassles - and be very cost-competitive with renting 'whole boats' for tech charters, especially when I add into the fact that I can live on the boat too, so there's no hotel bill.


Hmmm....we are talking about a Holiday weekend here...too bad we couldn't just charter YOUR boat for the techies! :teeth:

Like I said, if you can find a shop that will leave me (and anyone else who wants to dive the same way) alone, I'll be all over that. Its one of my big complaints with the Keys, along with the rest of the SE part of the state - they're all into the "protocol nonsense" rather than just letting divers be divers.

Money first, service for the customer maybe, or maybe not.

I'm used to my own boat first, and my cave experience second. I show up over at CE or CA (near Marianna) and they don't ask for anything other than my credit card, and what I want in the tanks. None of this "no deco diving!", or "don't go in that cave!" (knowing full well that I have every intention of doing both, and might even have a scooter sitting in the back of the truck.) Of course when I fill my own tanks the only person to question my plans is myself :o

I don't charter my boat... its a recreational vessel. I want neither the costs (insurance, etc) nor hassles of running any kind of charter.

On the other hand, if some of you folks want to come dive up here in Destin some time, and we're going, its not a problem so long as there's enough room to stuff your tanks and gear on board; fuel contributions are appreciated, and BYOL (lunch) and BYOD (drinks) :taz:

Believe me, I have no intention of NOT penetrating this...

Posted Image




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users