Nah, I'm a super geek when it comes to stuff like that. I'm quite the wealth of useless information (well, useless for me in the business/corporate world, maybe not for someone who works in that industry) so I dig things like that.
The sites you mentioned that were pretty shallow (under 20ft) and close to the beach; is there enough wildlife on them to make it an interesting dive, or are they just hunks of ex-reef (not talking about the makeup, you mentioned what they were made of, I'm talking wildlife) in the water with a few fish swimming around?
If so, we might just try to find a snorkeling dive boat and cough up the $20-30 per person for the couple hour trip (like you mention might be a good idea) so we don't have to deal with the BS of current and idiot boaters.
I'm pretty sure that we would be happy with the shallow and close reefs if they are anywhere near alive (especially because my buddy that is coming with my brother and I has equalizing issues and is a smoker). And I'd love to try out my new spear gun (never gone spearfishing before) on something tasty (and legal of course, I've got to do my homework before I go), hence the interest in a lively reef!
Thanks and Cheers,
Joe
I used to have a milk run I was fond of off Lauderdale By-The-Sea,
map lauderdale by the sea - Google Maps . It involves some swimming but if the current is with you it isn't that bad. I would start at Hibiscus Street or one of the other two side streets with parking south of Commercial Blvd. I would swim out to the outer second reef about 0.75 miles offshore. That is the one with all the mooring balls on intermittently extending north to south. On the way out there you will cross over the first reef, largely low profile with limited fish and corals, the inner second reef with more life, cross a sand patch and then end up on a reef with a 5 to 8 ft. west facing ledge, large diameter sand bottomed potholes ringed with ledges and then spur and groove reef features on the eastern edge of the second reef. It is best to do this with no current or a northerly running current. If you head out and there is much of a southerly current, I would stay put or arch south a ways. I would go along the outer second reef with trends closer to shore until I would come up to the Sea Watch Restaurant. There the western facing ledge peters out and is replaced by the wreck of the Copanhagen. The wreck has been blasted to flat plate still it is an interesting dive with a fair amount of fish.
More at:
SS Copenhagen (shipwreck)--Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
Diving… The Wreck of the SS Copenhagen
The Sea Watch serves up a mean lunch with great seafood dishes and a nice ocean view btw. Recommend the open air patio area but you'll probably have to change first. It is just east of Ocean Bay Club Drive in LBTS. You'll be up for a walk back south unless you can arrange transport nearby. It's about 1.7 miles one way as the crow flies and including out, back and down the reef a bit over 3 miles. It can be real relaxing despite that if you are used to cruising while free diving. If you don't feel like doing the milk run, there is still a fair amount to see up to and in line with the end of the fishing pier at the end of Commercial Blvd.. The condition and relief of the reef improves on the outer second reef further out however. It is a bit of a swim but if you like that sort of thing it is a good session.
There are a lot of fish, corals and life in general along this run. We have similar corals and fish to the Keys in this area just with varying quantities. It kept me pretty engaged for a couple of decades so it should be worth a visit. Regarding fish to shoot, maybe. Just be sure to have someway of getting them out of the water so you aren't trailing blood for a couple of hours along the reef. Not a lot of sharks other than nurse this time of year and even fewer shark incidents off this area on the inner reefs. Still, it is possible to set yourself for an interesting encounter if you work at it. Depths will range over reefs from about 10 ft. to perhaps 25 ft. at the most., averaging around 15 to 20 ft. in spots.
There is another shorter shore dive but interesting in a different way further south off Ft. Lauderdale. It consists of going out to the aerojack groin which extends between the outer first and inner second reefs. It was built in the 1960's to inhibit beach erosion. Its about 1100 ft. long and as high as about 10 ft. off the bottom extending roughly east to west. About 200 ft. north of the eastern end of the jacks along the inner edge of the reef you'll find a barge wreck. The bow section is still intact. Some photos appear at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=125 under the third post. You can see the jacks and some of the barge. The jacks start about 1/4 to 3/8 mile east of the bathhouse shown at:
http://tinyurl.com/5zchxu You will need a flag, flotation vests to get past the lifeguards during hours. Before or after you're on your own. There are normally no buoys on the aerojacks and may or may not be boats on it. As you swim out parallel to it you can even miss it. Sometimes I start a bit south of the bathhouse and swim out past the first reef and into the sand channel. Then I swim north and hit it.
If this sounds like too much work, checkout one of the local dive boats. Just book early and make sure they are going somewhere that appeals to you guys. They sell out early fairly often.
Have fun,
Rick