Looking for FL keys recommendations for early/mid November

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oreocookie

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Scuba Instructor
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Hey guys,
I’ll start this by saying I have never dove in Florida, so I need some help. I’ll be going to DEMA in Orlando in mid-November and planning to fly down a few days to a week early to do some diving, and I was thinking of the Keys.

My rough plan is to fly into Fort Lauderdale or Miami on the Thursday morning, drive down to somewhere and then drive up to Orlando on Tuesday to get there late afternoon or evening. Beyond that, I’ve got a blank slate. I’ve gotten recommendations of Key Largo and “definitely dive the Spiegel Grove”, and other recommendations of “the Vandenberg is my favourite site in the Keys”. So I’m thinking some dive time in Key West and some in Key Largo, but how much time in each is up in the air.

What I’m looking for for diving: If I’m in an area with a famous wreck, I want to see it, but I like reefs too. I’ll be travelling solo, I’m ok with insta-buddies as long as their experience level will not have a significant negative impact on my dive experience. I’d prefer smaller groups, but it’s not a deal breaker.

How should I budget my dive time (ie how many days or dives per Key) and who should I dive with? Thanks!
 
If the trip is mostly about diving, I'd stay in Key Largo, Tavernier and Islamorada. There are four deep wrecks, a few deep reefs, a few mid depth reefs and lots and lots of shallow reefs and smaller wrecks. Conch Republic ( all around good shop/staff and boats are not usually too crowded) is my favorite but I also have used and enjoyed trips with Rainbow Reef (crowded boats but good staff and free guides) and Quiescence (6 pack operator, lets you choose site to dive). Its been a while, but I had good experiences with Horizon too.

If you want some night life, museums, taverns and interesting topside sites with a little diving thrown in, then Key West is fun. The Vandy is a great dive but I didn't like the reefs in the area. If you don't care about topside activities, I don't think the long drive (100 miles at 35 mph) to KW just to dive the Vandy is worth the effort and would focus in the upper keys instead.

Now if you had a full week, spending a day in the car to drive the overseas highway from KL to KW would be fun, but you really don't have all that much time.

On the weekends that time a year, a lot of shops will run AM and PM 2 tank dives.... So you'll get 4 dives per day. Some will do the same on weekdays too if they can get enough divers. Some shops also have occasional night dives which gives you a potential 5th dive.
 
I've only dove with Horizon Divers in Key Largo, they certified me back in 2018 and I visited them again in August this year before Dorian came up from the Caribbean. You definitely have your pick of the litter with Dive Ops in the Keys. I picked Horizon because they were the only ones to actually respond back to me about the questions I had. I'm glad they did because I couldn't be happier with the service and staff. Angie, Dianne, Rich, and Justin were my guides/DM and were awesome to show me all the cool stuff on the reefs and wrecks. Capt Troy and Capt Dani always make for a smooth and quick ride out to the sites.

Definitely check out the Spiegel, I have dove it a few times now and I still get to see new parts of it every time. The Duane is also in Key Largo, not as cool as the Spiegel though.

The hotels in Key Largo are definitely a cost of convenience to stay there. You can save quite a bit of money in lodging if you are willing to drive from Homestead to Key Largo (about 30mins). I stayed at the Travelodge ($70 a night) my first year and the Courtyard Marriott ($99 a night) my second year. I definitely recommend stopping by Shiver's BBQ in Homestead if you like BBQ, it was so delicious.
 
I'll agree with parts of both posts above. I have only dove Key Largo with Quiescence (two trips) so I can't give well rounded advice BUT we did have really nice experiences. If you can stand a drive across the causeway from Homestead, you can save a bundle. I lean towards moderately cheap on hotel and more generous on tips.
 
After a quick Expedia search (not sure why I hadn’t looked before, honestly) and a few expletives, Key West is definitely not happening... the only 2 options under $400 (Canadian) per night was an expensive bed in a 10-bed dorm at a hostel or a resort for gay men (and I am neither a man, nor gay).

Staying in Homestead is definitely a possibility unless I find a good deal in Key Largo. And a stop at the History of Diving museum is on the to-do list....

