THIS POST IS SO FULL OF MISINFO. I CAN NOT LET IT GO BY!!
Spearfisherman once bubbled...
Looe Key is good for both snorkelers and divers. I suggest 'Innerspace'. They're a little further up the road from the hotels, but they have a nice, stable boat with twin ladders and a crew that's pretty competent, last time I dove with them.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I STOPPED INTO INNERSPACE, THE OWNER JOHN WAS SITTING IN THE STORE WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, THE A/C TURNED OFF. ALL BECAUSE HE HAS VERY FEW CUSTOMERS. THEY HAVE RUN A 6 PACK BOAT FOR SOMETIME NOW. THAT SHOP CANNOT AFFORD TO RUN A LARGER BOAT WITH THE CUSTOMER BASE THAT THEY HAVE. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THAT SHOP TO GO UNDER FOR SOMETIME NOW.
The diving on Looe Key has really eroded over the last few years - it became THE place to dive in the lower keys, and now you head out there and there's literally dozens of boats.
In 1984, when I first dove Looe Key, it was as pristine a reef as any I've found in the Windward Islands...now, it's damaged goods.
LOOE KEY HAS BEEN A PERTECTED SITE FOR SOME 25+ YEARS. 1998 HURRICAN GEORGE CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THE
ENTIRE KEYS NOT JUST LOOE KEY. GEORGE TOOK ALL THE ELK HORN OFF THE TOP OF THE LOOE KEY REEF. I WAS HERE THROUGH THAT STORM. 1984 IS TWENTY YEARS AGO. ALL THE HEAVY USED REEFS ARE BEING DAMAGED BY DIVERS & SNORKLERS.
There are two spots you should definitely do.
Up the road from Looe Key is Bahia Honda State Park. They used to do SCUBA charters - now just snorkel (insurance is too high for the state park operators).
Their boat is the roughest-riding thing out there. You get beat up even on a 1-2 foot day.
But the park is to die for...was named one of the 10 best beaches in the United States one year. Camping there is awesome.
Sombrero Reef off Marathon is often good. So is Molasses Reef off Key Largo/Pennycamp Park.
I've never been on it, but in July I'm towing my boat to Islamorada. Alligator Reef off Islamorada is supposed to be quite good.
BAHIA HONDA TO LOOE KEY IS A 10-12 MILE RUN, ALL OF THE TRIP IS OUT SIDE THE PROTECTION OF LAND. YOU SAY YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO SOMBRERO OR MOLASSES, NOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE OFTEN GOOD OR BETTER THEN ANY OTHER SPOT?. THE INSURANCE RATES SHOULD BE THE SAME IF THE BOAT IS DIVING OR SNORKLING, THE SHOP INSURANCE IS FOR LIABILITY ON THE BOAT, AND THERE IS NO DIFFERENTS BETWEEN DIVING AND SNORKLING ON THE BOAT. MOST OF THE TIME THE INST. AND/OR THE DM IS CARRYING THE INSURANCE FOR IN WATER ACTIVITIES NOT THE BOAT.
As of late, I'm told the visibility is often better off Islamorada than anyplace else in the Keys. Reason for this is the fact that it's little known. People tend to pass it by on their way to Looe Key/Key West.
APOST ON 04-05-03 Islamorada vs Marathon--Dive/Fish
DON'T BE MISSED LED, ALL DIVING IN THE KEYS CAN BE GREAT AND CAN BE POOR. THE SAME AS ANYWHERE ELSE. ABOUT THE VISIBILITY, THE GULF STREAM RUNS WEST TO EAST ALONG THE KEYS. THE CLEAR TIDE WATER THAT COMES FROM THE SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERS., GOES BY KEY WEST FIRST BEFORE IT GETS TO KEY LARGO. VIS WILL CHANGE WITH THE GULF STREAM AND THE TIDE. VIS MAY ALSO CHANGE WITH THE RAIN ON THE KEYS. THE REEF IS THE SAME ALL THE WAY ALONG THE KEYS, LARGO HAS GOOD AND BAD AREAS, THE SAME IN KEY WEST AND ALL POINTS IN-BETWEEN . YOU NEED TO FIND A DIVING OUTFIT THAT YOU LIKE, THE TYPE OF DIVING YOU LIKE TO DO, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TRY AS MANY SITES AND DIFFERENT COMPANIES AS YOU CAN, UP AND DOWN THE KEYS. I RECOMMEND YOU STAY WITH A SMALLER BOAT (NOT TO SMALL) INSTEAD OF THE BIGGER CATTLE BOATS. THE SMALLER BOATS CAN TAILOR TO YOUR STYLE OF DIVING. I DEAL WITH CONDITIONS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE KEYS, GOOD AND POOR. I HAVE BEEN ON THE BIBB & DUANE IN GREAT CONDITIONS AND SOME REAL POOR VIS. AND BIG CURRENT ALSO. THE SAME GOES FOR THE EAGLE, TBOLT, BUSCH, AND CAYMAN. SOME YEARS AGO BEFORE THE MOORING BALLS WERE INSTALLED ON THE WRECKS, WE HAD TO BOUNCE THE WRECKS TO GET MOORED. I CAME OFF THE BOAT TO HOOK INTO THE CAYMAN SALVOR IN KEY WEST AREA. WE COULD SEE THE WRECK FROM THE SURFACE IN 90+ FEET OF WATER, BUT WHEN I HIT AT WATER FROM THE SURFACE I COULD SEE THE COMPLETE WRECK, ALL 185'. THATS 250+' OF VIS. OTHER TIMES I COULD NOT SEE THE WRECK 15' AWAY. THE POINT IS NO ONE PART OF THE KEYS IS BETTER THEN THE OTHER, THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT ALL THE AREAS. HAVE FUN AND GO LOOK & TRY AS MUCH A YOU CAN.
RMC
Big Pine Key, FL.
Finally, if you must do a Key West Dive, get on a "6-pack" boat just off the island and try to get the captain to take you to 'Eastern Sambo'...very interesting layout and often some small sharks.
EASTERN SAMBO HAS BEEN A NO USE ZONE WHEN NOAA TOOK OVER CONTROL OF THE REEF (about 5 years ago). YOU CAN NOT DIVE, SNORKLE OR MOOR TO THAT PART OF THE REEF. MIDDLE SAMBO & WESTERN SAMBO IS STILL OPEN. SUNDAY THE CHARTER WAS AT SAFEHARBOR #1 AND THE DIVERS GOT TO SEE FOUR NURSE'S ,ONE THAT WAS 8-9FOOT. THIS KIND OF THING IS COMMON DOWN HERE, ALL UP AND DOWN THE KEYS. THAT'S WHY DIVERS LIKE IT HERE ALONG WITH THE WARM WATER.
RMC:viking:
Big Pine Key, FL.
SCUBA INSTRUCTOR
CAPTAIN
TEN YEAR RESIDENT IN THE LOWER KEYS
I'm thinking maybe a day of diving (2 trips - 4 dives) would be nice. Any of those done during mid-week?
