Advice needed for our August Dive trip to the Lower keys

[lhhoback]

My husband and I are looking to go to the middle and lower keys around Aug 8 - 11th. We are looking to dive 1 day at Key West to see the Vandenberg during this trip. The other dive days will be split between Looe Key and Marathon. We dove Key Largo the last several trips so we figure its time to branch out.

I have narrowed our accomadation choices to a really sweet location just above marathon with a cute bungalow or a nice dive type hotel around Big Pine Key. Price between the two is not that horribly different. The bungalow would be my first choice as we could grill out and enjoy the beach in the evenings. But the biggest difference is either 30 or so minutes to Key West versus about an hour and 20 minutes to Key West. Just wondering if it is reasonable to think we could stay at the Marathon Location and make it to Key West for the am dives or would we find that with traffic the commute would be even longer than we think and notvery doable? Looks like most of the Vandy dives leave about 8 or 8:30 am.

Thanks for your input. Any dive op recommendations would be appreciated as well. We typically want to do about 4 dives a day on the reef days...The Vandy day may just be the 2 am dives depending upon the dive shop doing 2 vandy dives or a Vandy and reef dive. If deco permits wouldn't mind catchin some afternoon dives in Key West as well or maybe doing a night dive that day up around Looe or Marathon.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Garrobo]

Sorry, I can't help you with this one. I am sure that there are some new dive shops on Key West these days because of the Vandenberg so you can probably get some decent dives out of them. I've seen where some posters have listed various dive spot from Marathon on down, but not many and few recommendations. The Upper Keys are it for most divers. Personally, I will make the trip to Key West one day to dive the Vandenberg and scout out Mel Fisher's treasuer shop (and possibly dive with them) but that will be a flight into Key West for a week's stay or more, not Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. Too damn far to drive.