PerlDiver
Contributor
Florida Keys dive trip - Key Largo, FL
The 4 of us took a 9-day dive trip to the Key Largo to dive the Florida Keys. We were able to get in 10 dives apiece in a 6 day span. Dive sites included several reefs, 3 wrecks, and 1 artificial reef (Speigel Grove) which we were fortunate enough to double-dive.
We booked a direct flight from Nashville to Miami (didn't want to risk Atlanta losing 4 sets of scuba gear). From Miami, we rented a car and drove down to Key Largo which is about an hour's drive. We stayed in Tavernier at the Ocean Pointe which was 11 miles west of our dive shop and 15 miles west of our dive boat dock.
Vandenberg
Both Sundays involved a drive to Key West. On the first Sunday (May 24), we were fortunate enough to be able to see the Vandenberg in dock next to the cruise ship docks. Un-planned and un-intended, but fortunate, timimg for our trip, because the Vandenberg was successfully sunk 3 days later (carried live by Fox News, fortunately) 6-7 miles southeast off of the coast of Key West. Perhaps that will be a dive for next year or the following year.
Dive Shop
Our dive shop was Silent World out of Key Largo. They did an exceptional job on all 10 of our dives. Very knowledgeable, very professional, very personable. We enjoyed talking to both our captains and first mates we had during the week. They were a wealth of information and had a number of entertaining stories to tell of their experiences. The boat rides to and from the dive sites were nearly as much fun as the dives themselves. Booking through the dive shop, we were able to get a discount on our hotel, the Ocean Pointe in Tavenier. Each condo is individually owned and the conditions and furnishings of each unit may be drastically different from each other.
Dive Sites (off the coast of Key Largo)
- North North Dry Rocks (dove site twice)
- Christ of the Deep / Christ of the Abyss (goes by both names)
- City of Washington wreck
- Grecian Rocks Reef
- Speigel Grove artificial reef
- Benwood wreck
- French Reef
- The Acorn wreck ("Mike's Wreck")
- The Elbow Reef
Conditions:
Vis varied in and out of 50+ feet each day. Each reef was perfectly visible from the surface even for camera pics. I was also able to take a pic of the Speigel Grove during our safety stop at 15 ft, at which distance the ship appeared as if it were a "fuzzy ghost ship". Water temperatures were 78-85 degrees each day so we wore shorties or swimsuits. We actually hit a thermocline at one of the reefs but never encountered one on any other dive of any significance. Weather was simple - thunderstorms nearly each day. Coastline towards Key West and Miami would be encountering lightning while out at the dive sites the sun was usually shining. None of our dives had to be called due to stormy weather. Only once that I can recall were we overcast an entire dive trip as evidenced by my sunburned arms and neck. The first day, we were encountering 3-5 ft waves. After tiring myself on the first dive from letting the waves work against me, I figured out how to work with the waves and made them help me go where I wanted to go. It was only my second encounter with waves of that size, but I know what to do, now. Currents were calm most days. There was a persistent current on the Speigel Grove on both dives, but not difficult to overcome. Our descent line was unfortunately on the center of the starboard side of the boat on the crane, and it was against the current to get back to the line from the top deck attractions. My personal rule of thumb was to start making my way back to the line at 1800 PSI which worked out fine. At one of the reefs, the current was so strong that we had to learn how to angle ourselves into it in order to reach our destinations. While diving between the reefs walls, we were able to stay out of the current for the most part and conserve our air. As the current would push against you, you could count on a "reverse current" to push you ahead a little ways, very nearly like the waves encountered at the surface the first day. So, we were patient as it pushed against us because in a couple of seconds, there would be a current behind you pushing us forwards. Still, the captain made sure our trip back to the boat on the reefs was with current.
