Fiji Dive with a friendly Turtle with Florida Excursions

Homer Alaska Spearfishing Black Bass Capt. Mark Garcy

Jet Ski Rentals & Tour Specials

We now are offering Jet Ski rentals and tours. Below are our specials this week. Special price of $80/hour single rider $90/hour double rider. Two hour tours only $150 for single and or double rider and three hour tours only $200 for anyone who reserves now! Call to book 239-592-1200

New Years Eve Firework Show (+playlist)

Diving the Gulf: Gulf vs Atlantic

For all of you that have been contemplating whether to dive the Gulf or travel to the other coast of Florida, let me shed some light on the topic. I have been diving the Gulf coast now for 10 years and have seen first-hand the amazing things divers get certified in the first place for. I hear all the time from people that never have even been in the Gulf, “I thought there’s nothing to see”. They then tell me other shops in the area told them this and then tried to sell them a trip somewhere else. Maybe the truth is that there is really great diving in the Gulf but since they don’t own the boats and make money off you diving here, they rather get you to book a trip where they can make money. Yes it is true we don’t have the tropical waters like the Cayman Islands but neither does Alaska and there is amazing things to see there as well. The fact of the, matter is the Gulf of Mexico has more bio diversity than anywhere in Florida period! I will stand behind that statement any day and in fact I will go as far and say that the Gulf has the best diving in Florida. It really comes down to opinion and what you consider good diving. Since I have had the chance to survey thousands of divers that have actually been in the Gulf the information I share is not just my opinion but thousands of peoples. If you look at the facts which are that the Gulf has two types of water one being the Gulf water which is green and then at about 18-20 miles out we get the blue water like you find in the Keys or the Atlantic. This creates bio diversity like no other. Here you get different water temperatures and salinity which has a huge effect on the marine life. Within the first 18 miles from shore the Gulf has many natural reefs in fact off Wiggins Pass in Naples you can dive one of the largest natural reefs right from the beach. You can also dive many natural ledges and sponge forests; I like to call them since they go on for a long distance. Then there are areas that have unique plant life and don’t forget the abundant amount of artificial reefs which now have tons of soft corals, sponges and an immense amount of fish species. Also the Gulf has underwater springs both fresh and saltwater which are the equivalent of the Seven Wonders of the World. I know of four springs, which are just absolutely awesome and like no other site you will ever see. With all this said you must remember, we became divers to have fun and see the underwater universe that is life changing for most people. Any dive can be a good dive if you go in the water with a good attitude, the proper training, the right equipment and something to see. If big fish, tons of fish, marine plants, corals and color make you happy, then the Gulf of Mexico has plenty to offer. Find an operator that has the experience like you would anywhere you dive and then you will certainly have a good time. For more information on diving the Gulf, feel free to contact me or our dive shop at 239-592-1200. By Capt. Mark Garcy

September is a great time to come to Florida & avoid the long lines!!!

This is a great time of the year to sneak down and get in some great fishing & diving if you can. The water temps are still in the high 80's, vis last Sunday was about 50ft. and did some spearfishing with yields of snapper, grouper, hogfish and if you can get out a little further a monster amberjack will always be a great catch for the dinner table. This is also a great time to get some beautiful pictures of the awesome soft corals, with excellent colors and such a vast array of marine life. There is no need to travel abroad when we have it all.

The fishing has also been what i would say to be one of the best summers considering the cold winter kill of fish and all the talk about the OIL, which never showed up thank God. We have been landing goliath Groupers upwards of 500lbs on a regular basis. Note our last face book postings courtesy of one of our regulars "Paul B." which helped land a goliath upwards of 300lbs., a Bull shark 10-12ft long that must of went close to 500lbs and many other species that made a great fish fry that night. Clients like Paul know the trick, they call before they come down & let the Capt. pick the best time of the day to go out based on tides as well as getting out the early part of the stay incase of weather then we always have a few days to work with.

My suggestion is to check our calendar and see what upcoming dive trips we are putting together and once in a while we will have spots open for split fishing trips which we will have open Sept. 7-10 if any of you would like to split the cost call us up so we can let the other fishermen know and set a date.

Remember another thing, some guides will try and sell you on these all day trips that take 2-3hours of run time out 30-40 miles then you only fish 2-3 hrs and another 2-3 hours drive back. Its not how far you go, ITS WHERE you go and fish the tides. We catch just as much fish in a 4hr trip than most do all day which when you think about it, our 4hr trip fishes 3 hrs average and our 6hr trip you fish 5 hours average. So when you are comparing apples to oranges remember what you are paying for, the bigger boat, the extra fuel, and maybe some air conditioning. If you are like most my clients, they rather take a 15-25 minute boat ride @ 30MPH and get to fish a lot more. I think the pics speak for itself, we go catching...not fishing....

One more thing, not to knock going out 30 plus miles. There are advantages and a few species you normally won't catch in closer like Amberjack and tons of "silver snapper" better known as grunts.. By the way that's what we use for bait which allot of the big boats send you home for dinner. But if you are interested in BIG Sharks, Barracudas, Grouper, Snapper, Cobia, Snook, Tarpon, Permit and many more than I can list then there is no need to run so far. Spend the time fishing unless you like the boat ride.

Well I hope to see many of you here this month, normally this is a bad time for the fishing industry because people think its to hot and or the kids are in school, but its a great way to help boost our economy when you great fisherman & divers decide to come down for a quick visit you will never forget.
See you soon, Time to hit the hay and run 2 trips tomorrow.

Big Fish Is What We DO!
World Class Diving in the Gulf.