My wife and I just returned from a week in Key Largo and figured I would post about our trip. This was both of our first times in key Largo, and we had a great time. Flew into Ft.lauderdale on Sunday and made the two hour trip to The Ramada.. When we arrived we were starving.... I was very suprised on how tough it was to find a good meal anywhere in the area.. The dry side of the Keys was not what I expected.. I didnt find it to be the resort area you think about when you here the words "The Keys" but anyway the hotel was nice and the diving was even better..
We dove Monday morning with Rainbow Reef on the Duane and Molasses. The crew and staff were great, espically Dave the mate. on the other hand the Captain was a down right ignorant, putz.. anyway more on that later.. We jumped on the boat and headed out to the Duane, 2-4 ft seas, and bright sunshine.. so it was a great ride and even better dive.. Vis was about 70 ft and there was NO current, so as we were decending on the wreck, to see it appear at about 20 ft was incredible.. Dove down the line, droped down to the main deck and made a nice slow lap of the ship.. The life is incredable!! Looking up to see what seemd like 50 + Barracuda just hanging out by the crows nest is something that just has to be seen.. After about 12 minuites of bottom time at 105ft, it was time for us to ascend, I could of stayed down there all day..
Next stop was Molasses, again, no current and about 75 ft of vis. Nothing out of the oridnary, but just another wonderful dive.. Monday night we ventured down to Key West, If I never make that drive again, it wont be long enough..., but it was nice to get down there..
Tuesday, we started out with Rainbow Reef again for two stops at French Reef. We had a guide, Jesus, who was great. As were were getting ready to enter the water, there were only three other divers on the boat, one of which hadnt dove in a while. Well he jumped in and a small panic attack on the surface, that the mate had under controll, untill "Captain Putz" started screaming at the poor guy and really demeaning him... didnt make his situation any better, but they finally got him out of the water.. When we finally got in, we had another great day of diving on the shallower reefs, 4 stops total, 2 on French and 2 on Molasses, highlight was running into 6 or 7, 5ft reef sharks.. Again great weather..NO wind and No current..
Wednesday we were stupid and decided to sleep in, and take the afternoon boat out to the City of Washington, again with Rainbow Reef.. Well they got back from their morning trip and Captain Putz kind of jerked us around for a half hour or so, saying he wasnt sure if he was going out or not, when he finally made up his mid and said he didnt feel like going out, it was too lat for us to jump on another boat.. so were were out of luck for Wednesday.. We were already booked with him to go out on Thursday to dive the Grove, and he couldnt give us a definate answer if he was going to go their either, He was just playing with us... So we ran down and saw the Extremely courtious and personable people at Ocean Divers and booked the whole day Thursday with them, best choice we ever made!!! Speigel, Molasses, French, and French...
Thursday was great!! Speigle Grove!!! No need to say anymore...but I will.
6 divers on the boat... 4-5 ft seas... Bright Sunshine... and a 10-15 knot wind from the north.. We got out to the mooring ball, there was only one other boat out there, we had the whole wreck to ourselfs.. NO CURRENT!! was a nice suprise. Vis was about 50ft. We were tied to ball# six on the port side. We dropped in on the top deck, did an air check and headed towards the stern. dropped down a couple of decks swam under the crane controll tower and headed back to the line.. That is just a truly awesome dive..from the size of the ship to the life that lives there.. BREATHTAKING!! Saw the biggest Parrot Fish crunching away on the top deck, he let us just sit there and watch him eat from about a foot away.. just amazing.. Just wish we got hooked up with the great people at Ocean Divers earlier in the week.. We should have known.. beteween "Captain Putz" and other stories you wouldnt belive if I told you... When is the last time you saw a PADI instructor thow his gear in the water to put it on, while teaching a rescue class, and not inflate the BC...yup....no air, in front of his whole class.. Guess who had to go retreive his equipment.. and theres more...... Anyway.. Ocean Divers is the way to go... They were excellent!!