Dives
The reefs along Key Largo are absolutely beautiful. Lots of variety of fish with lots of oranges, blues, purples, yellows, and greens all mixed together. I still contend that the most beautiful colors of purple on the planet are found in the ocean. Among the wildlife we encountered was a green moray eel, lobster, sleeping turtle, sleeping stingray, 2 swimming spotted eagle stingrays, angel fish, soldier fish, cowfish, many needlefish, large number of parrot fish, and many others which we are going to have to identify in time. ...And of course the ever-present barracuda who kept constant watch on us in nearly every dive we made. One barracuda we encountered was at least 3 feet long. That joker was long. The very first barracuda we encountered (which was the first I had ever seen in the wild) had a hook in the side of its mouth which trailed a fishing spinner of some sort followed by a piece of fishing line. Kinda felt sorry for it. I would have helped him out had I been able to - I doubt he would take well me trying to take a hook out of the side of its mouth. We saw so many barracuda that we eventually found ourselves acknowledging them, and then ignoring them and going on about our business. Some on a previous day's dive got to see and handle (with the help of a guide) a nurse shark, but we unfortunately never saw any sharks, to which my wife says, "Yay!" Reefs ranged from 15 feet to around 35 feet deep so we got quite a good long stay on them as we drifted over and between them. All 4 of us had excellent buoyancy in our shorties thus allowing us to drift pretty much anywhere we wanted to go in relation to the reefs and wrecks.
The Speigel Grove was the only deep dive of the week. Its top reaches to 55-60 feet and goes down as deep as 135 feet. We stayed on the first level between 70 and 80 feet both dives and enjoyed some of the many swim-throughs this ship has to offer. Inside some of the crew compartments you can still find sinks, commodes, wardrobes, and miscellaneous pieces of furniture. Several decks and levels to this ship makes it a dive you can return to many times and still see new things. Next trip down there, we plan to dive it multiple days and use Nitrox.
Restaurants
Many good restaurants in Key Largo. At the suggestions of a people on Scubaboard and locals we met, we ate at the Whale Harbor (2 times), Mandalay (1 time), Snappers (1 time), and Pilot House (2 times). On average, we were hitting about $25 per person eating out. We were not disappointed at all at any of these places. Excellent food each place but it does get expensive after a while. Perhaps we can try other restaurants next time. Oh, and Papa John's pizza one night after an afternoon dive afterwhich we were too tired to go out.
Attractions
Oddly enough, there aren't a great number of tourist-trap attractions in Key Largo. However, we did go to Dolphins Plus where my family was able to have a close encounter with dolphins. We chose the "Cuddle With Castaway" program. Castaway is a deaf and partially blind female dolphin. Wife and kids got about 45 minutes of hands-on encounters with the dolphin with the aid of an instructor. Since the dolphin cannot hear, it cannot use its sonar, so it relies on sight and touch. You talk about a spoiled dolphin! This dolphin LOVES to be petted and have lots of human interaction. We all learned alot about dolphins and this one's history in particular. Excellent program and highly recommended if you want a close encounter with a special dolphin.
Negatives
- Miami airport traffic. 4 lane interstate at a stand-still within 5 miles of the airport. Glad we left Key Largo early to give us a time buffer.
- Miami airport. Big place and very confusing. Lots of winding and weaving through corridors and rooms to find where you need to be. Every enhancement to that airport over the years looks as if a bandaid approach was taken. Not terribly easy to find your way around inside it. Good signs showing the way, but we received incorrect verbal instructions twice ... just inherent to a confusingly layed out and built and added-to airport, I guess.
- Strong thunderstorms each night but one made us wonder if our next day dives were going to be called due to lightning.
Positives
- Nashville airport. Oh that all airports were that easy to maneuver around. Allowed us to check in our luggage and get our tickets at the curb.
- Miami airport for allowing us to check in our luggage and get our tickets at the curb. That made a big difference, especially at that airport as large as it is.
- American Eagle. Good little plane. Was surprised a plane that size would fly that smoothly through turbulence. Tiny bit cramped, but not bad.
- Dive shop. Silent World was excellent in every way.
- Ocean Pointe. Good place to stay. Large, clean swimming pool, too. Good ocean view from our (small) balcony.
Key Largo diving is a GREAT trip - highly recommend it!! And, you can't go wrong with Silent World dive shop.