Please keep the dive op recommendations coming. :)
 
If you’re flying in to FLL and looking to dive wrecks, I’d suggest a day or two diving out of Pompano before you head down to Key Largo. Don’t get me wrong, you definitely want to get to Key Largo and dive the Spiegel Grove and the Duane/ Bibb (they’re twins) but when you land at FLL you’re about 30 minutes from getting on a dive boat that’s probably headed to a wreck. Pompano Dive Center, South Florida Diving Headquarters, and Scuba Tyme (and maybe one other that I’m forgetting?) all operate out of the same marina next to the Sands Harbor Resort & Marina. Rooms at the Sands are nothing fancy but prices are generally reasonable for the area and you can walk downstairs and across the parking lot to the boat. If you time your flight in right (early to mid-morning) you can even catch an afternoon boat out of Pompano the day you fly in. I’ve gone out most often with PDC, but will happily go with one of the others if PDC isn’t going to a site I’m interested in diving.

Then, once you’ve gotten your fill of the wrecks there, head down to Key Largo for some dives. Just make sure you time your drive to miss the MIA rush hour if it’s a weekday (a mistake I’ll never make again). For diving in Key Largo I’m another Horizon fan. I’ve been out with them multiple times on two trips and am planning to go back in January. I can’t speak for any of the other ops, but based on comments here on SB plenty of folks like the others already mentioned above in this thread.

Since I prefer to spend my money on dives rather than hotels the last time I was in Key Largo I stayed up the road in Florida City. I know other folks who have stayed in Homestead as someone else suggested above. It was an easy 25-30 minute drive to the dive shop in the morning if that saves you enough on the room to be worth the time on the road. Otherwise, the two places people I know usually stay in Key Largo are the Holiday Inn and the Marina Del Mar (basic, but clean).

Hope that helps!

Mark
 
The hotel prices in Key West are insane, the first time I went to Key West I stayed in Marathon and drove to and from. Second time I stayed on Stock Island at a newer Hotel. But paying $300+ a night in an Old Motel that was renovated new to look modern is not something I'd do, but that's just me. Only time I splurge on hotel rooms are when I'm in Las Vegas and I can use the comps to my advantage.

If you go with Rainbow Reef you can get a package deal with the hotel next to the Dive Shop (Courtyard Marriott I believe or Holiday Inn) and they offer free Guides/DM. And its across the street from Sharkeys, a restaurant bar that the locals frequent. I've never dove with Rainbow Reef or stayed at the hotels because they're older. And from my understanding Rainbow Reef can be a cattle boat with how many people they take out. But I believe they are the largest Dive Op with the most boats that go out. So they can be competitive for pricing.

Also check out the Blonde Giraffe in Key Largo for Key Lime Pie and Key Lime Treats :)
 
The hotel prices in Key West are insane, the first time I went to Key West I stayed in Marathon and drove to and from. Second time I stayed on Stock Island at a newer Hotel. But paying $300+ a night in an Old Motel that was renovated new to look modern is not something I'd do, but that's just me. Only time I splurge on hotel rooms are when I'm in Las Vegas and I can use the comps to my advantage.

If you go with Rainbow Reef you can get a package deal with the hotel next to the Dive Shop (Courtyard Marriott I believe or Holiday Inn) and they offer free Guides/DM. And its across the street from Sharkeys, a restaurant bar that the locals frequent. I've never dove with Rainbow Reef or stayed at the hotels because they're older. And from my understanding Rainbow Reef can be a cattle boat with how many people they take out. But I believe they are the largest Dive Op with the most boats that go out. So they can be competitive for pricing.

Also check out the Blonde Giraffe in Key Largo for Key Lime Pie and Key Lime Treats :)

While Rainbow Reef does put a lot of people on the boat, they have a guide for every 4-6 people, or you can dive without a guide. It didn’t feel like a cattle boat to us. We booked with them and stayed at the Holiday Inn. Very basic, clean, and suited our needs. The more nights/dives you book, the less per day it costs. For us it came out to about $30/tank and $140/night at Holiday Inn. I’d do it again in a heart beat, maybe stay at Marriott for comparison.

And definitely hit up Blonde Giraffe!
 
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