I wish I had some pictures to post but the housing for the 20D hasnt arrived yet.. We hope to go back in the summer for a couple of days and get back on the Duane and Grove again and will definately have it by then...
We dove Monday morning with Rainbow Reef on the Duane and Molasses. The crew and staff were great, espically Dave the mate. on the other hand the Captain was a down right ignorant, putz.. anyway more on that later.. We jumped on the boat and headed out to the Duane, 2-4 ft seas, and bright sunshine.. so it was a great ride and even better dive.. Vis was about 70 ft and there was NO current, so as we were decending on the wreck, to see it appear at about 20 ft was incredible.. Dove down the line, droped down to the main deck and made a nice slow lap of the ship.. The life is incredable!! Looking up to see what seemd like 50 + Barracuda just hanging out by the crows nest is something that just has to be seen.. After about 12 minuites of bottom time at 105ft, it was time for us to ascend, I could of stayed down there all day..
Next stop was Molasses, again, no current and about 75 ft of vis. Nothing out of the oridnary, but just another wonderful dive.. Monday night we ventured down to Key West, If I never make that drive again, it wont be long enough..., but it was nice to get down there..
Tuesday, we started out with Rainbow Reef again for two stops at French Reef. We had a guide, Jesus, who was great. As were were getting ready to enter the water, there were only three other divers on the boat, one of which hadnt dove in a while. Well he jumped in and a small panic attack on the surface, that the mate had under controll, untill "Captain Putz" started screaming at the poor guy and really demeaning him... didnt make his situation any better, but they finally got him out of the water.. When we finally got in, we had another great day of diving on the shallower reefs, 4 stops total, 2 on French and 2 on Molasses, highlight was running into 6 or 7, 5ft reef sharks.. Again great weather..NO wind and No current..
Wednesday we were stupid and decided to sleep in, and take the afternoon boat out to the City of Washington, again with Rainbow Reef.. Well they got back from their morning trip and Captain Putz kind of jerked us around for a half hour or so, saying he wasnt sure if he was going out or not, when he finally made up his mid and said he didnt feel like going out, it was too lat for us to jump on another boat.. so were were out of luck for Wednesday.. We were already booked with him to go out on Thursday to dive the Grove, and he couldnt give us a definate answer if he was going to go their either, He was just playing with us... So we ran down and saw the Extremely courtious and personable people at Ocean Divers and booked the whole day Thursday with them, best choice we ever made!!! Speigel, Molasses, French, and French...
Thursday was great!! Speigle Grove!!! No need to say anymore...but I will.
6 divers on the boat... 4-5 ft seas... Bright Sunshine... and a 10-15 knot wind from the north.. We got out to the mooring ball, there was only one other boat out there, we had the whole wreck to ourselfs.. NO CURRENT!! was a nice suprise. Vis was about 50ft. We were tied to ball# six on the port side. We dropped in on the top deck, did an air check and headed towards the stern. dropped down a couple of decks swam under the crane controll tower and headed back to the line.. That is just a truly awesome dive..from the size of the ship to the life that lives there.. BREATHTAKING!! Saw the biggest Parrot Fish crunching away on the top deck, he let us just sit there and watch him eat from about a foot away.. just amazing.. Just wish we got hooked up with the great people at Ocean Divers earlier in the week.. We should have known.. beteween "Captain Putz" and other stories you wouldnt belive if I told you... When is the last time you saw a PADI instructor thow his gear in the water to put it on, while teaching a rescue class, and not inflate the BC...yup....no air, in front of his whole class.. Guess who had to go retreive his equipment.. and theres more...... Anyway.. Ocean Divers is the way to go... They were excellent!!I wish I had some pictures to post but the housing for the 20D hasnt arrived yet.. We hope to go back in the summer for a couple of days and get back on the Duane and Grove again and will definately have it by then...
