Key Largo

[Jim Kerr]

Ocean Divers DIVE KEY LARGO WITH OCEAN DIVERS - SCUBA diving, snorkeling, PADI diver training, IDC & CDC - Instructor & Career Development Center gets my vote. You can log on to their web site and check the schedule to know exactly where they're going and when. They have big comfortable boats which are seldom filled to capacity so there's always plenty of room. They're a top notch operation and will go out with only 2 divers. I have only dived with 1 other OP besides OD on Key Largo but they are not worth mentioning. I have also heard very good things about all the other OPs mentioned on this thread but have not dived with them, "yet".

 

[Jupiter31]

HMS Minnow excellent 6ix divers max

 

[jimdiverman]

HMS Minnow excellent 6ix divers max

And its a 3-hour tour... a 3-hour tour.

 

[Mark GH2O]

Just use Ocean Divers sice they are right by you! You will not be sorry. The boats are big but do not seem crowded. They took 3 of us out once when no one else was going out. The dives that day were some of the best I have ever done in the keys.

And don't forget to stop by Sharkey's afterwards for a cold beer.

Mark

 

[BKP]

February issue of Scuba Diving... lists mosts of the Keys' dive ops, and with reader ratings... you might want to take a look...

 

[deepstops]

February issue of Scuba Diving... lists mosts of the Keys' dive ops, and with reader ratings... you might want to take a look...

Why would we use the magazine when you can get solid feedback right here??

On the up side, Ocean Divers boat is big and they run when others stay at the dock. On the down side, they are kinda expensive and have some really whacked policies about doing nitrox fills.

 

[BKP]

Why would we use the magazine when you can get solid feedback right here??

Because it's another perspective, with additional information about crews, sites visited, locations, and perhaps other helpful information not necessarily covered here, with input from a larger sampling than we have here...

Then, again... why look elsewhere for *any* information, when when we can get everything we need right here...

 

[SussexMedic]

Another vote for Bluewater. Dove a couple days with them last year and had a great time. They went out with only two of us.

 

[deepstops]

Because it's another perspective, with additional information about crews, sites visited, locations, and perhaps other helpful information not necessarily covered here, with input from a larger sampling than we have here...

Then, again... why look elsewhere for *any* information, when when we can get everything we need right here...

I've had two shop owners in the Upper Keys tell me you won't make the list unless you advertise in the magazine. There also used to be a charter there that openly asked you to vote for them every time you dove with them. One way or another, I'm less likely to trust the results than the feedback here since what the magazine is posting is probably at least six months old.

And when in doubt, dive with the operators the locals use

 

[Capt Gary]

I've had two shop owners in the Upper Keys tell me you won't make the list unless you advertise in the magazine. There also used to be a charter there that openly asked you to vote for them every time you dove with them. One way or another, I'm less likely to trust the results than the feedback here since what the magazine is posting is probably at least six months old.

And when in doubt, dive with the operators the locals use

Well being a shop owners in the Upper Keys I question the validity of that statement and would venture to say the two shop owners who told you that didn't make the list.

I'm a member of KADO and through that organization and the Florida Keys co-op they provide greatly reduced rates for their members to advertise by placing their logos on an ad wanting to bring people to the Florida Keys. It's not much money on my end and really doesn't support SD magazine.

Having an interest in how SD magazine got their results for the Reader Ratings I contact them to see how it works. They told me they solicit feedback from several different sources. One is through emails to their subscribers list and the other way is through their website. It takes 25 responses to even get considered for the reader rating list.

I, like many operators have links on our websites to Rate Our Operation. That's all the effort I put into this, but I do know of an operator who actually put a computer on their counter to solicit customers in their store to fill out a rating for them.


I look at it this way, if my divers take the time to go to SD's reader rating and fill it out and we obtain a high rating then we're doing something right. I don't like tutting my own horn, but those readers voted us the best overall score in Scuba Diving Magazine for the last two years in a row. I also heard from SD magazine last month that they obtained enough feedback about us again this year to be listed in those ratings again. We are honored.

The operators who make the list work very hard to provide good customer service. I really don't like seeing that hard work being down played by misinformation or speculation on the rewards they deserve.

I know the people who work at Conch work real hard to ensure our guest have a great time. If we're doing something wrong or can improve then please let us know. That's on open door policy the Admiral and I have with all our guest. We like to think of ourselves as not being a dive shop, but a memory shop. "Conch Republic Divers, providing good memories one dive at a time."

Sorry for the long message and the ranting.

Good Diving/Hunting,