First diving trip... where to go?

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robint:
I would go to Florida Keys. Fly into Ft. lauderdale or Miami, rent car, and drive south to Key Largo. Tons of dive shops, easy shallow diving with warm water and tons of fish. Check out:
www.itsadive.com
Scuba Diving Key Largo Florida scuba Diving Upper Keys Snorkeling
Dive Key Largo, Florida Keys with Rainbow Reef Dive Center;scuba diving:diving, Florida keys, florida diving
just a few choices for you.

Another choice is Cozumel, it is cheap from most anywhere. It is drift diving though, some people love it and some don't.
Cozumel Scuba Diving at Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Resort and Scuba Cozumel Dive Shop
This is a good place to go for newbie divers, they will take good care of you.

robin:D
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Key Largo is an excellent choice for newbies I think; no passport required. Ground transportation can be a little pricey as you really need a rental car @ $50/day and up but overall a good idea still. Cozumel can be okay for a newbie, but I am much more likely to suggest hiring a private DM for the boat trip or two at Coz than at Key Largo.

Not having exact dates, I just looked around a bit and both can be visited cheaply enough...

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Or if you wanted to reduce your diving time...

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Do you both have DAN dive insurance, at least the mid level? The cheapest plan is a dog but the middle only $10/yr more.
 
DandyDon:
Key Largo is an excellent choice for newbies
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What about for more experienced? Key Largo still a good choice? I'll be in FL for about 10 days and was considering the Keys.
 
sibermike7:
What about for more experienced? Key Largo still a good choice? I'll be in FL for about 10 days and was considering the Keys.
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Oh sure. The reef dives there are fun, but the wreck dives are my favorite: Spiegel Grove, Bibb, Duane, Eagle, and if you have several days there's the Thunderbolt off of Marathon and the new one off of Key West I can't name off the top of my head. I like to find an Operator who will let me do 2 back to back nitrox dives on the same wreck, or better a 120 cf nitrox dive on a wreck followed by a reef dive - but most of them just carry 80s I think.
 
DandyDon:
I like to find an Operator who will let me do 2 back to back nitrox dives on the same wreck, or better a 120 cf nitrox dive on a wreck followed by a reef dive - but most of them just carry 80s I think.
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Ever found any? :popcorn:
 
sibermike7:
Ever found any? :popcorn:
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Rarely, but then I haven't been back in a few years. Once there were just 3 of us on a SG boat, all Nitrox, and we all wanted to do back to back dives there so we did. Usually you follow a wreck dive with a reef there. There used to be an Op in Tavernier just south of Key Largo with 100 cf Nitrox tanks but he sold out; you might ask on the Florida forum who got those tanks but you'll still need to ascend with your buddy and sometimes you just have to hope that you can find a descent one who is also on Nitrox. It is fun diving there tho, or - I have heard a lot of good about diving north of Miami in the Ft.Lauderdale area and north too.
 
sibermike7:
Ever found any? :popcorn:
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several dive ops in Keys do a "double dip" on a wreck. Check out the schedules for: Florida Keys Diving With Silent World Voted #1 in Florida
CONCH REPUBLIC DIVERS " COME SEE WHY WE'RE NOT JUST ANOTHER DIVE SHOP"
www.itsadive.com

Also, for non-newbie divers in Florida, I would recommend doing some of the deep wrecks along the SE coast, from West Palm Beach to Ft Lauderdale. Tons of wrecks, many of which are still in Rec diving depth.
South Florida Diving Headquarters (check out their list of wrecks)
Diversity Charters
Parrot Island Scuba (check out the wrecks)

robin:D
 
I would also recommend Cozumel. The water is warm the diving is great and the views from resorts are stunning. If you can wait until May you can get low season prices. We use Bay Adventures (Bay Adventures :: Dive Adventures and Island Vacations :: 888.599.3483) to book our trips. If you check out their web site you can see the prices (actually the cost of If you find a lower price online he will try to match it. We have been to Coz 4 times and love it. However, I think your $1500 for two including air, food, hotel, and diving may be a stretch. Airfare alone will eat up most of the amount you are budgeting.

Regards,

Bill
 
If you want to dive the Keys right you should consider joining one of our trips! We are heading to Florida 15 times this year, so plenty of dates to choose from! We run 4 day recreational weekend trips and do a dozen or more dives on each one, plus technical trips for those so inclined. We enjoy the reefs and most of the major wrecks from Key Largo to Key West, so there is something for everyone, on every dive! We dive like a family, with plenty of support, thorough briefings and a nurturing environment, so no one dives alone, and no one is pressured to dive beyond their personal level of comfort and confidence - a couple of key factors to take into consideration if you are booking a trip on your own. Check out our trip schedule here!
 
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