I don't have any strong preference. I will try to attend this year but it is a long ways off and well, anyways. As you recall, a few years ago we stopped off in Destin and did a dive on the Aquanaut, I think Joe nearly froze, I was pretty cold but at least I had sense to have a wetsuit of sufficient thickness. In April, it can be awfully cool in the Panhandle and offshore waters there. As well, depths are 60 to 100 feet except at the Destin Jetty which itself I think reaches 60 feet. Of course, out of P'co is the amazing USS Oriskany, deeper than Hades, currents and so big it is almost useless to dive, been there several times. Count on 130 plus. Last summer while on a mission for my job I got an opportunity to vist Destin and did a dive with my cousin. On the WWII tanks I speared a nice flounder and then got chased by a bull shark, yep, well, I won, bull shark zero flounder, Nemrod 1 flounder.
I suppose I would prefer someplace further south in Florida, either Keys or my favorite Florida diving, Jupiter to Lauderdale. My three week rampage through the Keys and the Gold Coast this past summer was successful, frankly, I prefer Ocean Divers to Silent World up in Largo.
Down in Marathon we had a blast with Captain Hook's Dive Center. I also rented a center console down there and went out ourselves and somehow managed not to wind up in Cuba. I dove double hose especially with Captain Hook and they were entertained, Ocean Divers never bats an eye with me, as long as I have some sort of BC. The weather in March through May is very unstable with frontal passages still pushing through, recall two years ago and across the Stream a year before in the Bahamas, remember the boat getting blown off anchor?????? Yeah, I do, my M.C. especially does.
The Key Largo area has three major wrecks, the Spiegal, the Grove and of course the Duane, they call it the Heavy Steel Tour, three wrecks in one day, double hose, it is a blast.
I am game for anything in Florida but I think I am going to vote for south Florida. The deep stuff is out for me really, doc has warned me that titanium rods and scar tissue might not decompress well, not sure he knows what he is talking about though, and currents, well, I am not what I was before the accident.
Well, just my ramblings on it all. Oh, just for Lewis, I will not use a ScubaPro Equator or whatever sort of gas bag that was I tired out last time in Florida at SD but I did not think it a big deal since most of the "vintage" divers bailed and went over to the Blue Heron Bridge mud dive instead, at least I was on the boat, even with a modern gas bag in six foot seas. Made for a heck of a story, even got my lens back three days later, amazing
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James