Freediving around Naples FL

[Shellb@ck]

Hello guys! I'll be in Naples FL betwen december 30 and January 5 and I'm looking for a nice freediving place in the area (not necessarly to be exactly Naples). I don't have boat and I'm looking for a place to dive from the shore. Any suggestions? I have never been there before so any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Moved to USA/Canada forum

 

[cdavis]

Its a hike from Naples, but the best shore dive along that coast is at the south end of Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande). There is an old Phosphate dock on the edge of deep water, 10 ft on the inside and 30-40 on the outside. Look it up on Google Earth. Huge numbers of fish, all the sheephead you can spear, plus lots of other stuff that is either hard to shoot or off limits, including lots of 50-300 lb Goliath grouper. A very fun place right next to shore. You need to get there 30 minutes to an hour before slack current at high tide. Current is too strong to dive otherwise. Internet has current tables (not just tide tables). Vis is not great, 10 ft-25 ft, but it is a fun place. I've always dived it from a boat, but check the shore access, it should be easy.

 

[Shellb@ck]

Its a hike from Naples, but the best shore dive along that coast is at the south end of Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande). There is an old Phosphate dock on the edge of deep water, 10 ft on the inside and 30-40 on the outside. Look it up on Google Earth. Huge numbers of fish, all the sheephead you can spear, plus lots of other stuff that is either hard to shoot or off limits, including lots of 50-300 lb Goliath grouper. A very fun place right next to shore. You need to get there 30 minutes to an hour before slack current at high tide. Current is too strong to dive otherwise. Internet has current tables (not just tide tables). Vis is not great, 10 ft-25 ft, but it is a fun place. I've always dived it from a boat, but check the shore access, it should be easy.

Hey thanks for the info. I just got back from Florida. It was great. I didn't found a nice place for diving from the shore but i found a boat and we made a nice spearfishing trip 15 miles west from Marco Island FL. I saw a few Amberjacks and Red Groupers. It was great experience for me. The place you are talking about i saw on Google maps few days before I left for Florida but I never had a chance to go there. One more time thanks for the info.