Dive Business in Florida Keys?

[moneysavr]

Hey Bilznut,
Wow sounds like you had a bad trip,I too have dove the Keys and have had some good trips and a few bad ones,Now I meet the boat or opp,Talk with some folks that have dove them to see if they just go the easy way, or work for you and get you to the dive safely!
Second some of the locals if you can find one can be strange but if you can warm up to them with a few cold ones they can be a HOOT!
We have some life long pals down in the Keys and go back year after year to see them, and I check out other dive shop/boats and there are some good ones and a share of poor ones! so you must do your homework,Bad news travels fast good news never makes a head line! and thats why this site rules!

The Keys for sale yep you cant afford to live in the Keys if you work there!
I found that out when I had my boat down and stayed at Dunns OceanView, Garry Dunn the owner kindly let me tie my boat to his pier while we stayed at his place, We noticed 8-9 old ratty sail boats and I mean yuck in the bay, one night I seen my boat was moved and a launch was off the pier and I asked back at the bar that night and found some of the locals lived on them that worked in the area!
I will go back to visit my wife if we won the lottery would buy Flaglers Hotel in KeyWest,That KeyWest aint for this guy! talk about some strage sights!
Dve safe,
Brad

 

[stu_in_fl]

I am heading to Ft. Myers tomarro.WE well see.

Well if your coming to Ft Myers, I'll give a shameless plug to the local dive store I use - Deans Dive Center (http://deansdivecenter.com/) - the owner, Brent, is very knowlegable and friendly - despite there being lots of differnet stores in Ft Myers, this is the only one i ever use.


For the Keys, another thing that is probably hurting the dive ops is the high cost of hotels - especially in season (but this is the same all over Florida) - this makes a weekend trip quite a bit of $...that and the fact some of the cheaper places will be bought out an turned into condos... that also makes it harder to hire/keep staff - not just in the dive industry but shops, restarants etc. - i still try and make it down regulalrly (when the wind is playing nice) as it is great diving and nice to hang out...

...i've never actually had a bad experience in terms of boat crews/operators - never suffered from bad attitude like one of the posters earlier had mentioned (although have heard stories), but then again I usually dive with the same few ops each time i go (never change a winning formula !)...boards like this are good to see which places people like/dislike - although it is all subjective and should be taken with a pinch of salt...

 

[AlexRodriguez]

Yes the Keys are changing. A lot of businesses are for sale, but I only know of two dive shops for sale and they are in the Islamorada area. I'm sure everything is for sale if the price is right. And boy have the prices in the Keys been going up up up. It is a shame when you see the flavor of the Keys changing, but that is the price you pay for being popular.

All of the redevelopment is "killing" the keys. I feel like my grandparents but its just not what it once was. You think things are bad now give it another 5 - 10 years. Most of the dive shops will be gone or charging $150+ for a 1/2 day trip. Land is fetching such a premium anyone who owns the land where the dive shop sits can make more money selling the land than staying in business.

Unfortunate but reality in paradise.

Alex

 

[Bbarnes]

We have dove with Tilden's in Marathon (and their other shop at Hawk's Cay resort) and have loved all of the staff and crew. They were friendly, helpful and excited about their jobs. We also had great luck with Quiessence and Scuba Doo in Key Largo. The Keys are a great place to go for great diving without having to leave the country. It has great wrecks (The Thunderbolt, The USS Duane etc) and great shallow to mid depth reefs. Flagler's Barge has to be one of our favorite dives, (shallow dive packed with so many fish you almost have to push them out of your way to swim through the open sided wreck) .

 

[deeper thoughts]

All of the redevelopment is "killing" the keys. I feel like my grandparents but its just not what it once was. You think things are bad now give it another 5 - 10 years. Most of the dive shops will be gone or charging $150+ for a 1/2 day trip. Land is fetching such a premium anyone who owns the land where the dive shop sits can make more money selling the land than staying in business.

Unfortunate but reality in paradise.

Alex

Yes and no. As a resident and homeowner in the keys, I am not sorry to see holiday isle go with all its traffic, drunk driving and litter. All that being said i am concerned about the jobs being lost and the waterfront being gated and taken away for some.

 

[MsParamedic]

Bilznut..
I also am sorry for your past experiences in the Keys, but PA-LEASE don't lump us all together. I work the counter and teach for a shop in Key Largo, and I hope I treat all our guests as I would want to be treated!

Please don't taint everyone against us!

 

[StSomewhere]

The original thread was 3 years old....

 

[Davidwright]

I'll tell you what, I've dove the Keys twice and will be there again in May, but I must tell you that as far as dive-friendly shops/boats, the Keys is a very unfriendly place to get wet. When I go, I rent a car and dive different shops/boats. For the most part, these are unhappy folks in these shops. I have been all over the world and have never experienced the feeling of being unwelcome after spending a few hundred bucks to dive. That's why I would never relegate myself to diving w/one shop for repetitive dive days in the Keys; although I routinely do this in other dive destinations. The only reason I keep going back for the rude attitudes, is the absolutely wonderful waters and fish life. It's no wonder businesses are for sale...take it as sign and go somewhere without a for sale on it. And no, I am not some loud mouth who thinks he's been everywhere. My first dives were in the Keys and I went back three years later and I am going back again. The diversity of sea life may be unparalleled. Go, but suck it up, these folks on the boat are unreal. I will not name shops but I am leafing through my log and have used 12 different operations on the Keys w/three receiving high marks for boat crew personal. My remarks have nothing to do with price either.

as you can see it has been a couple of years now from this quote but they still have not changed in the keys so we decided to do something about it , we are going in across the street from Conch Republic Divers and up the street from Florida Keys Dive Center, at the old upper keys dive center site .
1. We have only 6 pack boats and it goes out at 10:30 a.m. for a 3 tank Dive and after the first Dive you will find food waiting on you when you come out of the water and more to drink then just water also .
2. Afternoon trip goes out so you can be on the reef for your 1st Dive before it get's dark and when you get back on the boat again the food is waiting so after eating a little we gear up and hit the water for a real night Dive on the same reef you just seen in the daylight and we send a Dive Master with a group of 3 Divers and never more then 6 divers on a boat .$125.00 for our trips and $55.00 anight for a room if you need one just look at this Florida Keys Hotel - Islamorada Hotel - Keys Lodge Hotel in Islamorada

www.southernmostdiving.com
Southern Most Diving PADI CD on Staff
90701 Old Hwy 1 S-22174
Tavernier , Fl
opening Dec 2010 for X-Mas
855-743-DIVE
305-743-DIVE Marathon , Big Pine , Tavernier , Key West

ProDive Learning Centers NAUI CD on Staff
90791 Old Hwy 1
Tavernier , Fl
305-974-DIVE
COMING 2011

 

[deepstops]

Interesting!

 

[JimJam2]

as you can see it has been a couple of years now from this quote...

Intro: Name's Jim
My 2 cents (where's the 2 cent smiley?)..
I just got from (just) 4 dives with Ocean Divers in Key Largo. I was treated great and they fixed an issue I was having with my DIN -> Yoke converter no charge. $75 for reef and $90 for the wreck dives. Great captain (Lou) and mates. Ocean was 79 degrees (pretty decent for mid-November) viz was 100+ and Molasses Reef was pristine (as was the Duane wreck where I saw the turtle that lives there). Found a condo for $100 and the best deli ever (Chad's). Can't wait to go back. Debated Belize (been there - great), Roatan and Cozumel. For me as a single diver, a condo, rental car, great diving and being able to cook my own dinners work out best.