Key Largo- 3mm or 5mm wetsuit? Which dive shop to go through? Best beginner dives?

[Kryssa]

Hello All,

We are beginner divers headed to Key Largo toward the end of April (We are thinking April 21-25.) Would you recommend a 3mm or 5mm wetsuit?

We are doing our check out dives probably during the first 2 days and are not sure where to dive on day 3. Do you have any suggestions of a good dive shop to go through and also good beginner dives for day 3?


Thanks!

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Hello there! The water temperature off Key Largo is about 77 degrees F this week, and won;t be getting any colder between now and April, in fact it should warm up a bit. We just dove it this past week and will be running another trip there later in February and again in March.

Dive times on the reefs can be expected to run about 60 minutes if your air consumption isn't too great, so you need to consider how easily you chill. A 3mm should be fine, however a 5mm might be more appropriate if you chill easily.

An alternative I would suggest would be to "layer" rather than thicken your suit. By that I mean pack a 2mm hooded vest that you can put on under your 3mm suit if you feel the need for more warmth, especially on your 3rd or 4th or 5th dive of the day! You lose more heat from water flushing from your suit, and from your head, than you do by direct conduction through the suit, and by wearing a hooded vest you really make it more difficult for water to be carried out of your suit as you move, so you lose less heat that way. Also, if you are cool, you can slip the hood up over your head, and the thinner 2mm material is a lot more comfortable than a typical thicker hood. On top of that, since the hood is attached to the vest, no water will get in around your neck, chest and spine, where you stand to lose a lot of heat. And, even if you don't have the hood up, the vest itself serves as a bit of a neoprene "turtleneck", again, keeping that water from flushing. You're looking at about $35 for a hooded vest, so it is cheap insurance to have and take along.

An added bonus is that with a thinner suit you'll wear less lead, and that is always a good thing!

And finally, we have a full time Indian Valley Scuba instructor in Key Largo, so we'd be glad to help you right through your checkout dives and then some really cool guided exploration dives on the Spiegel Grove while you are there!

You can email me at Dave@indianvalleyscuba.com if you'd like more info!

Safe diving!

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I dove in that area in December, when the water temps were around 70º to 72º. I wore a 3mm full suit, with a 1mm hooded vest underneath. I was a little chilly, but okay. Given that I'm a really chilly person in the water, and that the water was colder, I would agree with what Indian Valley Scuba said, and think that what I wore might be a good choice. I dove a couple of times without the hooded vest, or with the hood down, so I could tell how much difference the vest/hood made. It is nice for added warmth and for added neck sealing.

If I could choose as many different wetsuits as I liked, I think I would have loved a 5mm for the temperatures I was in. So assuming that you don't want to buy numerous suits, I would think it would depend on what other/future diving you had in mind. If it were more warm water diving, I would go 3mm full suit and 1mm or 2mm hooded vest. If you were going to do more diving in cooler waters, then maybe just get a 5mm full suit.

This depending on how warm or cold you run, of course.

B.

 

[scubadada]

The current water temp is back in the low 70s NDBC - Station MLRF1. That would definitely be full 5mm and hooded vest for me, especially with 4 dives per day. In April, water is generally mid 70's, I'd probably still be in my 5mm but might switch out the hooded vest for a hood. I'm not sure I've ever really been too warm but I sure have been cold a few times.

Good diving, Craig

 

[StreetDoctor]

I'm not too sure where some people get there weekly water temperatures from... I've been diving here all week also. Yesterday the spiegel grove was 74 to about 85' and then 69F from 85 down to the sand. The rest of the week the shallow stuff was also never warmer than 74F (benwood, city of washington, shallow reef stuff) I'd definitely go at least 5mm with hood, if you get cold go 7mm. Today the

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

Depending on the wind direction, the upwelling can cause drastic temp changes this time of year. It was 60s one day, then upper 70s the next in the same spot. Us Florida divers tend to dress for the arctic conditions of below 80, we're weenies, with 5 mil this time of year. April though, it warms up a bit.

I very much recommend Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier. Close enough to Key Largo. They can help you out with whatever you need.

 

[McCainiac]

I was down in Key Largo a few weeks ago and had 2 great days of diving with Chris Brown and his crew at Silent World.


Florida Keys Diving with Silent World voted #1 dive shop in Florida

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

A couple of Key Largo recommendations:

Conch Republic - first class - dove with them last week - Gary & Brenda are keepers for sure!
Florida Keys Dive Center - also a top shelf operation - Tom & Jason really run nice shop
Amoray Dive Resort - bigger boat, but more than made up for with excellent treatment from the crew

 

[lmorin]

This time of year, it's a 5 mm with hood for me and a 3 mm plus vest, or a 5 mm for my wife. After your checkout dives, be sure that you sign up for reef dives and not the deeper wreck dives. Some shops will only be going to the deeper wrecks for certain dives (e.g., afternoons) and may only go to the reefs in the AM. Not likely to happen, but don't get in over your head, so to speak. The reef dives are all generally only 30-35 ft depth and fairly simple. Some may strain your navigation abilities, but not to worry, you'll figure things out! The worst might be the surface, depending on wind and waves. If you tend toward sea sickness, take Bonine or something equivalent if the wind looks to be on the medium to high side and from somewhere out of the east. Out on the reefs, it can be more than a little rocky at this time of year.

 

[Divernoob]

I've had lotsa great dives through the Rainbow Reef dive shop. I recommend the Benwood, City of Washington, Christmas Tree Cave, Spanish Anchor or any of the shallow dives on either French or Molasses Reef. The Benwood at night is super nifty. I do not recommend the Speigel Grove for a diver without advanced open water certification. That dive can be downright challenging.