Key Largo
The two of us stayed at a condo in Tavernier, which is a nice location for diving with Conch Republic.
Diving- Conch Republic
CR is a great op and I would use them again for sure.
Day 1: Double dip on the Wreck of the Eagle. It had been about 25 years or so since I dove this site. Some nice swim-throughs and wildlife. As with most ops in the area, we were required to hire a guide since my buddy is OW cert. Our day 1 DM was nice, but dove way too fast for my liking. With minimal current and a small site compared to the Spiegel and Vandy, there was really no need to move around terribly fast. You are never too far from your ascent line on the Eagle.
Day 2: Double dip on the Duane. Ripping current from the surface swim down to the wreck. “Easily 4 knots” according to one of the DMs on the boat. Been wanting to dive the Duane for a while now and it did not disappoint. Nice swim-throughs. Bull sharks, morays, and a nice-sized adult drum.
Day 3: We were scheduled to go to the Spiegel but the conditions just did not allow for it. The conditions would have meant a 1h45m boat ride each way and the Captain was very concerned about diver safety, especially getting back on the boat. No problem deferring to the Capt and and Conch Republic is relatively close to the Eagle, so we went there as the best option. Dove with DM Jake who is an excellent DM. He is super knowledgeable, dives at a nice mellow pace, and has the right amount of attentiveness to those with him. The Goliath Groupers were stunning and one sounded off with several booms when they noticed all the divers. It’s cool when the groupers return after most people have already ascended and you’re still at depth able to see them come back. The ascent allowed for some fun viewing of a very large school of fish being harassed by some jacks plus shaddows of the groupers making their way back to the wreck.
Day 4: This dive has been scheduled to go to the Eagle for a while so, despite some effort on our part to change that to the Speigel or the Bibb, going elsewhere with AOW and OW students on the trip was not possible. Still had a great two dives with conditions much more favorable compared to Day 3. Jake continued his great guiding and he was able to take routes that added a sense of newness each time. Nice work by him.
While going to The Eagle on 3 of the 4 days, was a bit of a bummer and not what I had hoped for, itwasn’t a big deal. Still had a great time and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Also, I got to the Duane for the first time and that was awesome. For the next trip, I would consider dividing my diving between Conch Republic and Horizon to try to ensure a bit more variety on the next trip in case of poor conditions. Horizon is closer to the Speigel and goes there often since the Speigel is close and they can get there more readily in rougher seas. In my experience, The Speigel is kind of their default site for their wreck trips. No knock on CR, it’s just kind of far for them to burn so much time and fuel when it will take them almost 2 hours one way.
Food
Island Grill for dinner. Nice spot with the option to sit indoors in AC or outside in a breezy covered area. Despite the July heat, the outside seating was pleasant and cool enough to be comfortable in the evening. The menu is varied and similar to many ‘Keysy’ restaurants.
Habanos on the Creek: Right next to Conch Republic. Grabbed a Cuban Sandwich that came with fried yucca for a post-dive lunch. Tasty. The sandwich was big enough to have half for lunch and half for dinner later that day.
Doc's Diner: Straight forward breakfast joint that has been around for a coon's age. Good eggs and pancakes.
M.E.A.T (Meat Eatery and Taproom): I look forward to this place every year. Excellent burgers and beer selection. Super friendly staff who encourage beer tasting before ordering. No AC in the place, but the ceiling fans are adequate. Between the options of either a room frozen by AC (common in Florida) or a bit warm and cooled by fans, I’ll pick the fans.
Mrs. Mac’s (Large location): Mrs. Mac’s has been a go-to for many of my trips here and is a bit of a Key Largo institution. It’s not that it’s great food at great prices, it’s that the original location has a nice vibe, the food is good, and the prices are reasonable compared to many places in The Keys. That’s the “small” and original location. The large location loses quite a bit of the vibe by being in a repurposed Pizza Hut. Food was good and the prices just fine for the area.
Harriet's: Great breakfast spot for us on the way to Miami Airport. Excellent menu with a cool variety of choices. Good coffee.
