Places to go scuba diving...???

**The King of Sheba** · 27-12-2006, 22:15

Hello,

We are off to Orlando for 3 weeks in April/May 07, and I wanted to get in some diving while in Florida.

Can anyone recommend some go places to go diving. I’m PADI certified, but would only go diving once every couple of years (only when on holidays), so it would have to be a organised dive with a guide.

I would especially love to go on a wreck dive, and I'm sure there are some great places to do this.

Any suggestions would be appreciated…

Thanks…Shane

**Frosty** · 02-01-2007, 03:49

Hi Shane,

Well if you really want the best diving in FL, then you have to head south. The keys has to be the place to go.
We have dived all up and down the keys, this is where you will find the best waters, reefs and fish life.

If you want to try something different, i believe you can dive in central orlando, there are fresh water springs you can get wet in, i have never tried it, but did something similar in Mexico. Its not going to be the best dive ever, but it would be easy to get to and would be somthing different.

We have also dove, off fort Lauderdale, the reefs are not up to much, but you can get to dive quite a few wrecks, these are purpose made wrecks, which have been sunk to make excellent dive sites. They are quite demanding dives, not for the beginner, in over 100' of water, but you can get escorted with an instructor if you want to pay extra.
The operation in Ft Lauderdale we used was called Prodive, they are a very well organised operation [website link edited]

But like i said first, you need to hit the Keys, for the best diving in FL.

Hope this helps

**becbecs** · 02-01-2007, 04:32

Hi Shane

Key Largo is a great place to Scuba Dive, we did some diving while out in Florida 2005. Like you we are Padi Qualified Holiday Scuba Divers. We did 2 dives at the John Pennecamp Reef, one called Christ of the Deep. Fantastic Diving and fully qualified instrutors to show you the amazing sealife.

Just type John Pennecamp reef into the search engine and it wil come up.

**Ruth** · 02-01-2007, 05:18

We did a lot of diving at Amy Slates in Key Largo before we had the children. It was fantastic and I can totally recommend Amy's as a place to stay and dive[8D]

**Osceola** · 03-01-2007, 01:17

Shane, back in the spring, the US Navy sank a retired aircraft carrier, the USS Oriskany, in shallow water about twenty miles south of Pensacola, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. It was slated to be a reef. Check out dive shops like Dive Pros in Pensacola to see about their trips out there to dive the wreck. Should be spectacular as it was a very large carrier.

**Frosty** · 03-01-2007, 07:09

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Osceola
Shane, back in the spring, the US Navy sank a retired aircraft carrier, the USS Oriskany, in shallow water about twenty miles south of Pensacola, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. It was slated to be a reef. Check out dive shops like Dive Pros in Pensacola to see about their trips out there to dive the wreck. Should be spectacular as it was a very large carrier.
[/quote]

This does look to be a brilliant dive, but take note, it is an advanced dive, the boat sits in over 200' of water and should not be considered by the novice diver.
The top of the structure is at approx 65' whilst the flight deck is at 135'

I look forward to making this dive sometime soon, but would not recomend it for the "holiday diver" unless you are experianced in deep diving.

**langley** · 04-01-2007, 02:10

I would have to agree with all the other comments about diving in the Florida Keys, there are a few places to choose from.

My sister-in-law and her boyfriend went in October and said the Instructors were great they went off Key Largo or Islamorada.

You will have to let us know what you chose.