Key Largo-Rainbow Reef dives

[The Chairman]

Randy,

It's my understanding that all of their "guides" are at least Dive Masters with insurance, training to be instructors.

 

[conchrandy]

Randy,

It's my understanding that all of their "guides" are at least Dive Masters with insurance, training to be instructors.

Good, but something about this conflicts with "interns". I pay for about 30 or so DM's insurance but all of them are employed permanently. This has to be somewhat of an administrative nightmare for them.

 

[T.C.]

How is comparing the price pointless if I'm spending my money. Unless QDS site is wrong, a 2 tank dive is $85 Rainbow Reef is $75

Unless we know that the DM is unpaid; it's unlikely that a business will not include the price of the guide in everyone's cost.

There are other factors in the price. QDS offers discounts that Rainbow does not.

Where in my statement did I say someone needs a guide?

Then I'm confused; why have a guide if you don't "need" one?

Perhaps a different tack to this; what are the distinctive advantages of Rainbow? What do they do that no other dive op in the Keys does?

 

[The Chairman]

Lots of divers, even competent divers, love having guides. They usually know the local reefs better and can point out interesting critters and features that the non-locals pass right over. It also depends on why you're diving. Some people dive to see the fun stuff while others seem to want to prove their manhood. Choose your buddy wisely if you really want to see the reef.

I've done over a hundred dives on the Speigle-Grove. I don't need a guide, but the other day I got to dive it with a veteran who served for two years as the Gunnery Officer. THAT WAS AWESOME! He told all of us a lot about the ship that frankly, most of the peeps giving briefings here in the Keys have wrong. Oh yeah, you can get that guide too as Capt Jim Wyatt will be spending a lot more time here in the Keys. That's a dive I won't forget.

With more dive ops than gas stations, Key Largo is the Dive Capital of the world. Like ConchRandy said: every one is a bit different and fills a specific need. Like a buddy, choosing the one that fits you is important. Rather than rely on the unfounded opinions of those who have never dove that op, get the real scoop from people who have actually been on their boats. It's super easy to criticize a dive op you've never tried and some people get a real charge out of doing just that.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

Unless we know that the DM is unpaid; it's unlikely that a business will not include the price of the guide in everyone's cost.

There are other factors in the price. QDS offers discounts that Rainbow does not.

Have you looked at RR pricing structure? they offer discounts also

Then I'm confused; why have a guide if you don't "need" one?

Perhaps a different tack to this; what are the distinctive advantages of Rainbow? What do they do that no other dive op in the Keys does?

Having guides is one distinct advantage for me is that most the time I travel, I'm alone, I don't have to worry about having a buddy, because there are always others alone that pick them for that same reason . also I don't like to go deep, but I like early morning dives. they have 2 boats going out every morning.

I can't say if they are better or comparable to QDS, because I've never used them. But when I was calling around asking, they are the only one that with weather permitting could almost guarantee a dive on the days I was there.

---------- Post added May 17th, 2014 at 05:49 PM ----------

Lots of divers, even competent divers, love having guides. They usually know the local reefs better and can point out interesting critters and features that the non-locals pass right over. It also depends on why you're diving. Some people dive to see the fun stuff while others seem to want to prove their manhood. Choose your buddy wisely if you really want to see the reef.

One of these can be more dangerous than and inexperienced diver.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve1962 another good thing about RR is I've never been crammed in a "cattle boat" and you have a choice of shallow or deep.

Then, while I really doubt this statement is true, you've been lucky. Every Rainbow boat I've seen has been packed full of divers.

I have never seen one with any space open.

I've been on a couple of dives with Rainbow Reef and with their spacious boats, you can have many divers and still not feel crammed in or "cattle boatish".

In the three days I was staying at the Courtyard Inn (one of the two hotels that mate up to the Rainbow Reef docking marina), there were a number of RR boats going in and out of the marina that were not full of divers. There was an early morning deep wreck dive boat (that I would have loved to go on but I'm not certified for that yet) and another Nitrox boat (that I'm also not certified for yet) that both had only a handful of divers. Sure, the afternoon reef dive boat is "sold out" probably every day, but again, with the two big RR boats, "sold out" does not feel crowded (at least not to me).

I knew the guide on the boat I was on, and as NetDoc says, he was a Dive Master who was working his way through the instructor program Rainbow Reef has. I'm happy to say he graduated at the end of last month and is now a certified instructor.

