best key largo dive boats.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

ryfly161

Registered
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
19
Reaction score
3
Location
Mooresville, NC
# of dives
1000 - 2499
i have only been to key largo to do two trip for technical dives to the spegal and the Duane. The trips I end on were set up by some buddies and were small operations. I am now looking to bring my newly certified daughter for some fun shallow dives. What are the best dive boats and shops in key largo to go out with for a good time without feeling like you are cattle? Thanks for the help
 
If you want a guide, go with Rainbow Reef. They have big stable boats (good for a newbie) and good captains. Only issue is that they are a very popular operator and boats are usually full.

If you like a six pack experience, Quescence is a good option. Great staff and given there are only six people on the boat, you can probably name the sites you want to see. The downside is if the weather is rough the small boats can bounce around a lot (not good for a newbie). Also, there's no guide. The other long shot downside is that if you happen to get on a small boat with four other divers that are real idiots, if makes for a miserable trip since there is nowhere to escape to, like a flying bridge on a big Newton, in a small boat. That happened to a buddy and me a few years ago

I use Conch Republic the most. They have a big boat (similar to the ones RR uses) and it is rarely sold out. The staff is great and they will hit sites other boats don't get to as much since they are a little further south in the Upper Keys. Only downside is that there's no guide. On the shallow sites, a guide isn't really all that needed in my mind
 
Last edited:
I'm here and what sportxlh said.

I think Rainbow is your best bet at this time.

If you want to do some tech, ping me
 
I second Quiescence Diving. Small boats with no crowd so your daughter will be more comfortable, better selection of your sites, and a better experience. Given your skill in diving, I doubt you’d need a guide. Rainbow is a cattle boat in my opinion, and you’re going to see only the most common sites that everyone sees. Quiescence has their own special spots.
 
Rainbow Reef is a large operation with multiple boats and as far as I know they are the only upper Keys Op who does not charge extra for a DM. Service is great, it's a smooth well run operation.

I have also dived with Ocean Divers and Conch Republic Divers.

Those are my top 3 but they aren't the only ones.

Sea Dwellers posts a lot of useful advice on this forum they're worth a consideration for sure.
 
When I dive in the Upper Keys, I dive with Quiescence. They run 6 packs and I have never seen more than 6 on a boat. We reserve spots for the week. One time, we were the only people to show up and they took us out. Quiescence dives quite a few spots that no one else seems to be familiar with. Typically, they do not put a diver in the water but for a fee, they might be able to arrange one.
 
I went out with Key Largo Dive Center a couple a times in December and had a great time. They have a good size boat but limit the number of divers to six. On one trip there was just the two of us. Free dive guide included if you want one. Pretty nice. Key Largo Dive Center | Reefs To Dive For

I also went out with Conch Republic. They put more divers on their boat than Key Largo Dive Center does but the boat is well laid out and the captain and crew were great. Home

I would dive with both operations again without any hesitation.

win
 
They run 6 packs and I have never seen more than 6 on a boat.
Actually, they can’t put more than that on a boat. That’s all they can run with one crewman onboard.
 
Actually, they can’t put more than that on a boat. That’s all they can run with one crewman onboard.

According the the USCG site for boat registries the Key Largo Diver is an Uninspected Passenger 30' boat and can only run with 6 divers. Key Largo Dive Center is a great choice for diving in Key Largo area.

Here is the reference so you can look up for yourself. USCG Registry
USCG PSIX Search Page

Our boat the Republic Diver, which is a 46' Newton, is an Inspected vessel and as such can run with more than 6 but we are required to had a mate/dive master on board. We regularly run with 15 to 20 passengers on the pristine reefs off Tavernier and Islamorada. That load on a big boat like that gives the customer a lot of room.

Good Diving,
Capt Gary
 
According the the USCG site for boat registries the Key Largo Diver is an Uninspected Passenger 30' boat and can only run with 6 divers. Key Largo Dive Center is a great choice for diving in Key Largo area.
Not for Quiescence Diving. Their three boats are, or at last I saw, USCG inspected.

They run 6-pac by choice.
 
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

Back
Top Bottom