joel@bonnie.UUCP (Joel West) (09/02/85)
I will be visting the Ft. Lauderdale and Melbourne areas in the near future and was wondering if there were any decent car-accessible skin diving spots along the Atlantic. I'd prefer something within an hour of Ft. Lauderdale, or in the Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area. I understand the Keys would be the best, but it looks like > 2 hour drive just to get to the northernmost edge. As an example of what I'm looking for, if you were to visit San Diego, I'd recommend the La Jolla Cove which, if the surge and turbulence are good, provides excellent diving at the edge of an underwater ecological preserve. Joel West (CACI, Inc. -- La Jolla, Calif.) ihnp4!bonnie!joel -- Joel West (619) 457-9681 CACI, Inc. - Federal 3344 N. Torrey Pines Ct La Jolla 92037 jww@bonnie.UUCP (ihnp4!bonnie!jww) westjw@nosc.ARPA And ye can tell the sheep from the men from their frequent use of (tm)....
bob@pedsgd.UUCP (Robert A. Weiler) (09/04/85)
Organization : Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls NJ Keywords: In article <548@bonnie.UUCP> joel@bonnie.UUCP (Joel West) writes: >I will be visting the Ft. Lauderdale and Melbourne areas in the near >future and was wondering if there were any decent car-accessible >skin diving spots along the Atlantic. > >I'd prefer something within an hour of Ft. Lauderdale, or in the >Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area. I understand the Keys would be the best, >but it looks like > 2 hour drive just to get to the northernmost >edge. > The Keys are indeed the best bet, and it is not much more than a 2 hour drive, if that. Depends on traffic. There is absolutely no beach diving anywhere in the Keys though, so you got to get on a cattle boat. Pennekamp park on and around Key Largo is probably the best dive spot in the US period. There is a place in Pompano Beach where you can beach dive just south of the Pompano pier; I think it is around 8th street where you can enter the water. You have to swim out about 150 yards and there is a low reef in about 15-20 ft of water. Lots of bottom time. Dont bother if it is not dead calm however, visiblity is poor and it can be very difficult to find. There are also numerous wrecks in about 90ft of water that dive operators can take you to. The Mizpah off Palm Beach is the best known. I understand that they have also recently sunk the ship that washed up on shore last year. Hope this helps. Wish it were me. Bob Weiler.
grunwald@uiucdcsb.Uiuc.ARPA (09/12/85)
Off of Delray beach, there is a boat/ship about 200 yds out from the southern most stoplight on the strip in front of the beach. Better yet, if the surf is not too bad, go down to "Bald Patch Reef" in Pompano. It's a nice dive. If you're going south on A1A from Delray to Pompano, you'll pass through a (relatively) less populated area right before a nature preserve. If you stop right before that (should be a parking lot to the east next to some lodge or rotary group or something), walk to the beach across the st. and then walk back north about 1/4 mile to the point with all the rocks, you'll come to a very reasonable snorkeling/diving area, although it's a little rough some times. Continue further north on that beach and you'll come to a patch reef area. If you're in the area, and are looking for good advice, I'd recommend the dive shop called "Force One" in Pompano. I got certified there and they were very honest, nice people. Also, the "Patch Reed Park" isn't too far from there, so it's a good place to get air fills. dirk grunwald "whatta mean, there's no reeds in illinois?" grunwald@uiuc.arpa