Best,
-Tim

PS: See, totally empty Rainbow Reef boat . . .



This is the Odyssey, their newest boat. Dove from this boat in early April, just a couple weeks after they took delivery. It's very spacious.

 

[The Chairman]

Have you looked at RR pricing structure? they offer discounts also

Facts have been rather sparse in his posts. They've all been conjecture, suppositions and flights of fancy when it comes to Rainbow Reef.

One of these can be more dangerous than and inexperienced diver.

Indubitably. Worse, they seem to have strong opinions about things they've never tried before. We have a smiley for that:

:caveman:​

 

[T.C.]

Having guides is one distinct advantage for me is that most the time I travel, I'm alone, I don't have to worry about having a buddy, because there are always others alone that pick them for that same reason . also I don't like to go deep, but I like early morning dives. they have 2 boats going out every morning.

These are not unique to the Keys. Every dive op sends out their boats at roughly the same time.

I don't understand about the buddy; are you saying you count the DM as your buddy? I also go solo to the Keys, and have never been without a buddy, and that is with the 6 pac QDS boats.

Whereas QDS offers small boats, no cramming, personalized service, a wider selection of dive sites (they have their own sites that other dive ops don't visit), on-site gear storage, and the same competitive pricing, I simply don't see an advantage that Rainbow has.

What I'd like to know is what you think their advantage is, what they have that others don't; why you chose them?

I can't say if they are better or comparable to QDS, because I've never used them. But when I was calling around asking, they are the only one that with weather permitting could almost guarantee a dive on the days I was there.

I don't understand; all the other shops will offer the same thing, weather permitting.

I've been on a couple of dives with Rainbow Reef and with their spacious boats, you can have many divers and still not feel crammed in or "cattle boatish".

Just because the boat is big, doesn't mean it doesn't get cramped.

It's very spacious.

Yes, until you put 20+ divers and all their gear on it. These boats fill up quickly; everytime I see them; they are stuffed full of divers. I don't know about you, but that just doesn't appeal to me, and to many other people. Remember, all those people, you have to wait for them to splash, to get back on, to take up room with their gear, and of course, see them everywhere underwater.

I just don't see an advantage to them. Do you?

 

[Timmyjoe]

Just because the boat is big, doesn't mean it doesn't get cramped.

Yes, until you put 20+ divers and all their gear on it. These boats fill up quickly; everytime I see them; they are stuffed full of divers. I don't know about you, but that just doesn't appeal to me, and to many other people. Remember, all those people, you have to wait for them to splash, to get back on, to take up room with their gear, and of course, see them everywhere underwater.

I just don't see an advantage to them. Do you?

Again, it did not feel cramped to me at all. I can't swear the boat was at capacity as I didn't count the divers, and I don't actually know what the capacity is. But we were on an afternoon dive to Dry Rock and we had plenty of room in the front part of the boat to sit around on the floor and have our pre-dive meeting.

And keep in mind, especially when diving the Key Largo area, when we arrived at Dry Rock, there were over 80 snorkelers in the water. As we used to say, "You couldn't swing a dead cat . . ."

The amount of divers on your boat is insignificant compared to the amount of snorkelers who are all over the reefs down there. If you are looking for a quiet, private dive situation, you probably want to do a VERY EARLY morning dive, or a night dive. Otherwise, the reef seems really crowded. And I was there in April. I hear in the summer it is just crazy.

Best,
-Tim

 

[T.C.]

It is crazy in the summer, this is why I prefer a different Op. I'm going the Fourth of July weekend, and have no fear of it being crowded- I know my choice of dive op will be able to pick open sites. It seems, in my opinion, that the larger operations run to a few sites exclusively. I have yet to see the large dive ops on the deeper reefs, or less popular sites. They seem to concentrate on a select few areas; Dry Rocks is one. As for the snorklers, was there a very large catamaran there for them? I believe this is one of the sites that the State Park boats run to, and they carry mostly snorklers.

It's tough to say when they were at capacity, but the picture is of a 36 or 38 foot Newton dive boat. Most are rated for 25-35 divers. The op I use in Panama City uses these, but they limit the boat to 18, and it gets cramped if they fill it. There's another thing that catches my attention in your picture; see the two orange floats at the top of the boat? They have to have a certain number per divers they are authorized to carry, more divers, more floats. the Op in PC I use has one- they have two.


So what drew you to Rainbow in the first place?