Key Largo and Key West

[IMSushi 0]

My wife and I are going to be diving in Key Largo and Key west in about a month and a half. Can you recommend your favorite dive ops in the area, or ones to stay away from? I've read the Chap Book and there are no ops mentined in Key West. Any info can be helpful. Thanks!

[rodriguezfelix 0]

On Key Largo: "Cap. Slates Atlantis Dive Center" is one of the best there (in my opinion) and i also must recommend you to try the "creature feature" (nice interaction with several nurse sharks...) is all fridays leaving at 8:00.

 

For wrecks, try "Spiegel Grove" and the "Duane" this two are the best choices. I also did dive with "Silent World Dive center" nice operator too, we did a wreck wich I didn´t remember the name but it was not a big deal, and some place call "French Reef" wich is a good second dive. Any where you go in Key Largo, do it really early or you miss the boats going to the nice dives.

[Ryan 57]

I like operators that respect ability, put me on good sites, then stay out of the way.

 

I only have Key Largo/Tavernier suggestions-

 

Blue Water Divers is my favorite, great for double drops on the wrecks (www.bluewaterdiver.net)

 

Ocean Divers doesn't limit times, but their boat can get really crowded.

 

Diverscity & Quiescence are good, too.

[Wdpecker39 0]

In Key Largo, I would recommend Quiescence or Blue Water Divers, both offer smaller boats so you can avoid the cattle boat dives. Dive sites not to miss include the Spiegal Grove and Davis ledge/reef. I would highly recommend diving in Looe Key as opposed to Key West. The Looe Key dive center is only about 25 miles from Key West and the diving is much better.

[IMSushi 0]

Hey, thanks for all of your recent suggestions. I am in the process of making all of our dive plans this week, so all of your suggestions are really appresciated!

[mtnman 0]

If you are experienced and want freedom to do your own thing then Divers City is perfect for the Key Largo area(actually in Tavernier).

I would avoid diving in the Key West area.

www.diverscityusa.com

[IMSushi 0]

OK, well, we're back from our dive/business trip to the FL Keys and I thought I would let you know what we found.

 

Key Largo is definitely the place to go for diving in the keys. We went with a small outfit called "HMS Minnow" at mile marker 100, which is where most of the ops in the area are. We dove for 3 days, 10 dives, on this small 6 pack that was recommended by "Undercurrents" dive magazine. (BTW, Undercurrents seems to be very accurate) The captain doesn't dive with you and there are no DM's to show you around the sites, so you need to be self sufficient. No problem for a California diver. The water is really warm, 80 degF, compared to a local 55 degF. I wore a 3/2 full suit and was comfortably warm. The reefs are pretty healthy except for some bleaching and fan coral diseases. Viz averaged 30-50 ft.

 

As mtnman pointed out, stay clear of Key West. The diving there was at best not great. I don't know how things were before the last few hurricaines came through, but the reefs are trashed! Everything is covered with a heavy layer of silt that gets stirred up by wave motion, so vis averaged 15-25 ft. We dove with Southpoint Divers in a big "cattle car" 30 diver boat with only 12 people aboard...luckily. Thats OK, I was in town for a business meeting anyway.

 

Oh yea, I got a few dozen pretty good pictures. Mostly macro because of the vis, but some real keepers. I think I am still in the learning curve with my strobe and I am definitely feeling the limitations of a compact P&S. Focus and time between pictures is killing me.

[e12pilot 0]

I will second the Duane and the Spiegel Grove for two excellent wreck sites.

 

I will also second the comment above for Ocean Divers. Great outfit and nice captains/DMs. They do not dive with you, and dive times were not limited. If you do dive with them go for the 2-tank morning dive, as there will be much less people on the boat then. The afternoon dive is usually to just a reef site, no wrecks.

 

Enjoy, Key Largo is a great time!

 

Peter

[fdog 3]

Key Largo, I've had mixed results w/ Ocean Divers. The boats are great, steel cylinders (woo hoo!), and they will go out on weekdays even if 2 divers are all that show up. OTOH, having the crew smoking on the dive deck, kind of in our faces, was not fun (ignore this if you're a smoker, obviously), and when the boat fills up it transitions quickly into "cattle boat" with little flexibility.

