Lauderdale by the Sea

Lauderdale by The Sea is a lovely little town just outside of Ft. Lauderdale that boasts a very easy shore dive that can be truly heaven (for a Florida shore dive) if conditions are right. It's like Ft. Lauderdale but much slower and less crowded. We stayed in a waterfront hotel so suiting up was a matter of walking out of our room and into the water for a 50-100 yard swim out to the first reef line of three. Each reef line is another 100 yards and gets deeper as you go. We always dove the first reef line at a max depth of about 20 feet. We saw a few boats at the outer reef line. The first reef line, located at the fishing pier, is not spectacular as far as health is concerned but it does showcase all of the usuals like Angels, Grunts, Grouper, Turtles, and more. We had a blast poking around with dive times well over one hour! Winds=N, Viz=20ft, Water Temp=87 during the month of September. Small surf. Mild S. current. This would make a lovely weekend trip as hotels can be found from around $50-$60 in the off season. If you drive, a small parking lot is located by the pier. Bring a ton of quarters for the heavily monitored meters. Restrooms and beach showers are by the lot. Flag required. Boat traffic is moderate beyond the pier. Surf and current vary with wind speed and direction. Deep Blue Diver's rent gear, if needed, two blocks away from the pier. Don't underestimate this dive. It's a fish watchers fantasy and the price is right. Free!