Diving in Florida Keys?

[DandyDon]

Dandy Don,
Thanks for the info. Yeah, I have been diving for about a year and a half now and have AOW cert. We do lots of deep dives here in the Pacific Northwest (and cold!). I just read about the wreck Adolphus Busch and the Looe Key Nat'l Marine Sanctuary, so I think I will check both of those out and hopefully one or two days elsewhere. Sounds like Key Largo might be a good spot...

Okay - that helps. And while I might do the dives in a 3 mil and a beanie, a 5 mil and a hood would be even better, and I guess you already own those anyway? I'd suggest gloves for the mooring line and a knife or shears for fishing lines you may encounter on the wrecks. Some operators require line cutters.

Yeah, the A-Busch is a neat dive, or at least I thought so the one time I did it. Finding an operator who will go to it on your schedule would take a few phone calls, perhaps - and still, there's weather to allow for. This NOAA site will also give conditions for the nearby Sombrerro Bouy: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ I went out with Loe Key Dive Center, as they seemed more interested in doing that particular trip the week I wanted to. When it's just a solitary diver wanting to go, you gotta' hope that they'll find a few others to make the minimum load. Yoiu may also have a little difficulty finding Nitrox? I had to rent my tank at a different store, but they can refer you to one.

And the Thunderbolt is a fun wreck, too, going out of Marathon. Of the two opererators I've used for it, I prefer Abyss. Very nice six pack, so you only have to hope for 3 others to make the minimum 4, and they do have Nitrox available.

Up the road at Tavenier, you can find operators for the Eagle, lying on it's starboard side, I think, broken in half by a hurricane. Kinda' neat to enter thru the breach and out thru the hold; very brief overhad enviroment. There, I use Taveneir Dive Center; nice folks, 100 cubic foot Nitrox tanks, custom blended to your specs. They can also do the Bibb and Duane sister ships, both - but it's a long boat ride and a surcharge for the Grove from there.

Finally, along the 100 Mile Marker (that far from the west side of Key West), you have a large number of Key Largo operators, and they'll do the S.Gove and one of the sisters - prefering to not do the other, but I can't rember for sure which is which? I think it's the Bibb they don't like to do, but you'll need to ask. Ocean Divers is one of the most expensive, but nice boats, and they'll go whether they have a minimum load or not!

This link will give you a lot of information on various Keys Operators; just click the Key you're thinking about...http://www.divekeys.com/kado_map.htm

Have fun, and tell us about it later! don

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Yeah, the A-Busch is a neat dive, or at least I thought so the one time I did it. Finding an operator who will go to it on your schedule would take a few phone calls, perhaps - and still, there's weather to allow for. Yoiu may also have a little difficulty finding Nitrox? I had to rent my tank at a different store, but they can refer you to one.

All of the shops here between Big Pine & Cudjoe go to the Adolphus Busch on a regular basis. I go there several times each week because its my favorite non-tech dive.

2 shops on Big Pine have nitrox...Underseas & Innerspace. We also have nitrox..custom blends if needed & custom trimix blends as well.

 

[DandyDon]

All of the shops here between Big Pine & Cudjoe go to the Adolphus Busch on a regular basis. I go there several times each week because its my favorite non-tech dive.

2 shops on Big Pine have nitrox...Underseas & Innerspace. We also have nitrox..custom blends if needed & custom trimix blends as well.

Thanks Skipper!

Gonna' hae to go with you next time I can get that far down the OSH...!

don