# Planning a Dive Trip, Need Help



## iJabo (Jul 6, 2013)

I'm planning a dive trip for 4-5 of my buddies from college. We all became certified 3 years ago in the same class and are relatively novice divers.
I have been on 5 dives since becoming certified and most of the others guys are around that same level of experience.

My question is what wrecks would you advise us visiting. We want to stay in pretty close, probably inside state waters, so what makes for the best dive in that area?

Thanks in advance.


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Joe Pattie reef, Three Barges, and Tex Edwards are all relatively shallow nice dives. 

My first boat dive was to the YDT-14 and it was an amazing experience. It's about 75-90 feet deep though. 

Will you be taking your own boat or using a charter?


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## iJabo (Jul 6, 2013)

I'll be in my own boat. We've taken it out pretty far before.

I was thinking Tex Edwards as a possibility. What about the Russian Freighter? Is that in state waters? I've always wanted to dive it.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Are you wanting to Spearfish or just dive?


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## iJabo (Jul 6, 2013)

jspooney said:


> Are you wanting to Spearfish or just dive?


Personally, I just want to dive, but I can't say for the others, but I would bet on someone wanting to spearfish.


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

iJabo said:


> What about the Russian Freighter? Is that in state waters? I've always wanted to dive it.


Russian Freighter is a decent dive. Not my favorite simply because it's not intact. If you were going to bring them 80 something feet deep, I think the YDT is a more impressive dive. It's a 130' tug boat.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

If you just want to dive, any of the above will work. If you are looking for fish you are going to struggle on the patty, tex and 3 barges. Thy hold fish, but not a ton of big stuff that won't run from you quickly. The Tex holds sharks, as do the others. I would hit the mayor and Paradise. Both are good dives and give you some fish. The Mayor is 60' and Paradise is 90.


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Take this for what it is worth: If you shoot fish on the big public stuff, there is a 95% chance that a shark will show up. If you have 5 dives in 3 years, I would be reluctant to shoot fish. Not knowing how the other divers are going to react when a bull shark shows up would make me cautious.


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Besides the shark thing, I would be reluctant to give new divers a speargun at a deep reef like that. That adds a big "x factor". You will have plenty of fun just diving and observing a big new world.


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## FelixH (Sep 28, 2007)

Don't worry too much about sharks, especially if you're not spearing.
The Russian Freighter is a great dive, but I rarely go there... It's one of the closer wrecks at about 9 miles, and it's almost always crowded.
The Pete Tide II is another really nice dive and it's not too far out.


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## iJabo (Jul 6, 2013)

aquatic argobull said:


> Besides the shark thing, I would be reluctant to give new divers a speargun at a deep reef like that. That adds a big "x factor". You will have plenty of fun just diving and observing a big new world.


I agree. I myself and a few of the guys have experience with freediving and spearfishing but I understand that its a different game with scuba. I'll try to discourage spearfishing for this trip.


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## LandlockedJT (Mar 1, 2010)

Also I recommend diving an intact wreck, not rubble or natural bottom. It's easy to get turned around and not be able to find anchor for return trip to surface, especially if visibility is poor. I recommend barges and tugs. I have even seen divers get turned around on the Massachusetts, the ended up surfacing 75 yards from boat and had to get picked up.


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## Dive1 (May 16, 2015)

Someone told me one time that sharks are not poisonous. Since it has been a while and novice divers, keep it simple, short, and shallow. Surface interval, then repeat. Hope yall have a great time. Wanna dive Destin, contact me and I will dive with yall. www.dive1unlimited.com


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## Plattinum (Sep 16, 2010)

Also, don't forget to have a prepared bubble watcher top side. Make sure they know how to operate your radio and they know where to find your coordinates. They should know more than that, but those two elements are key to be able to radio for help.


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## DreamWeaver21 (Oct 3, 2007)

LandlockedJT said:


> Also I recommend diving an intact wreck, not rubble or natural bottom. It's easy to get turned around and not be able to find anchor for return trip to surface, especially if visibility is poor. I recommend barges and tugs. I have even seen divers get turned around on the Massachusetts, the ended up surfacing 75 yards from boat and had to get picked up.


 I was on the mass the other day for the first time since I got certified in 95. I have logged hundreds of recent dives but the mass was chaos. I dropped in on two jewfish that got way close. I had a big ray all but charge me and there was a school of jack crevelle working a big school of bait. The bait was all over me to the point of making it hard to see. Add in some current and limited viz plus the fact the mass looks nothing like a boat to me anymore and it was an adventurous dive.


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## Dive1 (May 16, 2015)

Landlockedjt made a good point.


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

iJabo said:


> I agree. I myself and a few of the guys have experience with freediving and spearfishing but I understand that its a different game with scuba. I'll try to discourage spearfishing for this trip.


If you do have a spear fisher, they will need a fishing license.


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

DreamWeaver21 said:


> I was on the mass the other day for the first time since I got certified in 95. I have logged hundreds of recent dives but the mass was chaos. I dropped in on two jewfish that got way close. I had a big ray all but charge me and there was a school of jack crevelle working a big school of bait. The bait was all over me to the point of making it hard to see. Add in some current and limited viz plus the fact the mass looks nothing like a boat to me anymore and it was an adventurous dive.


I think I caught that ray yesterday. I was free lining a cig and caught it. Sounds like a wild dive!


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