Florida Keys diving recommendation

[KeyLargoBrent]

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.

We're located in Key Largo... mile marker 100 oceanside, in front of the Holiday Inn. My favorite local sites include the USCG Cutter Duane, an artificial reef with a max depth of 120-130' and Molasses Reef, a high-profile spur-and-groove reef formation in 20-40' of water, with a decent drop-off in the 50-100' depth range. Check out our website at www.BlueWaterDiver.net for additional dive site info, and let me know if we can help. Enjoy!

 

[KidK9]

Yup, its the antithesis of the megaresort. Not for everyone, though.

Exactly!!! I love it. So amazing and retro. Just makes you enjoy the rustic Keys the way they were meant to be enjoyed (and the owners are Buckeye Alumni!)

 

[KidK9]

How deep is the Thunderbolt???

 

[TheRedHead]

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.

I'm going to have to check my log book for exact dive sites. Townhouse in Palm Beach? I'm jealous. It's drift diving in that area and deeper diving generally than in the Keys. I have a friend who is an instructor and worked in that area for years. He set me up with his friend who works at The Breakers. I think their diveshop is The Waves. In Dania Beach, we dove with Force E and had a great time.

I am hopeful that some of the locals will chime in with their favorties. You may want to pm BaitedStorm as she is in that area, I believe.

 

[TheRedHead]

How deep is the Thunderbolt???

About 132 ft. to the sand.

 

[mntdiver]

How deep is the Thunderbolt???

About 120 feet to the sand. She stands pretty tall. 95 feet or so to the main deck. And the pilot house is a couple of stories up from there.

 

[erdoc1]

I think that what we plan to do is 3 days (arrival night 10 pm, 2 dive days) in the lower keys (upper part - Big Pine/Marathon) to hit Busch, Looe Key, Sombrero and Thunderbolt, and 4 days in Tavernier/Islamorada/Key Largo. Tavernier looks like it's halfway between them and a decent place to dive from. Any recommendations for lower keys dive ops? Underseas, Inc looked interesting on the web but I keep getting my emails bounced back to me as undeliverable.

 

[Charlie99]

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

Cheap, laid back place where I can string a clothesline in front of my room and have drying gear strewn all over the place with nobody minding.

It's one of those places that's good enough for me, but there's no way I'd book it on a trip when my wife comes along.

 

[Charlie99]

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.

While I've only made 6 or 7 trips to the Keys, everytime I've gotten down to Looe Key it has been fantastic. Beautiful example of a well developed spur and groove reef.

 

[TheRedHead]

I've passed the Hungry Pelican many times and its one of those places that look kind of hokey on the outside. I'm not sure if clotheslines are for me though.