 

Not sure of your background, but if you're in the middle keys and more technical in your diving, Rachel at Wreckreation Charters will take great care of you.

 

Also, in Key Largo, it is more recreational oriented, but they do have a good package deal with the Holiday Inn: Sea Dwellers. Nice people, and you can crawl to the boat from your room.

 

All the best, James

[vortexted 0]

Well this saddens me to hear you guys say the reefs are trashed in Key West.

 

What about snorkeling here? I'm planning a trip right now to Key Largo and was thinking about taking an extra day to drive down to Key West to snorkel there.

 

Is the visability bad everywhere in Key West or just where the scuba dive boats are taking you?

 

Also any suggestions for the best places to snorkel in Key Largo? Right now I was just going to take some snorkel boat trips to Pennenkamp Coral Reef Park and Biscayne National Park.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[ce4jesus 1]

Vortexted,

Pennekamp is a decent snorkel tour operator. I also dive with them because the reefs in Key Largo are covered in boats. The Pennekamp boats are huge and painted bright red. I've rarely been on one that's more than half full. Most of the reefs in the keys are also great snorkel sites. I think the deepest I've been on reef in the keys is about 30ft. There's a small operator called Captain Hooks out of the Marathon area who we dove with last time. The captain's wife is a photographer. They usually frequent some very shallow, isolated reefs which are teeming with life and try and avoid the crowded areas. As such, the dives are rarely below 15ft to the top of the reef.

[vortexted 0]

Do you mean the actual Pennenkamp state run boat operators?

 

Can any shore dives be done in the keys or is all the good snorkeling done by taking boat rides to the reefs?

 

Thanks for the advice, I will check out Capt. Hooks.

 

If anyone knows of the current conditions of the reefs around Key West please let me know.

 

Thanks

Ted

[loftus 42]

I have dived with a few operators in the Keys area within the last year.

My personal favorite for a standard 12-16 diver size boat is Conch Republic out of Tavernier (just south of Key Largo). There is also an amazing little lunch shop at the dock there. Ocean Divers is OK but can get crowded.

For smaller operators Quiessance (305-451-2440) take 6 per boat. They are close to Pennekamp, and pretty much leave you alone when you dive. If you want your own boat call Mike's Charters (305-7433017). He has a great fast Glacier Bay Motor Cat that is awesome for 4-5 divers and he will take you anywhere you want to go.

There is no decent shore diving that I am aware of in the keys.

In the Key West area, stay out of Key West itself, dive Loue Key in the Big Pine Key area, or if you can take the time, consider the Dry Tortugas.

Hope this is helpful.

Jeff

[TylerMoore 0]

My parents and I have gone down to Key largo since i was 4 or 5. Its great. I would recommend hitting up reefs like mollasis (which is a ways off if your in key largo, but worth it) and pennykamp which is very close. Also the statue of the christ is a popular one. There's also a number of wrecks there, most of them are apparent above water because of the shallowness of the ocean there. You should be able to find coordinates of the spots mentioned on any brochure or anything you find down there.

 

 

 

Have fun.

 

 

We're actually going to key largo this August, too. Maybe we'll be there at the same time.

[ce4jesus 1]

Vortexted,

Yes the state park operator. Shore dives would be tough in the Keys because of how shallow everything is. The only place I can think of is Bahia Honda State Park which is just before you get to Key West. I'm not sure how deep it gets but it is an artificial beach which will help out your entry. Its also fairly close to some peers that might harbor some cool stuff.

 

Later,

Gary

[vortexted 0]

We're actually going to key largo this August, too.  Maybe we'll be there at the same time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Heya Tyler,

I'm going to be in Key Largo from August 3rd through the 6th. Although I have scuba dived before, I'm not certified .....yet.

 

So this trip is going to be a lot of snorkeling I'm staying at the Holiday Inn the first 2 nights, and leaving the last night open to see if I'm in the mood to trek down to key west. Or who knows, I might even head to SoBe for some night life action. Then its off to Brazil for 2 weeks

 

Anyway, if you want to do some snorkeling that would be great. I'm going solo so my schedule is flexible.

 

I read lobster season starts August 6th. Anyone want some help catching them? I dont want any to keep, I just want to do it for the experience.

 

peace........Ted