VFR adds 500', so always 500' separation.
Always request flight following even in VFR.
Florida is the #1 spot in the world for flight training so there are a lot of idiots.
I did my Private, Commercial, pilot training, instrument, multi engine, ratings in Vero Beach FL.
A lot of stories.
Did my Seaplane rating in South Carolina.
Due South and all points West maintain even altitude + 500. Due north and all points East fly at odd altitude + 500 feet.
“...Florida is the #1 spot in the world for flight training so there are a lot of idiots...” [blackdog, post 16]
Not necessarily idiots.
Say, rather, that there are a lot more neophytes aloft. They have yet to develop much judgment; that comes only with experience.
Performing safely and effectively aloft requires a shift in thinking that few humans ever achieve. The dimensions of the airspace, and the velocities of aircraft, are quite beyond the daily experiences of average groundlubbing citizens.
Even a rather slow machine like the J-3 cruises at 75 mph - much faster than automobile speed limits except for rural Interstates. This means that two J-3s approaching each other head-on are closing at a rate of 150 mph. A student pilot may not see conflicting traffic in time to react.
Higher-performing military aircraft are capable of airspeeds far beyond the capability of any human being to see another machine and react in time. The B-1B can cruise at 600 knots: ten nautical miles per minute.