Florida Keys

[scubabudie]

I am looking for a place in the Keys for a 4 day weekend. I would like it to be all inclusive or minimal charge for the diving. I would like to do 2 dives on the friday of arrival and 3 - 4 dives on a sat and sunday and leave late monday night. Any suggestions would be great.

Preferably I would like a resort that you can just jump in the water or get on the boat. I do not want to do much traveling by car.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Garrobo]

To get to the Keys you have to fly into Fort Lauderdale or Miami and rent a car. It's about one and a half or two hours from either one to Key Largo, Tavernier or Islamorada. Cars are a lot cheaper at the Lauderdale 'Cypress' airport parking garage car rental and this airport is a breeze to get around. Not the Keys but Fort Lauderdale diving I am experienced with: Bahia Mar Hotel. You can take a taxi from the airport for around $15 each way and there's a dive shop with boats on the premises plus restaurants. Lots of good diving to be had. There are a couple resorts at Islamorada which I can't remember the names of right off the bat since I never stayed at any. You could Google 'upper Keys resorts' and they should come up. I'll try to find the names and post them next.

 

[Garrobo]

OK. The three resorts I drive by all the time are all on the ocean side of Islamorada. They are the Holiday Isle, the Islander and Cheeca Lodge. There are others I've noticed on the Bay side up through Key Largo and a couple more on Islamorada on the ocean side. I have dove out of Holiday Isle dive shop a couple time and the diving was fine. I don't know if Cheeca or the Islander have docks but they are near Key Dives dive shop which is a very short drive. Have fun.

 

[fisheyeview]

You could try Conch Republic Divers. They can make hotel reservations for you at several places close to the shop including the Keys Motel which is right across the street.

 

[Katch]

Rainbow Reef has an easy to manage website that you can select the nubmer of dives and have your choice of 4 hotels. Their boat docks beside the hotels and they have good discounted rates. The hotels include the Holiday Inn and Marriott Courtyard. They are also a short walk from Divers Direct for any last minute gear.

Dive Key Largo, Florida Keys with Rainbow Reef Dive Center;scuba diving:diving, Florida keys, florida diving

There are no less than 4 dive ops docked at that same spot, but I'm not sure if they can get the same discounted rooms. It is around mile marker 100. Look up the Divers Direct og Google Earth, and you'll see the location.

 

[mselenaous]

Welcome to the Key Largo!

First, I do not believe there are any all-inclusive facilities here, like in Cozumel or the Caribbean, that include lodging, meals, & diving. Expect to pay about $80-85/pp/trip with most of the operators (slightly less if booking multiple days of trips). All trips usually include tanks and weights. Everyone runs two-tank trips every morning and afternoon, and sometimes one-tank night dives.

The following hotels have dive operators directly on their premises, or are a dive-resort:
Marriot/Pirate Island Divers
Amy Slate's Amoray Dive Resort.

That being said, there are hotels at or near almost all dive ops and marinas. Here are a few examples:

Rainbow Reef boats are docked behind the Courtyard Hotel.
Sea Dwellers boat is behind the Holiday Inn.
Ocean Divers is next door to Marina Del Mar and ScubaDo's boat is next to their boats.
Horizon Divers is next door to and in between two hotels: Courtyard Hotel and Key West Inn.
Key Largo Dive Center's boat is at the marina next door to Key West Inn.

Every dive op works with more than one local hotels to get their divers the best rates (better than if you call on your own).

So I recommend you contact the dive operators to see what multi-trip packages & accommodations they can set up for you.

Feel free to let me know if I can be of any assistance. Happy Diving!