Key Largo or Key West - getting the 10 & 11 year olds qualified?

[Washmeister]

Hi all,

Wow this is a blast from the past, I haven't been on Scubaboard for at least 12 years but am sure you lovely people are as helpful and informed now as you were back then.

We've decided we need to leave the cold of England behind and have worked out we can squeeze in a week of Florida sun this April. My, very nearly, 10 year old daughter is currently loving her Advanced Padi Seal and as she turns 10 at the beginning of April we thought we could tie in our week in the sun with a spot of diving and get her and her brother qualified.

Bizarrely I don't love the beach and hate 'going for a paddle' in the sea but absolutely love diving and can't wait to get back out there, 12 years is a long time! Daughter is like me and while she loves the experience of diving (albeit in a pool) she's a little apprehensive of being in the sea (has images of strangulation by seaweed!) so we want her first open water experience to be one with good visibility and lots of fish and where she forgets where she is.

Having loved diving in Key Largo back in the day we thought we'd stay there but, much as I like it there and given we only have a week we would probably prefer to base ourselves in Key West for the out of water times - it's a holiday with diving as opposed to a dive holiday and if we could kill two birds it would be the icing on the cake for the kids. So, those in the know, would Key West diving give us what my daughter needs or should we look elsewhere? If so, any recommendations for dive outfits that are really good with kids would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

Washy

 

[tomcatbubba]

I teach the Boy Scout scuba merit badge, so have certified a lot of youth. I’ve rarely found a kid that is ready at 10 to safely earn certification. My own daughter is 13 and I’m just now comfortable with that. IMO setting a blanket minimum age for certification should be accompanied by a big IF. That is, if the kid is not mature enough, wait. That said, you are the parent and it’s your call so if you feel them ready, I really like Joel over at Rainbow Reef. They have a lot of boats and usually have enough divers to ensure you get out. Some smaller shops will cancel for lack of guests. It’s a catch, bigger means more people on a boat, but....you are almost guaranteed to go out. Joel is a solid instructor and great dude. I’ve never taken classes with him since I’m an instructor, but I have seen him on multiple occasions dive with guests. He’s good, and safe, and super nice.

Good luck.

 

[rsingler]

+1 on using Rainbow Reef for your kids' cert!
But can't speak to possibly equally good alternatives if you really want Key West. Have to wait for other posters to chime in.

 

[Bubblesong]

My daughter was certified at 12, and we continued the education, AOW Rescue, Drysuit, etc. I realized we had more fun/felt safer with our own small boat and an instructor dedicated to her, not distracted by whoever shows up at the boat that morning. Just my two cents. I tip big in this situation, since I am asking for a high level of service.

 

[scubadada]

Key Largo has many nice shallow reefs that would be good for young divers. Though I have not used them, I have heard many good things about RR. You might want to send a message to @mselenaous regarding a recommendation for an instructor for young children.

Both my children were certified at 12, as that was 20 and 16 years ago, I can't recall if they would have been ready for certification at 10

 

[gr8jab]

We stayed in Key Largo for my son's certification (16yr old). The local community pool was excellent for his first two days of class. But, the seas were too rough for any diving. The shore diving (Jules Underwater) was nasty and smelly (middle of summer, with long stretch of extra warm water).

We drove to Blue Heron Bridge to do his cert dives. The downside was dealing with the limited dive times at slack tide. The upside was easy stress free entry, clear water, and lots to see. Blue Heron Bridge Scuba - The Best Shore Diving in the Americas - Blue Heron Bridge Scuba

I agree with Bubblesong, getting the correct instructor can make or break the trip. I would suggest finding the exact instructor you want to use before you go. Contact Pete (The Chairman of the Scubaboard) here for advice. He used to live in Key Largo and knows everyone. He'll tell you the best instructor for your kids.

 

[sportxlh]

As had been said, Key Largo has lots of shallow sites with good visibility. If I were training a young one, that's where I'd do it. Key West has far more interesting top side things to do: museums, shopping, day trips to Dry Tortugas, restaurants that are easy to walk to etc. With that said, after sundown, Key West becomes a very adult town in the Duvall Street area so isn't always appropriate for young kids later in the evening (especially Friday and Saturday).

Key Largo has some cool restaurants but nothing is walkable: you need a car to get around.

Maybe you can split up your time. First half of vacation focused on diving in Key Largo and second half for topside activities in Key West.

I'd also recommend Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. The Marriott Courtyard is adjacent and Rainbow has some package deals which bring the combined cost of diving and lodging down to a very reasonable level. There are lots of other really good shops in Key Largo, but for training a kid, this is where I'd go.

 

[Wookie]

+1 on using Rainbow Reef for your kids' cert!
But can't speak to possibly equally good alternatives if you really want Key West. Have to wait for other posters to chime in.

Key west has nothing for children. I'm not being a curmudgeon, (well, I am, but this is real) the town is set up for adults. I would repeat everyone's advice to stick with Key Largo.

 

[The Chairman]

We stayed in Key Largo for my son's certification (16yr old). The local community pool was excellent for his first two days of class. But, the seas were too rough for any diving. The shore diving (Jules Underwater) was nasty and smelly (middle of summer, with long stretch of extra warm water).

We drove to Blue Heron Bridge to do his cert dives.

Oh, how I remember that class.

I agree that ten and eleven are too young. Take them snorkeling and get them good on that first. Florida Bay is way awesome for some shore snorkeling. You can see all sorts of life back there too. I've seen 6 sharks, a hundred lobster, a school of tuna, and a seahorse on just one dive back there.

 

[seadweller]

I agree the diving is better in Key Largo . Splitting your time between Key Largo and
Key West may be your best option . As said in a prior response Underwater in Key Largo
and Topside in Key West . Enjoy your trip !
Sea Dwellers