First time diving in Florida need advice please

[CajunDiva]

I am also a fan of Rainbow Reef Dive Center Scuba Diving Florida Keys | Rainbow Reef Dive Center | Key Largo, FL in Key Largo. We have been diving with them for the past 15 years. They are the #1 IDC in the USA - they train more scuba instructors than anyone.

If you are able to convince your brother and sister that open water certification is the way to go, I can't think of a better place to do it! There are a number of qualified scuba instructors on staff, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them. Should they decide not to dive, the Rainbow Reef boat trips also cater to snorkelers, so you could still all enjoy a great time together.

Whatever you decide, enjoy the Keys

 

[Seanluge]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I just found out I have a friend going to Jupiter just after i leave Florida and she was saying to go there, is there much going on in Jupiter topside and underwater? she showed me some pics from her last trip with Emerald charters and it looks spectacular.

 

[sportxlh]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I just found out I have a friend going to Jupiter just after i leave Florida and she was saying to go there, is there much going on in Jupiter topside and underwater? she showed me some pics from her last trip with Emerald charters and it looks spectacular.

Jupiter diving is awesome.... I live in the area and dive regularly throughout the year. It's all drift diving (as is the case in WPB and Boynton too). You're likely to see sharks, goliath grouper, turtles, big green moray eels and plenty of tropical fish. The reefs aren't all that pretty in my opinion but the marine life proliferation makes up for that. Aside from Emerald, there are a few additional operators: Jupiter Dive Center and Captain Sl8er. Emerald is the only one doing shark feeding as far as I know. With the other two operators, you're likely to see sharks but not in the same dramatic way. If you look in my photo area, you can see some goliath grouper, shark and turtle screen grabs from my GoPro.

Topside, it's certainly not the Keys or Miami Beach. Jupiter is fairly family friendly but there are plenty of restaurants and bars. You can also rent jet skis, paddle boards and stuff like that. The beaches are pretty decent too. You look pretty young so might find this lame, but you can tour the lighthouse and the pier is also nice to walk on. My wife and I like to bring food and/or adult beverages to the beach or pier area in the evening after work a couple of times a month. If you're doing 4 dives a day (which are all fairly deep) you might not be looking to stay out too late anyway. Note that the three operators generally only run AM and PM dives on the weekend and some Fridays. Weekdays are generally just AM runs: that's a little different than the Keys

Also, Blue Heron Bridge is not far away and also worth diving.

 

[Seanluge]

So I've decided to stay in the Upper keys, A few people suggested Rainbow reef divers, can anyone recommend anyone else? Basically who will take us to the best dive sites.

 

[timz]

So I've decided to stay in the Upper keys, A few people suggested Rainbow reef divers, can anyone recommend anyone else? Basically who will take us to the best dive sites.

I've dove with Conch Republic Diver for 4 boat dives back in June 2015.

They gave me some discount being a SB member and some extra discount on the gear rental as well. I hired a dive guide with us.

Overall, great dive operator, great boat captain, great experience...

If you want to contact the owner, he is a member of this forum. U can PM him straigth. His nickname is Capt Gary

 

[wspalding]

I've dove with Conch Republic Diver for 4 boat dives back in June 2015.

They gave me some discount being a SB member and some extra discount on the gear rental as well. I hired a dive guide with us.

Overall, great dive operator, great boat captain, great experience...

If you want to contact the owner, he is a member of this forum. U can PM him straigth. His nickname is Capt Gary

I dove with Conch Republic this summer but they didn't mention a SB discount. We even asked about a dive club discount.

I thought they were a pretty good charter, and handled dealing with a bunch of divers surfacing hundreds of yards from the boat on a non-drift dive without too much angst. Took us to great dive sites. I think Alligator reef was the one where divers didn't make it back to the boat and had to be "rescued".


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[timz]

I dove with Conch Republic this summer but they didn't mention a SB discount. We even asked about a dive club discount.

I thought they were a pretty good charter, and handled dealing with a bunch of divers surfacing hundreds of yards from the boat on a non-drift dive without too much angst. Took us to great dive sites. I think Alligator reef was the one where divers didn't make it back to the boat and had to be "rescued".


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When I was there, first day only 2 of us plus another married couple with our guide.

On the second day, 2 of us plus another girl and the dove guide.

Maybe because I was recommended by another old time SB member and I came from 16 441 kilometres away.

 

[pickens_46929]

Silent World does some great trips. Great boats. No cattle cars or over crowding. Good option all the way around regardless.

 

[Seanluge]

I looked into a few of the dive shops and I like the looks of silent world, does anyone know any decent places to stay that are close by that are on the cheaper side?

---------- Post added October 17th, 2015 at 01:49 PM ----------

Also if anyone knows of anyone or has accommodations available in a private home or rental suite let a brother know! I'm traveling with my parents both in their late 60's my older brother and little sister, we aren't there to party or anything, just a mellow exploratory vacation.

 

[sportxlh]

I looked into a few of the dive shops and I like the looks of silent world, does anyone know any decent places to stay that are close by that are on the cheaper side?

Cheap and decent don't go together in the Keys. If you want decent, you'll be paying for it. If you want cheap, you'll be making sacrifices. Along the cheaper end of things, check out the Key West hotel (in Key Largo): the rooms are big, they have kitchens and a small living room but are really dated. A buddy and I stayed there and because we only used the hotel to get some shut eye and spent almost no time there, it was perfect. I'd never take my wife to the place though. Also, the Hungry Pelican is pretty inexpensive. Some of the rooms are small, but they have some multi-bedroom cottages too. Again, I've stayed there on dive trips with buddies when we spend next to no time at the hotel and again, I'd never take my wife to the place. On the more expensive side, the Marriott is nice and the Hampton Inn is nice: both of those are pretty close to Silent World but are not cheap. I've also used Airbnb. This place is relatively clean, but not nearly as nice as a chain hotel. It's close to Silent World and if you can get both units, might work for you....

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5673205?s=5ovv0tIN
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5394522?s=5ovv0tIN

While it is quite a hike from Silent World, it's actually close to Conch Republic, if you have enough people, renting a two bedroom condo at Ocean Pointe Suites might make sense. I'd take my wife here (in fact I have, I've taken my folks and daughter here too).