Hey. So I am setting up a trip for our dive club at my university for spring break down @ the keys. I went to Key West last year and had a blast diving. This year I would like to go back down there, but have heard there is better diving around Marathon and Key Largo. We plan on staying at one of the KOA campgrounds down there. Some people would like to go to Key west on our free time for the beach or other spring break festivities. Any suggestions? I want to be able to mix great diving with some other fun things to do down there. Key Largo and Marathon if we stayed at the KOA on Fiesta key doesnt have much to do other than dive I have heard.
Best diving in the Keys
- Thread starter wvangel87
- Start date
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CLEAR BLUE
Contributor
Great diving in Key Largo but then it is a 2 hour drive to Key West. Key Largo is pretty much all about diving.
dkktsunami
Contributor
Reasonable prices and good crew at Amoray's, as well as good diving.
scubacoots3
Guest
Key Largo...if you don't dive or fish; no reason to go there.....but if you do dive or fish.....it is the best place in the keys IMO.
DeputyDan
Contributor
This is the bottom line in one sentence!
I agree completely.
IF you are going with a group you can create your own "excitement"!
Key Largo is a great place to dive but you will be bored at night. I like the bars but I am in my mid 30's. The diving between Marathon and Key West is excellent. Looe Key is about as good as it gets with out the crowds from Key Largo. Go south, enjoy the diving and the partying.
Or do a day or two of diving in Key Largo then head south. Mix it up and have fun.
Or do a day or two of diving in Key Largo then head south. Mix it up and have fun.
jimdiverman
Contributor
I dove with Innerspace down there a few years ago. There was a little hotel/bar right on the highway in Big Pine Key. It was acceptable (Its been a few years). We dove the Adolphus Busch and did the underwater music festival. I guess they still do that. I want to say it was early summer. Great shallow reef diving.
Hmm thanks everyone for the input. Marathon is about a 50 minute drive from sugarloaf key which isnt bad, but then again its 20 minutes from Fiesta key. So is Big Pine Key any good as far as the diving, its just one site right?
lmorin
Contributor
Off Big Pine Key is the Looe Key marine park area. It is a beautiful dive site, but is quite shallow. Somewhat north of Looe Key and closer to Marathon is Sombrero Light. It is also part of the Marine Park and very nice. You could stay in Marathon where there are more accommodations than Big Pine Key. Then, you would be smack in the middle of the Keys, about 50 mi to Key West and 50 to the dive ops around mm 100 in Key Largo. When we dive Key Largo, we stay there. When diving Looe, Sombrero or the unprotected sites off Marathon, we stay in Marathon and do Key West as an off day, non-diving excursion.
Night life (drinking) and diving don't mix. Enjoy the diving in the Key Largo/Islamorada area and don't hit the sauce.
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