Diving the Keys help please

[munkispank]

Rainbow reef have a guide with there dives- its all on their website- its called their 'standard' dive.
I'm not sure you would 'need' one for many of the locations as it is fairly easy diving, but go with whatever you prefer.

I can second for silent world in Key Largo, they were great. I like Key Largo as it can be really nice a laid back diving- good for new divers but also other options for the more experienced. get to the Spiegel grove if you can.

 

[OCDinNC]

Scubaboard is invading the keys with Conch Republic Divers.
I have used them for years. They will take care of you and the diving in the Tavenier/ Key Largo is some of the best anywhere in the Keys. I also agree Looe key is a must dive area if you going all the way to Key West.

http://www.conchrepublicdivers.com/

I second on Conch Republic. Good folks, hard to beat. They let you rinse your gear, then hang it up to dry overnight, which is a lot easier than lugging it back to your hotel! The diving's better there than a lot of places in the Keys, in my opinion. I suugest Snappers and Horseshoe for reefs.

 

[subc]

I just finished a week in Key Largo. my family (wife & son) and I stayed at the Marriott and dove with "it's a dive". good people and a nice stable pontoon boat. we did natural reefs on a couple of days and dove the spiegel grove on the last day. it was great - lots of fish and nice warm water (80F) - although it was a little windy and choppy which made the visibility on the shallow dives a little hazy, but still great by my standards (New England diving). if you book thru the dive shop you get a break on the rooms. we had a great time - i highly recommend it. btw i'd eat out rather than go to the M's restaurant - a little pricey for the quality.

 

[DivePartner1]

. . . I can second for silent world in Key Largo, they were great. I like Key Largo as it can be really nice a laid back diving- good for new divers but also other options for the more experienced. get to the Spiegel grove if you can.

Me too, subject to the caveat below. I dove Silent World last December. Silent World uses smaller, faster boats than the cattle boats and had a decent, service oriented staff at the time.

I had a less favorable 'non-experience' with the outfit at the Marriott. I reserved in advance and booked at the Marriot to be near, but no one else signed up for the boat so they cancelled -- something they could have shared with me in my call the day before. They sent me to another op that I barely made.

Of course, Silent World did the same thing to me once -- the same cancellation and death ride to barely make someone else's cattle boat.

Overall, I have to say my experience is that the boats in Key Largo aren't that reliable and are quick to cancel reservations or push someone else's cattle boat. That's unacceptably poor service for those of us who have to fly there to dive.

 

[pickens_46929]

Silent World is pretty good. But so are Island Ventures and Divers City USA.

Been out with them all. You would have to ask specifically for a guide and it would be extra $$$.

There are a couple of operators down in Tavernier that provide guides for larger groups. Can't recall the names though.