Key Largo in January, good or bad idea?

[emoreira]

Hi, I'm going to be visiting Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Key West and Miami in January (I'll take the family to Disney) also in January and I would like to do a 2 tank morning dive.
It could also be in a spring. Any recomendations ?

 

[Glock Diver]

Hi, I'm going to be visiting Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Key West and Miami in January (I'll take the family to Disney) also in January and I would like to do a 2 tank morning dive.
It could also be in a spring. Any recomendations ?

Wow, talk about taking the grand tour of Florida!

Of your destinations, Miami and the Keys will offer the best diving options. I assume you're driving, so you will likely be taking I-75 across Alligator Alley? Ft. Lauderdale has dozens of dive charter operators. And if you're driving down US-1 to Key West, you pass through Key Largo, which arguably offers the most dive operators in the Florida Keys.

Do you like wrecks? Reefs?

 

[Chris Brown Tech]

Hi, I'm going to be visiting Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Key West and Miami in January (I'll take the family to Disney) also in January and I would like to do a 2 tank morning dive.
It could also be in a spring. Any recomendations ?

Id recommend diving on the East coat rather than the West Coast. Ft Lauderdale, Pompano etc has more sunken barges and rock piles than you can shake a stick at, Key Largo has the best shallow reef sites and the famous Duane & Spiegel and Key West has the Vandenberg.

If you are in town, pop in my shop for a dive. We are right on US1. Or PM me and I can give you some good contacts for Pompano Beach and Key West diving

 

[KeysCuda]

Last winter, January was freaky-deaky record cold. Not likely to be that bad again.
But as always, you come in the winter, you might get winter weather. Water definitely will be cooler, but it might be decent. Never know down here.
I don't go out much in winter, but I am notorious for being a cold-water weenie.
For diving, Key Largo is better than Key West, although the whole family might like the Key West experience better.
Key West has the Vandy (new and impressive), but if wrecks you want, Key Largo has Spiegel Grove, Duane, Bibb - plus way more decent reefs.

 

[Buoyant1]

I was in Miami for the Orange Bowl in January 2006, and we decided to take a few days and spend them in the Keys....I was able to do ONE trip (Jan 5th) and the water temp was 74...my Dives on Jan 6th were canceled due to the weather getting bad (windy etc.)

One day good...next day bad....definitely a crap shoot!

 

[emoreira]

Wow, talk about taking the grand tour of Florida!

Of your destinations, Miami and the Keys will offer the best diving options. I assume you're driving, so you will likely be taking I-75 across Alligator Alley? Ft. Lauderdale has dozens of dive charter operators. And if you're driving down US-1 to Key West, you pass through Key Largo, which arguably offers the most dive operators in the Florida Keys.

Do you like wrecks? Reefs?

Definitely wrecks.
Why Key West, because as per our journey plan we will be in Key West just the day of my 50th birthday and it will be my 50th & 51st dives.
I also want to dive the Vanderberg.

 

[sharkbait0501]

I just started working after graduating college so me and my fiancee don't want to spend too much money right now. Fiji would be /expensive/, so. it's definitely on the to-do list though!

Whenever you decide to dive Fiji, check out Wananavu. My husband & i went there last year and the trip was actually more affordable than many Carribean destinations as well as the keys. The All inclusive packages really pay off when you're on a budget.
Wananavu Beach Resort 2010-2012 7 Night Dive Package - Caradonna Dive Adventures

As far as the keys go in Jan; as others mentioned, the weather can be hit or miss so it's a gamble.

 

[sportxlh]

I believe you said you were from California: compared to CA, the water temps in S. FL will be warm any time of the year. I have dove in Key Largo in Dec and January a few times and the water temp was in the low 70's. I usually wear a light hood, a 3MM full wet suit and a 2MM shorty and generally stay warm. Though I purchased a 7MM for those days when I am going to be under the water a lot or do long dives (I often do 90-120 minute + dives at blue heron bridge in WPB year round).

Agree with what everyone had said about the weather and marine conditions: might be nice and might be terrible. Its nice living about 2 1/2 hours from Key Largo, I can usually make a last minute decision to drive down in the winter since the boats don't tend to be very full. There are a lot of things to do in Miami, so if the Keys get washed out due to marine conditions, its a pretty short hop up to Miami and Ft Lauderdale for some topside R&R. Also note that there are times when Key Largo gets washed out but Ft Lauderdale and WPB do not (and vice versa). So you might have some additional dive options as long as you have a rental car.

Chris did not mention this, but his shop (Silent World) does a pretty cool double dip on the Speigel Grove. You dive once, take a surface interval on the moored dive boat and then do the second dive. The wreck is huge and you won't see it all in even two dives.