Key Largo - July

[garyh9900]

Hi, I am currently planning a trip, primarily for diving, to Key Largo the last weekend in July. I'm looking for recommendations on basically the whole trip. My current plan is to fly into Ft. Lauderdale and drive to Key Largo(We'll be flying in Thursday and leaving on Sunday). I have found Rainbow Reef Dive Center which offers package accommodations and trips. They seem to be a nice outfit from what I've seen so far. But I've not had a chance to compare prices as of yet.

A little background on us, I am a public safety diver, I have never been recreational diving(all i've really seen is cold and dark, and little or no visibility), so I'm a dive trip novice. My dive buddy has her PADI OW, so she may be kind of restricted on some dive sites because of depth. I'm thinking that we will pack 3mm suits for our dive.

Any suggestions, advice, or insight? I would appreciate any help you all may be.

 

[1bubbleoff]

Lemme make it EASY for you.... MileMarker 100...Key West Inn and Suites...Horizon divers. Everythings within walking distance of your room...most importantly...Conch House Key Lime Pie!!!
Maybe theres a REASON..I keep going back there...lol.
Enjoy your Keys time...

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Hi Gary: Living in Louisiana we are fortunate enough to make it to Key Largo several times a year. Our usual operator is Rainbow Reef and I think that you will find most operations in the Keys are relatively competitive price wise and also offer a quality product. Rainbow Reef does include a dive guide as part of the quote, which I don't think most operations do. You will certainly enjoy the diving based on your stated experiences. As far as your buddy she should not have a problem as the reefs in the Key Largo area don't usually approach recreational limits for open water. There are several wreck dives that are considered deep dives, but if you do use Rainbow Reef they offer two boats daily and you can choose the "shallow" boat or the "deep boat". Don't hesitate to send me a pm if there is any particular information that you would like to obtain from us.

 

[sportxlh]

Gary: there are so many good options in the Keys that you almost can't go wrong with any choice you make. I've never dove with Rainbow Reef but there are a lot of SB'ers that really like them, especially since an underwater guide is provided as part of the cost: most dive operators don't provide guides unless you pay an extra fee. I'm not a big fan of guides, but a lot of people enjoy having a local diver point out interesting things to see.

My experience: I tend to use Conch Republic Divers when I'm in the Keys. I've had a lot of good luck with them, they've provided me with some excellent service when I've been in a bind, I like the staff and crew and I like their big boat (wide beam and very very very stable). Sometimes the big boat is full of divers (20+) but that does not happen all that often and I've never felt crowded on it when it is full since it is so big. They also have a smaller boat that provides a little more 'personal' service and usually only has a handful of divers on it. They have an on-line schedule so you can check if they are going to deep or shallow sites. Given Conch Republic is a little further south than most dive operators, they visit shallow sites that few other boats get to, which is kinnda fun.

The other two dive boats I've used are Quiescence and Silent World. Quiescence is a six pack operator (e.g. three smaller boats that hold 6 divers max) and the shop lets you choose the dive site you want to visit. They do offer nice service, but my main dive buddy I go to the Keys with gets sea sick easily so we usually use Conch because of the bigger, wide beam boat.

Silent World ownership changed hands a year ago and I've only been out with them once since. I had a fantastic experience on that trip, but it was on a deep set of dives (S. Grove) and much of the reason I liked the trip is that they did not try to be over-bearing: essentially letting me set my own dive profile and surface interval and letting me dive solo (for which I'm certified and have all the redundant equipment). The captain was a really nice guy too. I don't really know how they operate on shallow dives or with less experienced divers but they give me the vibe that they cater more to experienced and/or tech divers, but I could be wrong about that.

If you are looking for something other than a hotel, I've stayed at this condo a few times and it is pretty nice by Keys standards:
Key Largo Hotels & Resorts | Ocean Pointe Suites at Key Largo | Hotels in Key Largo Florida Keys

I've not stayed here but plan to give it a try this summer when I meet up with a friend from Denver. It seems to be a traditional Key Largo hotel, but cleaner than many (per Trip Advisor)
The Pelican - Vacation Cottages, Key Largo, Florida - 99340 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 - (877) 451-3576

In July, a 3MM should be fine