The 4 of us took a 9-day dive trip to the Key Largo to dive the Florida Keys. We were able to get in 10 dives apiece in a 6 day span. Dive sites included several reefs, 3 wrecks, and 1 artificial reef (Speigel Grove) which we were fortunate enough to double-dive.
We booked a direct flight from Nashville to Miami (didn't want to risk Atlanta losing 4 sets of scuba gear). From Miami, we rented a car and drove down to Key Largo which is about an hour's drive. We stayed in Tavernier at the Ocean Pointe which was 11 miles west of our dive shop and 15 miles west of our dive boat dock.
Vandenberg
Both Sundays involved a drive to Key West. On the first Sunday (May 24), we were fortunate enough to be able to see the Vandenberg in dock next to the cruise ship docks. Un-planned and un-intended, but fortunate, timimg for our trip, because the Vandenberg was successfully sunk 3 days later (carried live by Fox News, fortunately) 6-7 miles southeast off of the coast of Key West. Perhaps that will be a dive for next year or the following year.
Dive Shop
Our dive shop was Silent World out of Key Largo. They did an exceptional job on all 10 of our dives. Very knowledgeable, very professional, very personable. We enjoyed talking to both our captains and first mates we had during the week. They were a wealth of information and had a number of entertaining stories to tell of their experiences. The boat rides to and from the dive sites were nearly as much fun as the dives themselves. Booking through the dive shop, we were able to get a discount on our hotel, the Ocean Pointe in Tavenier. Each condo is individually owned and the conditions and furnishings of each unit may be drastically different from each other.
Dive Sites (off the coast of Key Largo)
- North North Dry Rocks (dove site twice)
- Christ of the Deep / Christ of the Abyss (goes by both names)
- City of Washington wreck
- Grecian Rocks Reef
- Speigel Grove artificial reef
- Benwood wreck
- French Reef
- The Acorn wreck ("Mike's Wreck")
- The Elbow Reef
Conditions:
Vis varied in and out of 50+ feet each day. Each reef was perfectly visible from the surface even for camera pics. I was also able to take a pic of the Speigel Grove during our safety stop at 15 ft, at which distance the ship appeared as if it were a "fuzzy ghost ship". Water temperatures were 78-85 degrees each day so we wore shorties or swimsuits. We actually hit a thermocline at one of the reefs but never encountered one on any other dive of any significance. Weather was simple - thunderstorms nearly each day. Coastline towards Key West and Miami would be encountering lightning while out at the dive sites the sun was usually shining. None of our dives had to be called due to stormy weather. Only once that I can recall were we overcast an entire dive trip as evidenced by my sunburned arms and neck. The first day, we were encountering 3-5 ft waves. After tiring myself on the first dive from letting the waves work against me, I figured out how to work with the waves and made them help me go where I wanted to go. It was only my second encounter with waves of that size, but I know what to do, now. Currents were calm most days. There was a persistent current on the Speigel Grove on both dives, but not difficult to overcome. Our descent line was unfortunately on the center of the starboard side of the boat on the crane, and it was against the current to get back to the line from the top deck attractions. My personal rule of thumb was to start making my way back to the line at 1800 PSI which worked out fine. At one of the reefs, the current was so strong that we had to learn how to angle ourselves into it in order to reach our destinations. While diving between the reefs walls, we were able to stay out of the current for the most part and conserve our air. As the current would push against you, you could count on a "reverse current" to push you ahead a little ways, very nearly like the waves encountered at the surface the first day. So, we were patient as it pushed against us because in a couple of seconds, there would be a current behind you pushing us forwards. Still, the captain made sure our trip back to the boat on the reefs was with current.
