Help me pick my Key Largo dive sites

[anchochile]

I'll be diving with Rainbow Reef Oct 21-23. This will be my first time to the Keys and my first warm water dives (woohoo!).

I'm having a little trouble choosing which boats to book, given the multitude of different sites available on each day. I am definitely planning to do the Duane and Spiegel Grove, if conditions allow. For my other dives, I'm most interested in seeing lots of cool critters (large and small) and healthy, interesting reef structures.

Here's a list of the 2-tank itineraries that are available over my three days of diving. Would love advice on which ones are not-to-be-missed, which I should skip, and which are so good that I might want to hit them up twice.

FYI, I'm not especially interested in the Christ Statue, unless it's really worth it for the reef & life at the site.

• Benwood/French
• Snapper/Pickles
• Horseshoe/Minnow Cave
• Drift French/Drift Molasses
• Christ Statue/Banana Patch
• Spanish Anchor/Hole in the Wall
• Eagle Ray Alley/North Star
• Fire Coral Cave/Eagle Ray Alley
• City of Washington/Elbow Reef
• Christmas Tree Cave/Benwood
• French Reef/French Twist
• Christmas Tree/French
• Molasses/Hole in the Wall
• North Dry Rocks/Double North

As you can see, it's a bit overwhelming. Would love any advice on top picks out of these options so I can choose my boats.

Thanks!

 

[caruso]

It's almost like saying I want to go to New York City and walk around and look at homeless people. Should I got to Grand Central Station, Penn Station or any of a few particular streets that are known to attract the less fortunate?

Conditions vary on any given day you never know who is going to be hanging around. The fish life on one reef isn't all that much different from another in the Upper Keys. Many of the sites on your list are adjacent to one another, all are within a few miles of each other. The reef structures are different between Molasses and French Reef, but that doesn't seem to be your concern so I'd say grab any available boat and go dive.

Expect anything from reefs devoid of any marine life with the occasional sole occupant of a crevice or a small school of fish, up to a reef that is teaming with life.

When I dive the Keys I always try to get on wrecks before reefs, and since the Benwood is on your list of choices I'd definitely go there. It's a shallow wreck which still has a lot of large chunks and relief of up to 20' and you probably won't be disappointed in the fish.

 

[Billy Northrup]

Most of those places are in the same neighborhood. The Duane and Bibb have allot of life on them like sharks, turtles, rays and eels. I love the Grove because there is so much to do there, they often follow up with the Benwood.. It's shallow but it's a great dive to see things, lots of overhang areas for stuff to hang out. If your on the Benwood you can take a heading of 150 degrees and find about 70 foot and some deeper stuff to look and maybe see a shark... Return of 330 puts you pretty much right back on the chain and 1 hour run time. Definitely do a night dive if they have one going. Enjoy, have a beer at Sharky's for me

 

[dberry]

I was about to mention that Rainbow Reef requires proof of AOW to dive the Spiegel Grove, then I realized the SG isn't on your list.

Since it's your first trip, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the itineraries (although the statue isn't all that exciting, IMO... YMMV).

I particularly like the Benwood... it's fallen all to pieces, but it always seems to be very "fishy".

 

[scubadada]

I go to Key Largo for the wrecks, Spiegel, Duane, and Bibb. The deep drifts on Molasses and French Reef are good. Snapper Reef has always been good.

 

[PoolsOpen]

I agree that a lot of the dives are similar. For example Christmas tree cave is in French reef and Hole in the Wall is in Molasses. However you will have a great time, and the Captains do want you to have a good dive so if conditions (current or Viz reports) are bad they will go to a similar but alternate site. BTW are you AOW? Its only $160 add-on if you already bought a dive package. If you decide to get AOW call them ASAP so u can get the elearning code and do the work before u arrive. The AOW elearning is just a review with some more info and you will enjoy the Spiegel and Duane.

 

[PoolsOpen]

Ok
To answer your original question
If you're not intersted in AOW and want to stick to nice pretty reefs with lots of fish my top 3 are

Snapper ledge
Hole in the wall
Christmas tree cave

If you're gonna do AOW then just go on the advanced/deep boats that go to a deep wreck followed by a shallow reef, and enjoy...

 

[anchochile]

Thanks all for the advice. Sounds like it's hard to go wrong. I'm doing my AOW in the next few weeks before the trip so I'll be able to see the wrecks.

Is it worth repeating any of the wrecks on multiple days? Will the guides be likely to take you to different parts of the wrecks on different days, or would it be pretty much the same dive?

And does anyone know if RR offers larger tanks for the deep dives? 100fsw on an AL80 seems like a pretty short dive.

 

[The Chairman]

My favorites are the Benwood, Snappers, Carysfort and the Conch Wall.

 

[anchochile]

My favorites are the Benwood, Snappers, Carysfort and the Conch Wall.

Thanks. Doesn't look like Carysfort & Conch Wall are options the days I'm there, but I'll make sure to get to Benwood & Snappers.