Review Key Largo Diving on Rainbow Reef

[cfberry]

Ditto.

For me - Horizon does much better job than RR. I do understand DM's challenges and responsibilities on the dive, but I never had a pleasant experience with RR (5 or 6 trips).

Overall my best experience by far in the upper keys was with Horizon and Keys Dives.

thanks for the insight

 

[cfberry]

There’s a dive shop in Cudjoe Key (1h30m south of Largo) that offers private and small group charters. I’m trying them out in March but I’ve heard nothing but good things. It’s called Scuba Steve’s Dive Service!

how did it go?

 

[cfberry]

Nothing worse than having to take a dump on a boat. I get up crazy early on dive days to "get things moving" to avoid this exact issue. I find it literally one of the worst things ever! Thankfully it's only happened to me once or twice on charters with really long rides out (Channel Islands in CA and wrecks off Morehead City NC). Those were very large boats though and it was manageable.

On a related experience, on the Olympus boats in Morehead City NC, a boat rule covered in the briefing is NO USING THE TOILET WITH DIVERS IN THE WATER!! Their toilets discharge overboard, at least they used to. Well, my buddy and I were on the mooring like doing our safety stop and noticed chunks of brownish flotsam floating by. Yup, you guessed it. Some bonehead had ignored the briefing and that sacrosanct boat rule. Did a super thorough gear rinse and shower after that charter!!!!

******

 

[MrChen]

I am less of a fan of South Florida diving (Fort Lauderdale to Jupiter). Reefs are barely existent, but sea life can be good - lobsters, turtles, nurse/lemon/bull sharks, and Goliath Groupers.

Breakers has some beautiful healthy reefs with lots of fish.

 

[Pearly]

Any comments and experiences with Silent World in Key Largo appreciated. I'd hate to dive with a DM and be told to surface after 25 minutes with 2K in the tank (at 30-35 depth). Silent World states they keep the number of divers/snorkers down on their boat.

 

[Dan G]

Any comments and experiences with Silent World in Key Largo appreciated. I'd hate to dive with a DM and be told to surface after 25 minutes with 2K in the tank (at 30-35 depth). Silent World states they keep the number of divers/snorkers down on their boat.

I dove with Silent World quite a few years ago and had a very good experience. This was 2008, however. Best bet is to contact them and state your concerns. My experience in the Keys is that ops limit you to 60 min and there is only a requirement to hire a guide if you don't have a buddy or if someone in your party is OW and the depth of the dive, such as the Spiegel, compels it.

+1 for Horizon Divers, too, as other have mentioned.

 

[FreqFlier]

We took a chance on RR a week ago, two double dips on Spiegel Grove (Duane was not an option since that mooring ball is gone) and Horizon and Conch Republic trips to SG were full. Good viz, almost zero current, 8 reef sharks + 1 hammerhead on dive #3, easy and fun dives otherwise.
Now reflecting on two trips - two different crews, same boat. Not going to use names for obvious reasons.
First trip was great, great captain, great crew, really nice and understanding DM - 6 divers were assigned, DM talked in detail to each of us in order to assess the level of experience (all of us were AOW or better and on 32% AL80's). Great air management, divers low on air were ascending in pairs while others were still having fun. Dives were 38 mins 96' max and 39 mins @92'.
Second trip was a polar opposite - we ended up refusing our DM and dived unsupervised (wanted 20 mins bottom time, 1200 psi threshold for ascent no swim throughs etc). Captain was going full speed, rocky ride.
No snacks, no fruit as usual on RR trips. Funny, but they won't allow to take no pole spear - saw a few HUGE lionfish there.

 

[Jonah Kowall]

The Spiegel is in the marine sanctuary and you cannot hunt lionfish there : Lionfish Removal | Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

 

[FreqFlier]

The Spiegel is in the marine sanctuary and you cannot hunt lionfish there : Lionfish Removal | Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

My bad, I thought SG was outside of sanctuary limits.

nvm, it's EMA, not SPA

 

[Dan G]

I'll be in FL in mid-July and giving Conch Republic a try for the first time. Hopefully at least one or two of the mooring balls are back in place by then. I would never hesitate to go with Horizon, however, since I have only had positive experiences with them on multiple trips to Largo.