First, there is no oil in the Keys, w/ the notable exception of Sun Tan Lotion.
Second, the diving right now is great but November can be a little challenging because we do tend to get some fronts that push through and the winds might be blowing. However, unless we have a Southerly wind, the reefs off Islamorada are usually very protected and the wave heights are pretty small. The wind usually blows from the Northeast so our Atlantic (reef) waters are usually pretty protected because the dive sites are all south of the islands.
There are a number of dive ops in the Keys but I primarily dive with Key Dives -
Key Dives Guided Scuba Diving in Islamorada in the Florida Keys . They've got some information on lodging on thier site. They assign an instructor to each of the groups who essentially acts as a tour guide while you are diving. This is nice as I'm not a big fan of the "insta-buddy" that you get hooked up with on a lot of dive ops; with thier operation you can always rely on at least one person out there. It also relieves you of having to navigate. They have some very good hunters working for them and I think they will sometimes allow hunting with prior coordination, but call beforehand to set it up. Thier rental gear is all ScubaPro gear and it's all maintained properly. BTW, they dive the Eagle pretty often...it's an awesome dive.
I also dive with the folks down at
Scuba Diving, Snuba, Resort Courses, Scuba Diving Lessons at Dive Duck Key, Florida Keys. They run a decent operation and are very hospitable and easy going. I find them to be a safe operation and thier staff is very qualified. On deeper dives and wreck dives (Thunderbolt) they tend to guide the dive unless a certified instructor is leading a group (which means they guide the dive). On the shallower dives (15-55feet) they tend to dive reefs that are pretty easy to navigate (Ledges, circular, etc.) so getting lost isn't much of an issue but they don't guide the dives unless you ask them to do so...and I'm sure there is an additional fee required. They do allow hunting, but call beforehand to let them know what you want to do. Don't know about thier rental gear but I do know they have it available.
Now I live down here and don't have to deal with hotels. There are a number of them that are quite nice; but remember that cost and ameneties go hand-in-hand down here. \
Places to eat in Islamorada...
Brazalena @ Whale Harbor - Off the charts good and my favorite...a little pricey
Marker 88 - very good, also a little on the pricey side
Agave (Mexican) - Very good and very reasonable
Debbie Doo's (Sandwiches) - Awesome...you won't be able to eat the whole thing
City Hall Diner (Sandwiches & Salads) - Awesome
Craig's - Very good, very reasonably priced lunches and dinners
Mangrove Mike's - Good for breakfast, great for lunch, closed for Dinner
Green Turtle - Very good, a little more expensive but worth it.
Mobile Gas Station - Great Fried Chicken...
Chili-Willies - Pretty good, it's reasonable, bar food
Boardwalk Pizza - Good Pizza
Whale Harbor Seafood Buffet - Yuck...save your money and eat the napkin instead of the food.
Island Grill - Gordan Ramsey would have a fit...
As you can tell, I like to eat. There are lots of good restaurants in our area and very few lousy ones. Even if you decide to stay in Key Largo or in the Lower Keys, the places I mentioned (with obvious exception) are worth a stop if you're out for a day trip. I'd even suggest diving w/ the Key Dives on one day just to see how they do it...it'll be worth it.
I live down here and don't work for any of the companies I've mentioned above. My wife owns an art studio and I'm a consultant so my opinions are my own and I stand to gain nothing from what I've said above...except maybe a shot in the chops from the owner of Island Grill. Stop in Seaside Glassworks at the Rainbarrel and let me know how your dives went; I'm there most weekends...I'm always eager to meet fellow divers.
Good luck and enjoy your stay.