West Palm Beach, FL
Drift Diving in West Palm Beach
Trip information
Location: North and West Palm Beach areas, Florida
Dive boats: Kyalami Scuba Club
The trip cost includes:
Transportation (for the first 12 signed up)
Accommodations (double occupancy): Super 8 North Palm Beach
Snacks and beverages on the boat
All Air or Nitrox fills
Drift dives on reefs and wrecks. More and more Neptune divers are Nitrox certified, so dive times usually run for an hour.
The trips will include 6 dives total, depending on conditions. The typical schedule is 2-tank dives on Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon, and a 2-tank dive on Sunday.
Specifics
Price: $700 as of Jan 2026, with air or nitrox fills.
When signing up for the trip, a nonrefundable deposit of $200 is due. The final payment is due 30 days before the trip date.
Leave Neptune on Friday AM and return to Augusta on Monday afternoon.
Gear checklist
Dive Gear
BC, regulator, mask and snorkel, booties, fins, gloves, weight belt, weights, slate
Computer (mandatory)
Wetsuit: 3 mm; dive skin (optional; mandatory if you're cold-natured or don't like jellyfish)
Secondary light (for looking under reefs); also primary light and glow sticks or tank light if night diving
Two air or EAN cylinders
Yoke adapter for your DIN regulator if using boat cylinders; many cylinders nowadays have Pro Valves that can accommodate a DIN regulator (optional)
Save-a-dive kit
Dive log, c-card (absolutely essential)
Goodie bag (optional; boat has some soft drinks and snacks)
Safety sausage (SMB - absolutely essential)
Audible emergency signaling device (optional, recommended)
Camera equipment (optional)
Oxygen analyzer (optional)
Clothing
T-shirts, shorts
Boat shoes, sandals, or whatever
Swim suit(s)
Windbreaker or hoodie
Clothing for going into town (dressy or not, depending on your preference)
Other
Motion sickness prevention, remedies (especially you, Frank)
Earplugs (in case your roommate snores)
Personal snack food and beverages for the trip. Jean will bring cookies from A Piece of Cake. The caravan stops from time to time so you can stock up.
Towels
Large plastic garbage bags for wet gear
Reading material, etc., for the trip
Personal toiletries
Sunglasses, sunscreen
Extra batteries for equipment
Cash - don't forget tips for the boat crew! Allow a minimum of $15 per dive, depending on the level of service.
Dive Sites
These are some of the sites we visit most often. The sites are chosen by the group and the Captain, depending on weather and sea conditions and expected visibility. We usually have the whole boat and split up into 2 groups. Newly certified divers are welcome.
The Ana Cecelia wreck and The Corridor (80+ fsw): The Ana C. is the newest artificial reef in the area, sunk on 13 July 2016, and is now the beginning of The Corridor. Fish have already gathered there, and the structure is well on its way to being a living reef. Neptune divers have enjoyed the opportunity to explore this 170-foot, 629-ton freighter! We then drift over to The Mizpah, a 185ft. A Greek luxury liner that was sunk in 1968. It is an excellent wreck that (for advanced divers) can be carefully penetrated, though some of the interior is at risk of collapse. The PC1170, a 160 ft. patrol craft, was split in two below the Mizpah's bow and also sunk in 1968. The Amaryllis is 450ft long and lies in 80ft of water. Only its hull and bottom deck remain. Goliath Grouper sightings are common.
Bath and Tennis (60 fsw): Nice selection of reef creatures, fish. Look for stingrays and lobsters.
Breakers Reef: (60 fsw): One of the nicest reef systems in the Palm Beach area, if not the world. Lots of critters. Keep your eyes open for turtles. Nice for a night dive.
The Danny and Spud Barge (70-80 fsw): A great wreck trek for exploration. Look for nudibranchs near the Spud Barge.
Double Ledges (90 fsw): Twin ledges that lie south of the inlet. Lots of marine life, and a good site for lobster hunters.
Governor's River Walk wrecks (90 fsw): The Shasha, the St. Jacques, the Thorzina, the Gilbert Sea. Big sharks abound.
Juno Ledge (80-100 fsw): A large, spectacular ledge with tunnels. Often, a site to find large fish and sharks. The north area includes Spadefish Point.
Jupiter Wreck Trek (95 fsw): The Zion Train, the Miss Jenny, and the Esso Bonaire. Sharks and goliath groupers abound at this favorite dive site.
Midway Reef, Spearman's Barge (70-80 fsw): A nice reef with a worthy wreck.
Paul's Reef (60 fsw): A nice ledge with soft corals and rock crevices. The north part is Sloan's Curve.
Princess Anne (100 fsw): This 350 ft. ferry boat once carried 800 people and about 200 automobiles across the Chesapeake Bay. It lies in an area with strong, shifting currents. It has been broken apart over the years. The interior was stunningly beautiful, but penetration is dangerous, especially since much of it has collapsed; it should only be attempted by advanced divers with a very experienced guide. Once inside, it is easy to get lost, leading to a possible out-of-air situation or an unplanned decompression dive. Goliath grouper sightings are not rare.
Ron's Reef (60 fsw): Fairly undistinguished reef system, but can have lots of fish. Ron's Rock is in the north. Beyond that is the "Flower Garden."
Shark Canyon (70-80 fsw): The name says it all—also, a nice reef system.
The Trench (60 fsw): This is a 12ft wide trench cut through a section of Breaker's Reef before people knew better. This allows all kinds of animals (and divers) a place hide and escape the current. Nice aquatic life. It's John F.'s favorite dive site. You can stay close to the dive guide because there are different ways to explore this site.
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