Drift Diving in West Palm Beach

Trip information

Location: Riviera Beach Marina, North and West Palm Beach areas, Florida
Dive boat: Captain Ray Davis on the Narcosis. (The Rampage sank during Hurricane Frances, 9/04).

The trip cost includes:

All transportation
Accomodations (double occupancy): Super 8, Highway A1A
Snacks and beverages on the boat
All air fills
Drift dives on reefs and wrecks.
The trips will include a two tank dive on Saturday AM, a 2 tank Saturday PM night dive, and a two tank dive on Sunday AM (6 dives total).

Specifics

Price: TBA for 2007
Nonrefundable deposit of $150 due at time of signing up for trip
Leave Neptune at 4:30 PM on Friday. Be there by 4 PM.
Return to Augusta late in the afternoon on Monday.

Gear checklist

Dive Gear

BC, regulator, mask and snorkel, booties, fins, gloves, weight belt, weights
Computer (essential)
Wet suit: 3 mm; dive skin
Secondary light (for looking under reefs); also primary light and glow sticks or tank light if night diving
Two air cylinders
Save-a-dive kit
Dive log, c-card (absolutely essential)
Goodie bag (optional)
Safety sausage, audible emergency signaling device (optional)
Camera equipment (optional)

Clothing

T-shirts, shorts
Boat shoes, sandals, or whatever
Swim suit(s)
Windbreaker
Clothing for going into town (dressy or not, depending on your preference)

Other

Motion sickness prevention, remedies (especially you, Frank)
Ear plugs (in case your roommate snores)
Personal snack food for the trip down.
Towels
Large plastic garbage bags for wet gear
Reading material, etc. for the trip down.
Personal toiletries
Sunglasses, sunscreen
Extra batteries for equipment
Cash - don't forget tips for boat crew!

Dive Sites

These are the ones that we most commonly visited on the Rampage. The sites are chosen both by the group and the Captain, depending on weather and sea conditions, as well as expected visibility. We usually have the whole boat, and split up into 2 groups. Newly certified divers are welcome.

Bath and tennis (60 fsw): Nice selection of reef creatures, fish. Look for stingrays, lobsters.

Breakers reef: (60 fsw): One of the nicest reef systems in the Palm Beach area. Lots of critters. Look for turtles. Nice for a night dive.

Corridor (80-90 fsw): A drift dive that usually visits several wrecks. The Mizpah is a 185ft. Greek luxury liner that was sunk in 1968. It is an excellent wreck that (for advanced divers) can be penetrated with an experienced guide. Inside, there are 3 levels to explore. The Neptune group does not penetrate this wreck, but the coral encrustration on the exterior makes it a nice wreck to visit. The PC1170 is a 160 ft. patrol craft is split into two pieces below the Mizpah's bow, also sunk in 1968. The Amaryllis is 450ft. long and lies in 80ft of water. Only its hull and bottom deck remain. Jewfish sighted on occasion.

Double ledges (90 fsw): Twin ledges that lie south of the inlet. Lots of marine life, and a good site for lobster hunters.

Juno ledge (90-100 fsw): A large ledge with tunnels. Often a site to find large fish and sharks.

Paul's reef (60 fsw): A ledge with soft corals and rock crevices.

Princess Anne (100 fsw): This is a 350 ft. long ferry boat once used to carry 800 people and some 200 automobiles across the Chesapeake Bay. It lies in an area with strong, shifting currents. The interior is stunningly beautiful, but penetration is dangerous; it should only be attempted by advanced divers with a very experienced guide. Once inside, it is easy to get lost, resulting in a possible out-of-air situation or unplanned decompression dive. The Neptune group does not penetrate this wreck. Jewfish sightings not rare.

Ron's reef (60 fsw): Fairly undistinguished reef system, but can have lots of fish. A site on the north end is called the "Flower Garden".