Help Me With the Keys

[Dive Junky]

I am looking to do a trip for our shop to the Florida Keys but have never been. Need charters, dive sites, and places to stay. We are out of South Jersey and love to wreck dive but will also do some reefs. Can all of the Keys be done from one location? What do they have to offer? Need help, please.

 

[mike_s]

Yes, all the keys can be done from one location, but it's a long drive every day.

It's 100 miles (roughly) from Key West to Key Largo. It's easily a 2 hour drive to cover it. So it can be done, but you spend a lot of time diving. Youre gonna find it hard to dive all the places in the keys in one week.

Different folks have different opinions on where to go. Key Largo prob has the biggest "presence" of diving with the most shops and most dive attractions. But there is also great diving in the middle and lower keys.

Most people either dive one area or split their time up between places like Key Largo and then Key West area, or areas outside Key West.

 

[MakoSince70]

Permit me to offer an option that will reduce the amount of drive time yet present some varied diving. Key Largo does appear to be a detination of choice for many. It does have some world famous reefs, lots of fish and wrecks. Amoung the most popular wrecks are the Spiegel Grove, Duane, Bibb and Benwood. There are a number of good dive operators/boats located at Mile Marker 100.
Drive to around MM 85 and you are at Islamorada. Also a number of great dive operators. As far as wrecks you will find the Eagle. The reefs do not have the large coral formations at Largo. However there is plenty of growth and numerous fish.
From MM 100 to 85 there are many hotels and dive boats. The only problem you will have is deciding which one to pick.
Obviously my favorite Islamorada dive shop is Ocean Quest. At MM100 I would recommend Rainbow Reef and Blue Water.
Hotels begin at $50 and work up. There is more night life in Largo. However the Islamorada area has it's share of party bars.
Do some seaches on the diving hotels etc. Let me know if you have a specific question.

 

[Charlie99]

Similar to MakoSince70's sgugestion, you might stay at the south end of Key Largo. Dive with a north Key Largo operator to do the northern wrecks, and Tavernier operator to do the Eagle.

Move down to Big Pine Key/Looe Key area to do the A. Busch (Jim Wyatt of Reef Divers at MM21 is on SB) and check out the Key West scene.

Add in the the Thunderbolt out of Marathon on the day you move south and you will have hit most of the wrecks.

 

[Buoyant1]

From my experience, (a LOT of trips to the Keys, but before I was certified) the Upper Keys through Marathon seem to have a MORE diverse selection of dive sites than Key West, but don't count that out either...

Islamorada is beautiful! The midpoint of all of the great sites (i.e. Marathon through Key Largo) has great restaurants (Bentley's..pricey, but good The Lorelei, awesome conch fritters!) The Days Inn is decent, The Hampton inn is a little pricey, but has a dive shop AND an Outback! hahaha!

Haven't had much experience with any of the dive operators up there, but that's a great starting point, (base camp) you can go East or West from there! I definately agree with Mako!

In Marathon try www.abyssdive.com

In KW, I've used www.captainscorner.com


I'm looking forward to some Key West diving in March (friend stationed there...free accomodations) But the trip after that is going to be between Largo and Marathon...

Have fun!!!

 

[RonFrank]

My Lovely wife got me a book that I'm enjoying dreaming over for XMAS:

Ned Deloach's diving Guide to Underwater Florida.

I would highly recommend it as it seems very complete with a LOT of good information about a ton of diving that can be done in FL, from the Keys, to the Springs, and Caves, to the Gulf. It discusses depth, currents, GPS coordinates, provides driving directions, environmental considerations, and has a very good description of every dive listed including descriptions of local life, wreck descriptions, etc.. It provides a highway milage table of popular dive locations and major cities. Really worthwhile.

Key Largo is likely your best bet, but then again there is a lot of good diving to be done up and down the Keys.

For a group I'd have to think that KISS (keep it simple) is a good idea. Not sure what you have in mind, but it seems that putting together a trip without having to change hotels, diveshops outfits much, or locations, and workout driving longistics would be the best plan.

One annoying thing I can tell you about FL laws(?) is that when you rent a car, if you want to have two drives it's a rather steep (IMO) extra charge for each additional driver. I think it was like $7 a day to allow both me and my wife to drive which was kinda absurd as MY insurance was covering THEIR vehicle. I'm going to talk to the insurance CO about this before our next trip out there.

Good luck, and have fun!

Ron

Yes, all the keys can be done from one location, but it's a long drive every day.

It's 100 miles (roughly) from Key West to Key Largo. It's easily a 2 hour drive to cover it. So it can be done, but you spend a lot of time diving. Youre gonna find it hard to dive all the places in the keys in one week.

Different folks have different opinions on where to go. Key Largo prob has the biggest "presence" of diving with the most shops and most dive attractions. But there is also great diving in the middle and lower keys.

Most people either dive one area or split their time up between places like Key Largo and then Key West area, or areas outside Key West.

 

[Buoyant1]

I got a copy of Ned DeLoach's boo from a friend for Christmas, it is a wealth of knowledge!

I'm going to try to dive Weeki Wachi Springs when I'm in Tampa in August.

 

[Dive Junky]

Thanks guys. All the info is a big help.

Keep it coming. Trip is still months away and I'll keep checking for more ideas.

 

[Lat. Adjustment]

The Hungry Pelican in Key Largo is a budget priced place to stay and my favorite place to eat is Hobo's next to Amoray Divers.