The two of us stayed at a condo in Tavernier, which is a nice location for diving with Conch Republic.
Diving- Conch Republic
CR is a great op and I would use them again for sure.
Day 1: Double dip on the Wreck of the Eagle. It had been about 25 years or so since I dove this site. Some nice swim-throughs and wildlife. As with most ops in the area, we were required to hire a guide since my buddy is OW cert. Our day 1 DM was nice, but dove way too fast for my liking. With minimal current and a small site compared to the Spiegel and Vandy, there was really no need to move around terribly fast. You are never too far from your ascent line on the Eagle.
Day 2: Double dip on the Duane. Ripping current from the surface swim down to the wreck. “Easily 4 knots” according to one of the DMs on the boat. Been wanting to dive the Duane for a while now and it did not disappoint. Nice swim-throughs. Bull sharks, morays, and a nice-sized adult drum.
Day 3: We were scheduled to go to the Spiegel but the conditions just did not allow for it. The conditions would have meant a 1h45m boat ride each way and the Captain was very concerned about diver safety, especially getting back on the boat. No problem deferring to the Capt and and Conch Republic is relatively close to the Eagle, so we went there as the best option. Dove with DM Jake who is an excellent DM. He is super knowledgeable, dives at a nice mellow pace, and has the right amount of attentiveness to those with him. The Goliath Groupers were stunning and one sounded off with several booms when they noticed all the divers. It’s cool when the groupers return after most people have already ascended and you’re still at depth able to see them come back. The ascent allowed for some fun viewing of a very large school of fish being harassed by some jacks plus shaddows of the groupers making their way back to the wreck.
Day 4: This dive has been scheduled to go to the Eagle for a while so, despite some effort on our part to change that to the Speigel or the Bibb, going elsewhere with AOW and OW students on the trip was not possible. Still had a great two dives with conditions much more favorable compared to Day 3. Jake continued his great guiding and he was able to take routes that added a sense of newness each time. Nice work by him.
While going to The Eagle on 3 of the 4 days, was a bit of a bummer and not what I had hoped for, itwasn’t a big deal. Still had a great time and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Also, I got to the Duane for the first time and that was awesome. For the next trip, I would consider dividing my diving between Conch Republic and Horizon to try to ensure a bit more variety on the next trip in case of poor conditions. Horizon is closer to the Speigel and goes there often since the Speigel is close and they can get there more readily in rougher seas. In my experience, The Speigel is kind of their default site for their wreck trips. No knock on CR, it’s just kind of far for them to burn so much time and fuel when it will take them almost 2 hours one way.
Food
Island Grill for dinner. Nice spot with the option to sit indoors in AC or outside in a breezy covered area. Despite the July heat, the outside seating was pleasant and cool enough to be comfortable in the evening. The menu is varied and similar to many ‘Keysy’ restaurants.
Habanos on the Creek: Right next to Conch Republic. Grabbed a Cuban Sandwich that came with fried yucca for a post-dive lunch. Tasty. The sandwich was big enough to have half for lunch and half for dinner later that day.
Doc's Diner: Straight forward breakfast joint that has been around for a coon's age. Good eggs and pancakes.
M.E.A.T (Meat Eatery and Taproom): I look forward to this place every year. Excellent burgers and beer selection. Super friendly staff who encourage beer tasting before ordering. No AC in the place, but the ceiling fans are adequate. Between the options of either a room frozen by AC (common in Florida) or a bit warm and cooled by fans, I’ll pick the fans.
Mrs. Mac’s (Large location): Mrs. Mac’s has been a go-to for many of my trips here and is a bit of a Key Largo institution. It’s not that it’s great food at great prices, it’s that the original location has a nice vibe, the food is good, and the prices are reasonable compared to many places in The Keys. That’s the “small” and original location. The large location loses quite a bit of the vibe by being in a repurposed Pizza Hut. Food was good and the prices just fine for the area.
Harriet's: Great breakfast spot for us on the way to Miami Airport. Excellent menu with a cool variety of choices. Good coffee.
