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Dive Shop in or near Jacksonville, Florida

GroundPounder

GroundPounder

Well-Known Member
My wife, son, and myself have recently started our PADI training, and I'm looking to buy our own gear. I live in a one shop town, and from what I can tell their prices reflect that lack of competition.
I'll be in South Georgia, about an hour away from Jacksonville this week for a few days, and plan on checking out some of the shops there.

Any suggestions?
 
PropAddict

PropAddict

Now with even more awesome!
pilot
Contributor
Scuba Tiger in Orange Park used to be good, but I haven't been there in 3 years.
 
Devil Duck

Devil Duck

Member
Divers Supply in Jax is pretty nice. Atlantic Pro divers is a decent op for diving. Diving around Jax is not stellar.
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GroundPounder

GroundPounder

Well-Known Member
Thanks, I think I'll drive over in the am and make the rounds. I would have thought there would have been a better market in Jax. It looks like I'll end up buying from a shop in Macon, the question is why Macon has such a large store?
 
ChunksJR

ChunksJR

Retired.
pilot
Contributor
Jax isn't stellar...hahaha, Diving is like sex, even when it's bad, it's good. A lot like flying actually...

Anywho...the 3-tank trips make it totally worthwhile around JAX. I looked into it while I was here TAD, but couldn't do an afternoon trip on Sunday when I got here. :(

Va Beach has 2 tank dives for 2x the price due to the further off shore you have to go. Enjoy diving!

Oh, and highly HIGHLY recommend NITROX qual in and around the Atlantic Seaboard...You just go way too deep for air dives... :(

Lastly, I'm a huge fan of supporting small business and LDSs but also a big fan of watching my wallet. www.leisurepro.com. They have AMAZING customer service and unlimited returns without hassle.
 
Brett327

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Second what Chunks says. I did some great offshore diving in Jax. Don't forget all the fun springs and pseudo-caves to the west. Whatever that lake is called at Camp Blanding has some cool underwater springs feeding it that one can check out. Honestly, I thought the diving in Jax was better than Key West, which I wasn't all that impressed with. Best diving experience on the East coast was Puerto Rico.
 
P

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
ChunksJR said:
Lastly, I'm a huge fan of supporting small business and LDSs but also a big fan of watching my wallet. www.leisurepro.com. They have AMAZING customer service and unlimited returns without hassle.
Click to expand...
+1 on Leisure Pro, I've used them in the past and they're good. Scuba.com is another place to get some good deals. My wife and I picked up Mares tropical wetsuits for a song.
 
villanelle

villanelle

Nihongo dame desu
Contributor
ChunksJR said:
Jax isn't stellar...hahaha, Diving is like sex, even when it's bad, it's good. A lot like flying actually...

Anywho...the 3-tank trips make it totally worthwhile around JAX. I looked into it while I was here TAD, but couldn't do an afternoon trip on Sunday when I got here. :(

Va Beach has 2 tank dives for 2x the price due to the further off shore you have to go. Enjoy diving!

Oh, and highly HIGHLY recommend NITROX qual in and around the Atlantic Seaboard...You just go way too deep for air dives... :(

Lastly, I'm a huge fan of supporting small business and LDSs but also a big fan of watching my wallet. www.leisurepro.com. They have AMAZING customer service and unlimited returns without hassle.
Click to expand...

How deep are typical Jax dives? With max depths of 95-110ish feet, Nitrox typically doesn't let you go deeper than air, no? You can stay longer at moderate depths, but for deep diving, you pretty much have to use air (unless maybe you are using non-standard blends).

Make the trek to Key Largo and dive Pennikamp. Water is warm year round, many sites are less than 40 feet so you get tons of bottom time, and there are also some interesting wrecks. The reef isn't as healthy as it once was, but it's still great diving.
 
scoober78

scoober78

(HCDAW)
pilot
Contributor
C420sailor said:
IIRC, Nitrox allows for longer bottom times and is generally safer than straight air.
Click to expand...

"Safer" is tough...DAN statistics are largely inconclusive. THE advantage to NITROX is improved decompression...namely, longer NDL times and reduced surface intervals. From a DAN study on NITROX:

"The incentive for using an oxygen enriched breathing mixture is to improve decompression. This is not just the primary incentive, it is the only reason to do it."

http://www.si.edu/dive/pdfs/proceedings_DANnitrox.pdf
 
ChunksJR

ChunksJR

Retired.
pilot
Contributor
scoober78 said:
Uhhhh...what? NITROX isn't an option for "deep" dives...NITROX 32 bottoms out at about 110 feet. Are you thinking of HELIOX?
Click to expand...

I apologize, that was rather vague. Let me clarify.

I HIGHLY recommend NITROX due to the deeper nature of the dives and the 32/30 NITROX mix allows for longer bottom times at deeper depths.

HELIOX? No, I can't afford $200+ for a tank of air.

IIRC, Nitrox allows for longer bottom times
Click to expand...

scoober78 said:
THE advantage to NITROX is improved decompression...namely, longer NDL times and reduced surface intervals.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I meant. Personally, I also enjoy less of an "Air hangover" due to the higher O2 %...that may be all mental, but it works for me.
 
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