Florida Keys diving recommendation

[erdoc1]

I have a week to burn in the Keys due to a wicked cheap flight from the polar icecap that is Rochester NY to Fort Lauderdale. My husband and I are newly-minted Advanced Open Water/EAN divers and would like to dive a lot - like 4 tanks a day if we can. Any recommendations for a dive op that can handle our needs? If you had only 7 days to live and you were going to dive the Keys, what would be your ideal itinerary to max out the number and quality of dives you did?

I'd also like to know if KW is worth the extra hour and a half ride from Tavernier.

 

[TheRedHead]

erdoc1, I personally think you'd be crazy not to dive in the Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm/Jupiter area too.

 

[tedwhiteva]

I have a week to burn in the Keys due to a wicked cheap flight from the polar icecap that is Rochester NY to Fort Lauderdale. My husband and I are newly-minted Advanced Open Water/EAN divers and would like to dive a lot - like 4 tanks a day if we can. Any recommendations for a dive op that can handle our needs? If you had only 7 days to live and you were going to dive the Keys, what would be your ideal itinerary to max out the number and quality of dives you did?

I'd also like to know if KW is worth the extra hour and a half ride from Tavernier.

KW is NOT worth the drive - for diving. Now, partying, thats another story.

Blue Water Divers is outstanding, experienced, and very flexible. They are limited to 10 divers but will go with as few as 3(?).

 

[erdoc1]

erdoc1, I personally think you'd be crazy not to dive in the Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm/Jupiter area too.

Any specific recommendations for locations and dive ops?
My parents have a townhouse that we've been going to for years in Palm Beach- but I never got into diving until this past winter. I feel like I've wasted 10 years of family vacations playing golf at PGA with my dad when I could have actually been doing something fun.

 

[mntdiver]

I am a new diver with only 8 dives. My wife (does not dive) and I are going to Key West in April. What is wrong with Key West diving? I saw several responses to this thread which were negative. I only have one day to dive (because of flying) and am curious bout the negatives of Key West .

The visability and the reefs aren't that good the farther south (west actually) you go in the keys. The gulf stream pushes in closer to the middle and upper Keys more than it does in the lower Keys. You have more consistantly good vis and healthier reef (for what's left of the healthy reef) in the upper Keys.

In Marathon, Tilden's is a good shop and you could also try Capt. Doug Morgan. He's a great guy and knows the reefs there well.

 

[pickens_46929]

What is it with Hungry Pelican? It looks awful. Why do you guys like it so much?

Cheap, on the Bay, good mile marker where there are places to eat, etc.

I come to dive and eat with a side of sleeping. Would rather get (and pay) for 2 more dives than a fancy hotel room.

Plus I can fire up the barbque, through dogs, brats and burgers on the grill one night during the trip and have a cookout with everyone in the dive group.

Last year over the 4th of July... pulled up a lawn chair and watched the fireworks over the Bay with my favorite adult beverage.

 

[Vtdiver2]

Make sure they take you to the Thunderbolt.........We'd like some photos and a report if you get on the wreck. Have fun...

I'll write up a trip report when I get back. We have a dive planned on the Thunderbolt so I'll try and post a few pics from the dive.
C-Dawg

 

[pickens_46929]

Any specific recommendations for locations and dive ops?
My parents have a townhouse that we've been going to for years in Palm Beach- but I never got into diving until this past winter. I feel like I've wasted 10 years of family vacations playing golf at PGA with my dad when I could have actually been doing something fun.

Our family too... been wintering in Palm Beach Gardens for years with Grandparents for the past 15 years... :11doh: I could have been diving all these years!

Last year dove with Jim Abernathy in Jupiter... this year drove down the Key Largo and dove with Island Ventures to do a double dip on the Spiegel Grove.

 

[pickens_46929]

I have a week to burn in the Keys due to a wicked cheap flight from the polar icecap that is Rochester NY to Fort Lauderdale. My husband and I are newly-minted Advanced Open Water/EAN divers and would like to dive a lot - like 4 tanks a day if we can. Any recommendations for a dive op that can handle our needs? If you had only 7 days to live and you were going to dive the Keys, what would be your ideal itinerary to max out the number and quality of dives you did?

I'd also like to know if KW is worth the extra hour and a half ride from Tavernier.

7 days to live and dive in the Keys... ok... hmmm...

10 dive package with Silent World... including a night dive or two on the Benwood or City of Washington... at least of dive on the Speigel Grove with them... 1 day of diving with Island Divers... double dip on the Speigel Grove and the afternoon on the Duane and Bibb... move south the next day to Taviernier and dive some of the lower parts of the Pennekamp or just out side of Pennekamp... eg. chicken and hens... next day move father south yet... pick some of the wrecks in that area... see the sunset at least one night in Key West and enjoy Key West that evening...

 

[wreckchick]

My ideal Keys trip would be a couple days in Key Largo to dive the Spiegal Grove, Duane, Eagle and Bibb, then down to Marathon for the T-bolt, a little further down for the Busch and Key West for the Cayman Salvor and Joe's Tug. Then you're in Key West for a final celebratory Duval Crawl!

Of course you could also start up in Ft Lauderdale and do the Wreck Trail up there first, then hit the Keys.

JMHO,

Rachel