Trip Report Key Largo Late August 2024

[arkstorm]

Not true.

Rainbow Reef offers their guided dives as an optional service, in fact if the request is not made ahead of time they may not be able to provide a dive guide.

That much said, as per their policy, non-AOW certified divers may not dive the deep wrecks without a guide.

I’m reporting what I was told when we were there last week.

Every diver on the boat was broken down into groups of 5-6 and every group had a guide.

This was on the shallower dives which included the Benwood.

 

[arkstorm]

Nice review, enjoyed the read. Next time make sure you go a little south and check out the Duane and Bibb, they are my favorite wrecks down there. I would also suggest doing some diving in Jupiter and Boynton Beach as it's very different and I think much better diving..... Not to mention drift diving is just more fun. If you are more of a wreck person the lady luck is worth a visit, but the Spiegel is its own monster. My friend has over 450 dives on it and he's always teaching me a new path.

We were very much wanting to dive the Duane and the Bibb but conditions didn’t allow for it.

We were told strong currents made those sites “un-dive-able” while we were there.

 

[arkstorm]

Great write up. I’m diving with them again in a few weeks. I’ve never found their guides intrusive, if anything, they were fun to dive with.

Interesting you should say that. One of the reasons I brought up this point was because I found one of their dive guides to be rather intrusive. Not all of them though. Most of them were fine.

 

[arkstorm]

I really want to re-emphasize that I have nothing bad to say about Rainbow Reef. Just chocolate and vanilla.

 

[LI-er]

I found one of their dive guides to be rather intrusive. Not all of them though. Most of them were fine.

Happened to me once. Following a dive on the Duane. There were maybe a dozen of us on the line at the safety stop. I had just completed a solo dive, there was a Rainbow Reef DM right below me. He caught a glimpse of my tank pressure (about 200 psi) and frantically tried to shove his octo in my mouth. I casually waved him off, pointing to my (full) back mounted pony bottle. He just didn't get it. On the boat I approached him and explained that if I have more than 200 psi at my safety stop I'm wasting perfectly good gas, as my pony is my reserve, he shrugged me off. As we approached the dock, one of their PR people did the whole speech about how they hoped everyone had a great dive and can they please support them with a positive review and if there were any problems please let him know. I told him about my experience, he was understanding and sympathetic and sort of nodded when I pointed out the DM in question as if he had issues with him before.

For whatever that's worth.

Every diver on the boat was broken down into groups of 5-6 and every group had a guide.

That's different than what you said- which was that a guide is required. You could have easily stated, as I would have done that you prefer to dive alone (if certified and equipped), or with your buddy or whatever. You just went along with it. Not that there's anything wrong with that but you're spreading fake news.

It's no different then when you're diving alone on a boat and the crew tries to give you a whole lot of medical and legal liability and a good chance to mess up a perfectly good dive by saying "you're going to buddy with this random diver of unknown skills, experience and fitness, and if they mess up and there's an accident you can expect to be sued". "Um, no I'm not, my buddy is that bright yellow 19 cf cylinder strapped to my main tank". Unless she's a cute young hottie in which case I will say "Would you prefer to lead or follow".

We were very much wanting to dive the Duane and the Bibb but conditions didn’t allow for it.

We were told strong currents made those sites “un-dive-able” while we were there.

The Bibb is rarely dived because it's deep and it's sideways orientation makes for a "less than fun" dive, and because of the orientation there aren't many penetration opportunities. There's also not a lot of fish on it. The Duane is much better, upright, loaded with fish and coral growth which is interesting given how close the wrecks are to each other. I have trouble getting to the Duane as well, because it's in an area where there's a lot of current and most dive charters don't want to risk dropping a bunch of divers on it as they may get blown off it.

There used to be a charter in Tavernier called "Divercity" or something like that. A small mom-pop operation. They wouldn't scare off the Duane easily, in fact they'd drop divers at one end (usually the stern) and pick them up at the bow where the current would take them. That was a great dive.

 

[arkstorm]

That's different than what you said- which was that a guide is required. You could have easily stated, as I would have done that you prefer to dive alone (if certified and equipped), or with your buddy or whatever. You just went along with it. Not that there's anything wrong with that but you're spreading fake news.

It's no different then when you're diving alone on a boat and the crew tries to give you a whole lot of medical and legal liability and a good chance to mess up a perfectly good dive by saying "you're going to buddy with this random diver of unknown skills, experience and fitness, and if they mess up and there's an accident you can expect to be sued". "Um, no I'm not, my buddy is that bright yellow 19 cf cylinder strapped to my main tank". Unless she's a cute young hottie in which case I will say "Would you prefer to lead or follow".

I think you are missing my point which is that every group had a guide and every diver was required to dive with their guide. Even if you preferred to dive alone or with your buddy, you were still required to stay with your group and with your guide. Fake news?!? Just reporting what my own two eyes two ears witnessed.

 

[LI-er]

I think you are missing my point which is that every group had a guide and every diver was required to dive with their guide. Even if you preferred to dive alone or with your buddy, you were still required to stay with your group and with your guide. Fake news?!? Just reporting what my own two eyes two ears witnessed.

According to numerous divers familiar with the operation, as well as what is clearly stated on Rainbow Reef's website, and even as per your own post, dive guides are not required. Based on what you said, you were "split into groups, each with a guide". No one said "You must do it this way". Again, to my point about the instabuddy- Just because a crew person says "you are going to dive with this guy" doesn't mean you are REQUIRED,

Here's a real life example. Your wife says "My mom is coming to town next Sunday. I'll be out playing bridge with my besties, you need to keep her entertained for the day". You'd naturally think you have to, it's a rule that must not be broken or there will be devastating consequences. You're convinced that any plans you might have had for the weekend are now trashed and there's nothing you can do about it. In fact all you gotta do is say "Nope, I'm going fishing that day, mom will have to hang with your loser drug addicted brother Joey".

It's the difference between a request or suggestion versus a demand that can be enforced. Just because someone says "do it this way" doesn't mean you have to necessarily "do it this way".

 

[FreqFlier]

I think you are missing my point which is that every group had a guide and every diver was required to dive with their guide. Even if you preferred to dive alone or with your buddy, you were still required to stay with your group and with your guide. Fake news?!? Just reporting what my own two eyes two ears witnessed.

You're absolutely right. We dived two consequent days with RR recently, two double dips on SG. First day everything was great, next day it took me upwards of half an hour to refuse their DM. You can refuse their guide, it just gets almost confrontational if you do. For whatever reason. Tips maybe?