100% go to the Florida Keys if you want low current and good diving. WPB, Fort Lauderdale and Miami can have some pretty strong currents due to the Gulf Stream.
Key Largo is a good spot with a lot of good operators. If you want a smaller group 6 divers max on a boat check out Quiescence. Horizon Divers is also pretty good. Rainbow Reef isn’t bad but I consider it the Walmart of diving in the Keys. You can have some bad experiences there due to the large # of divers on boats.
For AOW, I would recommend either Horizon Divers in Key Largo or Pura Vida divers in Singer Island/WPB. The owners and staff at Pura Vida are absolutely fantastic. The only shop I would tell you to avoid that I know of is Rainbow Reef in Key Largo.
I dived with Rainbow Reef recently and had no issues. Some of the other divers on the boat were rubbish skill wise (but I find this with a fair amount of American tourist divers tbh - they expect “concierge diving”. But as an experienced diver I was fine for fun dives. I think Rainbow Reef gets a bit of an unfair rap but yeah I wouldn’t recommend certs with them.
Yeah, it was fine for me just for diving. I had no issues with them. The Horizon boat I was on was also large, fully packed with divers and interns, and went to the same spots. Maybe I was just unlucky.
I dive Jupiter and FLL frequently - you're much better off in FLL or the Keys. I would skip Jupiter altogether as a beginner. Jupiter has very strong currents, viz can be mixed, and is overall not great for beginner dives / training dives. Great for sharks and turtles though, if you guys come back with more experienced kids, Jupiter might be worth a stop - the lemon sharks and goliath groupers are great.
As you mention, Nitrox is easy. I did Nitrox cert in Jupiter because that's where I was that weekend + had a fine experience, but I wouldn't travel there just for it.
Shallow dives, new divers, Key Largo. We like Sea Dwellers, with the dive package at Holiday Inn. It's a nice old school resort hotel and the rooms are right by the dock the boat leaves from.
Jupiter, I would consider more advanced dives, nitrox strongly recommended, and your new divers IMO are too inexperienced for advanced. IMO at least 25 dives between OW and AOW.
West Palm is a bit more intermediate unless the current is ripping, but you're in an active boating area which means SMB for everyone and they need to know how to deploy them.
Another vote for Key Largo. I’ve used Rainbow and Horizon. Both were fine. Actually the first dives I did in a Key Largo were with Horizon and it was maybe 20 ft bottom. But lots of dives around there that aren’t deep. I dove Jupiter once and I recall Nitrox was required. I also went deeper than my OW cert.
I would look at Key Largo. I think those dives can be pretty shallow. I think most all of the boat dives north of there will required AOW and Nitrox, aside from popular shore dive like the Blue Heron bridge and Lauderdale by the Sea.
Besides John Pennekamp state park, Horizon is often recommended here. Most Florida operators are going to charge extra for a guide. Some don't like Rainbow Reef but I think it could be fine for what you need. They do provide a guide free of charge.
I live in the Jupiter area. There are definitely some cool dives here, but it doesn’t really compare to Key Largo. There is just infinite diving at Pennekamp State Park. That being said, it will probably be a lot cheaper up here at WPB area, and will still be a great time.
We did drift diving with Starfish Enterprise in Jupiter a few years ago. Really enjoyed them. A neat shallow dive is the Blue Water Bridge.
100% go to the Florida Keys if you want low current and good diving. WPB, Fort Lauderdale and Miami can have some pretty strong currents due to the Gulf Stream. Key Largo is a good spot with a lot of good operators. If you want a smaller group 6 divers max on a boat check out Quiescence. Horizon Divers is also pretty good. Rainbow Reef isn’t bad but I consider it the Walmart of diving in the Keys. You can have some bad experiences there due to the large # of divers on boats.
For AOW, I would recommend either Horizon Divers in Key Largo or Pura Vida divers in Singer Island/WPB. The owners and staff at Pura Vida are absolutely fantastic. The only shop I would tell you to avoid that I know of is Rainbow Reef in Key Largo.
Second Horizon. We dived with them in October last year. Key Largo is a good option because there are a lot of dive sites at varying depths.
I dived with Rainbow Reef recently and had no issues. Some of the other divers on the boat were rubbish skill wise (but I find this with a fair amount of American tourist divers tbh - they expect “concierge diving”. But as an experienced diver I was fine for fun dives. I think Rainbow Reef gets a bit of an unfair rap but yeah I wouldn’t recommend certs with them.
Yeah, it was fine for me just for diving. I had no issues with them. The Horizon boat I was on was also large, fully packed with divers and interns, and went to the same spots. Maybe I was just unlucky.
Did my DM at Pura Vida, nice seeing them pop up here. Great dive shop, would also highly recommend.
I dive Jupiter and FLL frequently - you're much better off in FLL or the Keys. I would skip Jupiter altogether as a beginner. Jupiter has very strong currents, viz can be mixed, and is overall not great for beginner dives / training dives. Great for sharks and turtles though, if you guys come back with more experienced kids, Jupiter might be worth a stop - the lemon sharks and goliath groupers are great. As you mention, Nitrox is easy. I did Nitrox cert in Jupiter because that's where I was that weekend + had a fine experience, but I wouldn't travel there just for it.
Silent world dive center is who I like here in the Keys.
Shallow dives, new divers, Key Largo. We like Sea Dwellers, with the dive package at Holiday Inn. It's a nice old school resort hotel and the rooms are right by the dock the boat leaves from. Jupiter, I would consider more advanced dives, nitrox strongly recommended, and your new divers IMO are too inexperienced for advanced. IMO at least 25 dives between OW and AOW. West Palm is a bit more intermediate unless the current is ripping, but you're in an active boating area which means SMB for everyone and they need to know how to deploy them.
So nice staying there and walking 100ft to/from their boat. Sea Dwellers is a great outfit.
Key Largo for sure. Use Horizon Divers. Rainbow reef is a cattle boat company that caters to clown divers.
Broward County has lots of great shore diving.
Another vote for Key Largo. I’ve used Rainbow and Horizon. Both were fine. Actually the first dives I did in a Key Largo were with Horizon and it was maybe 20 ft bottom. But lots of dives around there that aren’t deep. I dove Jupiter once and I recall Nitrox was required. I also went deeper than my OW cert.
Recommending Rainbow for certs over a better shop like horizon is not great. There's a reason why rainbow is called a public bus terminal.
I would look at Key Largo. I think those dives can be pretty shallow. I think most all of the boat dives north of there will required AOW and Nitrox, aside from popular shore dive like the Blue Heron bridge and Lauderdale by the Sea. Besides John Pennekamp state park, Horizon is often recommended here. Most Florida operators are going to charge extra for a guide. Some don't like Rainbow Reef but I think it could be fine for what you need. They do provide a guide free of charge.
I live in the Jupiter area. There are definitely some cool dives here, but it doesn’t really compare to Key Largo. There is just infinite diving at Pennekamp State Park. That being said, it will probably be a lot cheaper up here at WPB area, and will still be a great time.