Florida Keys shore dive locations?

[PaulChristenson]

Pick me!

or Bluewater Divers or Conch Republic up in Key Largo

or Subtropic down in Key West

Rachel

Gee Rachel who are the divers and who is staying on board??

See attachment...

Paul in VT

 

[wreckchick]

Heh, glad you're paying attention!!!

That's my safety diver for the trip in the bikini. Those guys were a lot of fun.

Anyhoo....

Answering a few questions and clearing up a couple of misperceptions...

Bahia Honda State Park has a snorkel boat that runs out to Looe Key daily. Capt Joe is a great friend of mine and a super nice guy.

People do indeed camp on Tarpon Belly all the time, it's a popular spot. I'm not sure I would recommend a kayak or going out there on your own. The backcountry is a very confusing place and it's real easy to get turned around. The tides can mess you up pretty well because of how shallow much of it is. If you go with someone that knows the area you're fine, but it's really no place for the uninitiated.

In the photo of Big Pine, to the right is Bogie Channel and to the left is Coupon Bight. The Atlantic is south (left) and the Gulf of Mexico is north (right). Florida Bay is up north between Long Key and Key Largo (roughly) and is the body of water that stretches between the Keys and the Everglades.

Hope that helps!

Rachel

 

[MarineVet32935]

You were mostly right, Rachel. I added names to the picture to better illustrate what I was saying.

Coupon Bight is the wetland area, west of US-1, and north of Long Beach Drive, and is open to the Atlantic through the long chain of islands south of Ramrod Key. Great place for kayaking.

But, Bogie Channel is only between Doctors Arm, which juts out from the northeast side of Big Pine Key and No Name Key, where the bridge crosses over from Big Pine to No Name and from there south, into the wider portion between No Name and Big Pine, down to Big Mangrove Key. However, the area just south of Big Mangrove Key, is Spanish Harbor. Bogie Channel also extends a little north of the bridge to No Name Key, ends at the grass banks, just to the west of Mayo Key and south of Annette Key. Big Spanish Channel is east of Annette, Mayo, Porpoise and No Name Keys and then becomes Bahia Honda Channel to the south where US-1 crosses from Bahia Honda Key to Spanish harbor Keys. Where US-1 crosses from Big Pine Key, east to Spanish Harbor, it's crossing Spanish Harbor Channel, south of Spanish Harbor.

Florida Bay is generally shown on most charts as the area east of a line from Bahia Honda Channel, to Cape Sable on the mainland and the Gulf is to the west of that line, as illustrated in this chart from the USGS.

In that picture Paul posted who's the guy with the beard on the left, behind the guy in red. His name isn't Charlie McCarthy is it?

 

[trigfunctions]

I am starting to plan a trip to the keys sometime in March . Can anybody help me with any good shore dive locations?

A heads up just in case you are not familiar with Florida diving. Almost none of the boat dives include an underwater dive guide or divemaster. You're on your own unless you plan to pay for one in advance. If you are used to diving with operators who lead groups of divers that can be quite a difference.

We first found this out when we scheduled a night dive out of Key Largo. We didn't realize that there was no dive guide until we got to the dive site. We figured we would try the dive anyway. We spent 20 minutes looking for the reef (unsuccessfully) and 30 minutes looking for the boat. The fact that the boat's underwater strobe had burned out did not help. :06:

 

[worldiver]

Hi!!! I'm looking hard for shore diving in the F. Keys. Could you let me know where this dive site is in the Big Pine area?? I would REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!