Going to FL - thinking of doing some Snorkeling Scuba diving

[ez bake]

Plus 1 on the sunscreen. Reapplication is the key word. Have seen lots of okies return from florida as lobsters. I will watch some of your folders for you while you are gone. Hope yall have a good trip.

Heh heh - I appreciate that man - got some H1 SALT-series Spydies just for this trip. There's a knife shop in Orlando that I plan on visiting to see if they have that Corrosion-proof Benchmade Griptilian (or possibly a Caspian fixed-blade).

It's looking like snorkeling is going to be our thing this trip. Don't know if I want to get some sort of head-coverings (like swimming caps) in addition to sunscreen (my wife and one of my sons are Red-Heads, so we're well versed in liberal application of sunscreen).

 

[Preacherman]

Last time I was there I snorkeled in Key Largo. I went further down the Keys but Largo was by far the cleanest at least that was 10yrs ago.

 

[AllOut]

Ft. Walton has white sand, but the water clarity isn't the greatest. Not sure how the diving would really be there?
Never been to PC.
But if you wanna dive (SCUBA) I would strongly recommend getting certified here before you go. There are a lot of 3 day courses for a reasonable price in Oklahoma. A good friend of mine owns a dive shop on Tenkiller, and has a school there. If you go to a tourist place to get it they will treat you like a tourist and charge a lot more.
As far as laws go, like stated above there is no law that says you have to be certified to dive. But good luck buying/renting equipment or getting tanks filled without it. That being said, all you have to do is know someone that is certified...
But the class is fun and you will learn basic info that you really need to know anyway.

 

[Werewolf]

Anyone have any pointers? We're looking at either the Keys or Ft. Walton Beach since we'll be at both places on our upcoming vacation.

I've got myself, my wife, a 15 year old girl, and 11/12 year old boys. I'm a complete scuba noob. We've done some fresh-water snorkeling (we've got the gear for snorkeling - good masks, decent snorkels/fins), but I assume it's way different in the Ocean.

Anyone got any advice or tips? Do we have to be certified or anything in order to do a dive by ourselves?

Go to the Keys. There are snorkeling outings available where boats will take you to the most beautiful seascapes you'd ever hope to see (or there were - who knows what the oil spill did).

The advantage to going on a snorkeling boat tour is that you'll be shepherded by professional swimmer/snorkelers and way more safe than if you and your family went off on your own. Without knowing the experience level of you and your family I'd advise against going it alone. Swimming in saltwater where currents are stronger and oft times not terribly predictable is not something I would toss my family into without competent supervision.

 

[RaysZ71]

That's one of the places we considered going. Any tips on where the best places to Snorkel are in that area?

Very much appreciate all the advice so far.

We went and rented a Pontoon for 249 a day from here http://www.watersportspc.com/pictures-of-panama-city-beach-florida-pontoon-boat-rentals. You are not allowed to go into teh Golf but that worked in our favor because the beaches were closed due to high tides and two red flags up. Sheriff Helicopter kicked everyone out. We went and took the pantoon and went to this nice spot, dropped anchor and had a blast there, even saw wild dolphins on the way back.

 

[RaysZ71]

Panama City has changed a LOT. I lived there as a kid and went to Jr. High school there. I went back in 1995 when my (now ex) wife was pregnant with my youngest son. I had to look hard to see stuff that I remembered at that age.

My family and I are wanting to move there next year, any pointers?

 

[RaysZ71]

Also, Which is nicer to stay in a hotel on the beach - Panama City or Ft. Walton?

I rented a 3 bedroom apartment at the Shores of Panama, little pricey but it was fun waking up in the morning and drink my coffee on the balcony at the 23rd floor and watching storms over the ocean. Definitely get some quality sunscreen. I had 70 spf and still got a very good tan and my wife got burned a little.

 

[Brandi]

Definitely Key West....great diving and amazing snorkeling. My favorite place on earth...just remember you have to have a dive flag even when snorkeling. The only thing that kept me from a big fine was my accent lol. I never wanted to leave...if I ever win the lottery or find a sugar daddy I'll go back lol.

 

[Bored to Tears]

Key Largo is a great place to go snorkeling. I went there 2 years ago and had a great time. The water was clear and we saw lots of fish around the reefs including sharks,barracuda and tarpon.