Going To Florida

[montanagal]

We are looking at going to Florida in October. For those of you have gone diving in The Keys, what dive operators did you go through and would recommend? Would also like to know about some good places to stay at for a week in the Florida Keys that would be reasonable in price.

 

[TavernierBob]

October is a great time to go to the Keys. The water is still warm with good viz and it's not as jammed as in the summer. Some questions: How many are "we"? What type of diving do you want to do? Do you prefer large or smaller boats? What type of accomodations are you looking for?
I just came from there after running a dive operation for 13 years and know way too much about most of your choices so if you can give me a little more info as to what you're looking for I can probably steer you to someone that'll give you value for your $$$. There are some great places to eat and stay that are not advertised as much and if you need advice as to getting there, setting up, etc, I can probably give you some ideas to consider. You can PM me or contact me at Welcome To ScubaRepairExpress.com - Your one-stop scuba repair shop - Home of the Scuba Wizard. and I'll be happy to help you all I can. Capt Bob

 

[HydroGirl]

Where are you going in th Fl Keys. The Fl Keys are about 200 miles long. Also, you are going to have to check the weather, October is still Hurricane season.

 

[montanagal]

We are looking at going to the upper keys around Key Largo and area. Yes, we know October is still hurricane season, but one can't know now if there will be a hurricane then.

 

[Devin27]

Im from Florida and have been diving once in the key largo area. I dove Molasseses reef at pennekamp with the park dive shop, the shops service was so-so but the reef was the best ive been to. About 40 feet, tons of fish, eels and a spotted eagle ray. There are also many cool wrecks like the Benwood, Dwane and of course the spiegel grove nearby.

Have fun in Florida

 

[DiverMike10]

I have been to the Keys exactly once, for one day, so my experience is limited. However, I had a good experience with Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo. The room was decent, the boat was just steps away, and the diving was good. We dove the Duane and Molasses Reef. The staff was friendly and competent. Have a great time.

 

[Bill_PNW_Diver]

Two friends and I did five days in Islamorada in early May. We dove one day (Grove, Benwood) with Florida Keys Dive Center. They had a great boat and run an efficient operation.

If the ocean is calm and you have some boating experience I would take a look into renting a boat to do reef dives. One of the guys in our group had a 21ft center counsel but they can be rented for around $120 per day. Most of the reefs are easy 20 - 40 ft minimal current dives. Having the boat gives you the option to hit several dive sites and is actually allot cheaper than doing a charter.

If you do decide to go that route, here is a couple of great sites for planning your dives.

UpperKeysDivesites.com:Scuba Diving sites, Key Largo Florida for scuba divers Key Largo to Islamorada with underwater tropical reef fish in John Pennekamp State Park and see maps of wrecks at diveshops

Dive Sites - Florida Keys

 

[montanagal]

Thank you everyone for your input and time to reply. The idea of renting a boat sounds interesting. We do own a boat and have dove with it. We are putting it up for sale as gas has gotten too expensive to go that way anymore Will have to stick to shore diving for the foreseeable future.

 

[The Surly Mermaid]

I'll second Fla Key Dive Center for the Islamorada area. If you want to stay in Key Largo I highly recommend Horizon Divers. Great staff that really looks out for you and is attentive. Boat is a Corinthian Cat that is really stable if the seas are rough. They can usually get you a good deal at the Ramada or the Holiday Inn, both a short walk to the boat. Plus they will store your gear overnight so you don't have to haul it back to the hotel. One other thing I like about them is that they go out a little later than most operations so you can "sleep in" on vacation....