Here she comes....Vandenberg!!!

[User0559]

$100 bucks is a lot. But if you think about it it costs at least $125 in North Carolina. But it is a lot longer to the wrecks. I will attempt to book in July. Depending on how good it is at the price in the future will determine if people do it again.

I'd expect to pay more for a longer boat ride out to the wrecks but not for a guide that I don't want or need.

 

[mike_s]

I'd expect to pay more for a longer boat ride out to the wrecks but not for a guide that I don't want or need.

but that's the thing.... it's not a longer boat ride.

It's only being sunk 6 miles off Key West. About the same as the other sites/wrecks out there....

 

[MSPDiver]

I agree that is why I said that unless it is good or the price comes down, it may only be a one time- I dove that kind of thing. I hope not because this could be another great Florida attraction.

 

[RAD Diver]

And another thing is that divers qualified to penetrate or go to the sand are not going to want someone holding their hands telling them how to dive.
I had the misfortune of diving the Eagle with Rainbow Reef with a guide, but he was only on the bottom for less than 20 minutes, & when he had to go asked for tank pressures, & couldn't believe when I flashed 2200psi.
The guide & crew were nice enough, the boat pretty rough, but also putting a time limit on my dive to a very unimpressive reef was the last straw & I will never book with them again.
I think I will stick with NC.

 

[fisheyeview]

And another thing is that divers qualified to penetrate or go to the sand are not going to want someone holding their hands telling them how to dive.
I had the misfortune of diving the Eagle with Rainbow Reef with a guide, but he was only on the bottom for less than 20 minutes, & when he had to go asked for tank pressures, & couldn't believe when I flashed 2200psi.
The guide & crew were nice enough, the boat pretty rough, but also putting a time limit on my dive to a very unimpressive reef was the last straw & I will never book with them again.
I think I will stick with NC.

You should dive with Scubakevdm from Underwater Explorers in Boynton Beach. He gets in the water on every dive. You can follow him or not, and he never sets time limits on the dives. People usually dive big tanks of nitrox when diving with him. It is not unusual for people to be down for an hour and a half or more.

 

[HorizonDivers]

Another op to call would be Southpoint Divers.

 

[RAD Diver]

I actually dove the 1st part of the trip with Jeff on the SS Minnow & had a great time. Did the SG to the sand & he never said a word. Also did the Bibb, & 85 minutes on Molasses Reef, then did 2 on the Duane that afternoon.
I didn't bring my doubles, but did have my LP121s filled properly with mix & slung a 40.
Definitely nothing wrong with diving down there. And I am sure plenty of good operators but I will never dive Rainbow Reef again.

 

[BlueWaterDiving]

She is just offshore Key West. She should be docking on Wednesday.

 

[gumbo717]

I don't think that you can compare pricing with the NC dive area. IMO they are not even in the same realm of diving. FL diving is structured to make money with the boats running two to three trips a day. They give you a dive on the wreck then put you right onto a reef and back on the dock by noon to pick up another boat full of divers. Wreck diving in FL also is done on AL80 so that you can't spend much time if the wreck is down deep. Wreck diving shouldn't be done on a single AL80 anyway.
In NC you leave the dock at 7 or 8am and you get back at 4 or 5pm, usually two tank dive, on the wreck, with no time limit and long surface interval. BTW did I mention they have sharks!

I'll spend the money on NC wrecks and avoid the FL tourist trap.

Sorry for highjacking the post.

 

[trtldvr]

Our dive team had a meeting with person in charge of coordinating the clearance dive this morning. The working date is 5/21. Change is always a possibility, but they are very intent to make that the day.

Safe dives
trtldvr
www.divealive.org