Join Blue Planet on Florida’s Palm Beach and Singer Island for fantastic wreck and reef diving plus several dives at one of our favorite shore dive sites -- the Blue Heron Bridge. Just a 2.5 hour flight from DC, you can fly down Wednesday and be back by Sunday and still get plenty of dives in. Plus it's the beginning of Goliath Grouper spawning season!

West Palm Beach

The mighty Gulf Stream makes its closest pass to Florida here. The strong current brings crystal-clear, warm waters and large marine life to the region. It also gives rise to the area’s special forte — drift diving! The reefs of West Palm Beach are a mere two miles offshore and covered with colorful sponges and corals. Divers who dive regularly on the reefs and wrecks of West Palm Beach routinely spot hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, different species of sharks and more. 

For those who love wrecks, Palm Beach County has a well-developed artificial reef program. Several barges and ships have been scuttled to make interesting dive spots. Plus these wrecks are where Goliath Grouper start gathering at the end of July as they wait to spawn. This is a great time to see these massive fish!

Want to focus on underwater photography?

Macro: In addition to great reef and wreck diving, this area is home to the famous Blue Heron Bridge, one of our favorite shore dives. This shallow dive site reveals a surprisingly diverse world of macro diving — watch for octopus, frogfish, seahorses, tons of juvenile fish and more. You can spend up to 2 hours in 20 feet of water on each dive, mastering your macro shots. The dives are tide dependent so expect to be on a strict schedule to catch the best conditions. 

Blackwater: Our friends at Pura Vida Divers also offer Blackwater drift dives where you can witness the massive migration of animals coming from the depths to the surface to feed at night. See breathtaking bioluminescent creatures, jellies, squid, and the larval stages of many reef creatures. 

Wide angle: And if you want a break from the small stuff, put on your wide angle lens for a 2-tank boat dive to explore the area's reefs and wrecks. You'll see hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, several species of sharks, morays and more. PLUS it's the start of Goliath Grouper spawning season so we'll see these massive fish starting to congregate. 

Minimum dive certification/experience

Bridge dives: Given the shallow depth, these dives are suitable for Open Water Divers and beyond. However it is essential you practice good buoyancy techniques to so as not to disturb the sensitive habitats we're visiting. We strongly recommend that you have taken the Peak Performance Buoyancy class prior to diving the Bridge, or we can do it at the beginning of the trip. 

Blackwater dives: You will need an Advanced Open Water Diver or Night Diver certification plus you should be comfortable hovering in open water without a visual reference -- at night.

Boat dives: As these dives routinely reach depths of greater than 60 feet, Advanced Open Water Certification is required at a minimum. Enriched Air/Nitrox also strongly recommended. 

Accommodations

We'll be staying in some new bungalows within walking distance of the bridge, the Pura Vida Dive Shop, local shops, restaurants and the beach. Each bungalow has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a full kitchen and living room plus private parking for guests, a pool and jacuzzi, etc. The bungalows have a queen bed in bedroom #1, and either 2 twins OR 1 queen OR 1 full bed in bedroom #2. 

UPDATE! Due to demand, we're adding condos at a second location (also close by) that are perfect for couples. Each 1 bedroom condo has a king bed, fully-equipped kitchen and living room, plus private parking, a pool on site and across the street from the beach!

Travel

Fly into the West Palm Beach airport (PBI) on Wednesday, August 6th. Rent a car if you'd like to explore on your own, or we can coordinate shared rentals. We can check in to our condos at 3 PM. You must check in to the dive shop before they close at 5 PM to do the evening Bridge dive! You can fly back on Sunday, August 10th — just be sure you give yourself 18-24 hours after your last dive! 

Please check in with Blue Planet staff before booking flights. If you need assistance with flights, just let us know!

Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee of $200 and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 

Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information.