Of course, the best way to get to these sites on your own schedule is just get in your vehicle, drive down and jump in. No negotiating with boat captains, dive guides or other divers. Frankly, if I were to pay for a boat dive I would want to go to Klein, Bloodlet, Rappel or anywhere else too hard to get to from the shore.
But, back to the topic:
Angel City is a great double reef dive. You can go in at the painted rocks or you can access from a couple of beaches just south of there. You can see the coral nurseries put in by the restoration group right out from the mooring buoy. The top of the outer reef is as shallow as 9 meters/ 30 feet there which allows a long dive. There are coral bridges between the outer and the inner reefs. Sting rays and eagle rays feed in the sand between if you are lucky. The hard corals on the inner reef just south of there between 30 and 50 feet remain amongst the healthiest on the southern reef system. Or you can find the Hilma Hooker anchor chain which has a big loop from the anchor itself and follow it to the Hooker for a low pass by the tarpon and Jack's who are almost always there. Save your Hooker penetration for a dedicated dive where your gas and bottom time allows a full exploration. The deeper outside of the second reef is not that pretty, mostly dead coral, lots of red algae, but a good chance of schools of horse eye Jack's, predatory amber Jack's, barracuda and sizeable grouper. While mostly dead, some of the spectacular structures shelter groups of Margates and snappers, morays, and elusive peppermint or candy bass. Then returning through the shallows, small lumps of coral can reveal juvenile angels doing cleaning duty, hunting golden tail morays surrounded by a squad of coneys, trumpet fish and a young bar jack. Maybe an octopus or sharp tailed eel along the way. Otherwise, a pretty boring dive ( insert irony smiley here).
Alice and Aquarius are excellent too, but my post is already too long.