Dives
The reefs along Key Largo are absolutely beautiful. Lots of variety of fish with lots of oranges, blues, purples, yellows, and greens all mixed together. I still contend that the most beautiful colors of purple on the planet are found in the ocean. Among the wildlife we encountered was a green moray eel, lobster, sleeping turtle, sleeping stingray, 2 swimming spotted eagle stingrays, angel fish, soldier fish, cowfish, many needlefish, large number of parrot fish, and many others which we are going to have to identify in time. ...And of course the ever-present barracuda who kept constant watch on us in nearly every dive we made. One barracuda we encountered was at least 3 feet long. That joker was long. The very first barracuda we encountered (which was the first I had ever seen in the wild) had a hook in the side of its mouth which trailed a fishing spinner of some sort followed by a piece of fishing line. Kinda felt sorry for it. I would have helped him out had I been able to - I doubt he would take well me trying to take a hook out of the side of its mouth. We saw so many barracuda that we eventually found ourselves acknowledging them, and then ignoring them and going on about our business. Some on a previous day's dive got to see and handle (with the help of a guide) a nurse shark, but we unfortunately never saw any sharks, to which my wife says, "Yay!" Reefs ranged from 15 feet to around 35 feet deep so we got quite a good long stay on them as we drifted over and between them. All 4 of us had excellent buoyancy in our shorties thus allowing us to drift pretty much anywhere we wanted to go in relation to the reefs and wrecks.
The Speigel Grove was the only deep dive of the week. Its top reaches to 55-60 feet and goes down as deep as 135 feet. We stayed on the first level between 70 and 80 feet both dives and enjoyed some of the many swim-throughs this ship has to offer. Inside some of the crew compartments you can still find sinks, commodes, wardrobes, and miscellaneous pieces of furniture. Several decks and levels to this ship makes it a dive you can return to many times and still see new things. Next trip down there, we plan to dive it multiple days and use Nitrox.
Restaurants
Many good restaurants in Key Largo. At the suggestions of a people on Scubaboard and locals we met, we ate at the Whale Harbor (2 times), Mandalay (1 time), Snappers (1 time), and Pilot House (2 times). On average, we were hitting about $25 per person eating out. We were not disappointed at all at any of these places. Excellent food each place but it does get expensive after a while. Perhaps we can try other restaurants next time. Oh, and Papa John's pizza one night after an afternoon dive afterwhich we were too tired to go out.
Attractions
Oddly enough, there aren't a great number of tourist-trap attractions in Key Largo. However, we did go to Dolphins Plus where my family was able to have a close encounter with dolphins. We chose the "Cuddle With Castaway" program. Castaway is a deaf and partially blind female dolphin. Wife and kids got about 45 minutes of hands-on encounters with the dolphin with the aid of an instructor. Since the dolphin cannot hear, it cannot use its sonar, so it relies on sight and touch. You talk about a spoiled dolphin! This dolphin LOVES to be petted and have lots of human interaction. We all learned alot about dolphins and this one's history in particular. Excellent program and highly recommended if you want a close encounter with a special dolphin.
Negatives
- Miami airport traffic. 4 lane interstate at a stand-still within 5 miles of the airport. Glad we left Key Largo early to give us a time buffer.
- Miami airport. Big place and very confusing. Lots of winding and weaving through corridors and rooms to find where you need to be. Every enhancement to that airport over the years looks as if a bandaid approach was taken. Not terribly easy to find your way around inside it. Good signs showing the way, but we received incorrect verbal instructions twice ... just inherent to a confusingly layed out and built and added-to airport, I guess.
- Strong thunderstorms each night but one made us wonder if our next day dives were going to be called due to lightning.
Positives
- Nashville airport. Oh that all airports were that easy to maneuver around. Allowed us to check in our luggage and get our tickets at the curb.
- Miami airport for allowing us to check in our luggage and get our tickets at the curb. That made a big difference, especially at that airport as large as it is.
- American Eagle. Good little plane. Was surprised a plane that size would fly that smoothly through turbulence. Tiny bit cramped, but not bad.
- Dive shop. Silent World was excellent in every way.
- Ocean Pointe. Good place to stay. Large, clean swimming pool, too. Good ocean view from our (small) balcony.
Key Largo diving is a GREAT trip - highly recommend it!! And, you can't go wrong with Silent World dive shop.
