Key Largo dive sites, picks for new divers

[bradlw]

I'm trying to plan a dive for my family of soon-to-be certified divers, planning to go to the Key Largo area
and as of now I've been trying and trying to get in touch with Rainbow Reef. They so far haven't answered the phone, except one time when she kept complaining about the phone connection, so I didn't get all my questions answered. (maybe I was in a bad cell area)

Their website stinks and when I try to message them through it it identifies me as a spammer. I promise I'm not...I'm just a guy trying to book and PAY for FIVE divers to take a couple trips out!

So the primary question that I'm trying to answer...which dive trips should I pick?

I'm experienced and certified and would love to drop down on the Duane or the Speigel again....but the rest of my family will be doing their OW checkout dives next month...so shallow and easy is good
and I know all the dive sites will be good there
but as best as I can tell...and to the best of my memory, some of the dives in that area are very shallow.

I'd like to get them down at least on one dive to at least maybe 30-35 feet...but I suppose the higher priority is just good and fun dives for their first experience!

timeframe will be early August

my picks are these on the days we'll be there:
day 1 PM:

1. Christ Statue/City of Washington
2. Sand Island/Molasses Reef
3. North Start/Nine Channel
4. Five Caves/Sand Bottom Cave
5. Benwood Wreck/Christmas Tree Cave

day 2:
I'd prefer morning:

1. French Twist/Hourglass
2. Benwood Wreck/French Reef
3. Spanish Anchor/Nine Channel
4. Hole in the wall/Aquarium

but day 2 I could do afternoon instead of morning:​

1. JJ's Cave/Coral Canyons
2. Christ Statue/Double North
3. Pickles Reef/Permit Ledges
4. Undersea Highway/City of Washington
5. Hard Bottom Cave/Turtle Ledges

@Rae HalfTheHill...I saw in another post you said you captain for Rainbow...so I'll bet you could help me choose!

thanks in advance!

 

[fred32176]

Just have them do a couple of reefs. Let them see a nurse shark, eels, tile fish and whatever else is around. You are pretty close to High Springs, Williston and many springs. All great for beginners and different than a reef.

You're not so far away that you can't drive to West Palm when they get good enough and do the wreck trek, cable crossing... Key Largo is less than a day's drive, let them enjoy and want to go trips to the keys. When you live in Florida you don't need to be in a rush to do the best dives as you can experience them all.