Dive Review of Parrot Island Scuba in
The Continental USA/Pompano Beach, Florida

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Parrot Island Scuba, Apr, 2008, by Tom Carlson, WA, USA ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports). Report 4317.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I was going to be in the Broward County area for a few days and was looking for an inexpensive way to set up some lodging and diving. I Booked dive boats from Parrott island scuba and through the Force E dive shop. The first boat was from Parrot Island Scuba and the Copt was Terry Turmaine and dive master was Kim. They meet you at the boat dock and have tanks ready for you with Nitrox if you want. The boat was the Fathoms O' Fun. First dive was a wreck dive on the Ancient mariner. 73ft max depth for 45 minutes. There was a very strong current and lots of particulates in the water. A large, green moray was out of its den and swimming around. Saw a goliath grouper that I thought was huge but my dive buddy who had been on the wreck many times told me this was the "small one" (probably 5 ft), sting rays, turtles, barracudas, trigger fish, snapper, Chromis, grunts and many other tropicals. The second dive was Abbey Too, a drift dive over a reef at 55ft max depth. Bottom time 65 minutes. Viz about 60-80ft, schools of grunts and snappers, nurse sharks, lobsters, green morays, spotted morays, blue angels, gray angels, nice long drift dive over wonderful rolling reef, lots of large barrel sponges, soft corals, fan corals, nice ledge with lots of pockets. Abby Too is located one mile north of Hillsboro Inlet. It is part of the third reef tier. 45' on top sloping East to 70'. This reef is sometimes difficult to follow due to it's tendency to start and stop. However, It is a very beautiful reef with small caves on high spots every 200' or so. Large grouper, hog fish, moray, octopus and trumpet fish were seen. The second days diving was Turtle ledge first and then the Sea Emperor second. Turtle Ledge is located between Abby Too and Lighthouse Ledge just north of the Hillsboro Inlet. It is a very beautiful section of the reef. Depending on what reef you start on, Turtle Ledge is a spectacular way to end a drift dive. In addition, yes, Turtles are known to frequent the reef. The Sea Emperor lost her load of concrete culverts as she listed while on her final approach to her final resting place. These concrete pipes are home to a number of critters that have taken up residency on the Sea Emperor. There is a green Morey eel affectionately named "Baby", Sting rays, a pair of 400lb Goliath Groupers (Fred & Ethel). In addition to the local residents, we see turtles, nurse sharks and schools of various tropical fish. The third day I dove out of the Force E dive center in Pompano and they set me up on another boat, the Safari Diver. This was a great shop where I rented Nitrox tanks from them and the fills were exactly the mix I asked for. Gary from Force E made sure I had what I needed and his staff were very attentitive. Gary was concerned that with the boat they were putting me on I would be diving a wreck that I had done the day before. I told him that was just fine as I was used to diving in Puget Sound and would be very happy with any of the sites there! Did Sea Emperor again on the first dive and I didn’t mind as I saw the big green moray out and about, another even larger Goliath Grouper that might tip the scales around 500 pounds that looked like a Volkswagen Beetle with fins! Also saw several large green stingrays and a hammerhead swam past me on the safety stop! The second dive was at Lighthouse ledge. More turtles, octopus, morays. Lighthouse ledge is part of the third reef tier. It is located less than a mile from the Hillsboro Inlet. This reef is very popular due to its close location. It is a very colorful reef with 1000's of tropicals, and both hard and soft corals. Lodging was at the Comfort Inn, Deerfield Beach, about 6 minutes away from where the dive boats were moored. If you set up your diving through Parrott Island Scuba and tell them that Jerry referred you, they give you a significant diver’s discount. The room had a kitchenette and was clean and comfortable and one block off the beach. Close to stores, restaurants and some nightlife. This was a great three-day trip and very inexpensive diving and lodging. There are probably more wrecks off this part of the coast than anywhere else in Florida as well as some beautiful reef systems. The people at the Force E dive shop were great and the boats and crews were very good. This is a trip that I would definitely like to repeat!
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Puget Sound, Hawaii, Cozumel
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp	73-75°F / 23-24°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Boats had rinse buckets masks and camera equipment. Not much room on board either boat for camera work.

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Dive Review of Parrot Island Scuba in The Continental USA/Pompano Beach, Florida

Parrot Island Scuba, Apr, 2008,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Parrot Island Scuba in
The Continental USA/Pompano Beach, Florida