Key West diving

[richardbrown77]

Hi All - I am down to Key West in May for my 10 year wedding anniversary. I am not familiar with the keys but doing some initial reading around the area it seem the better diving is on the other keys as most come down to key west for Duval street. I am, what I would imagine, is a typical vacation diver as I live in New England and cannot get into the cold water diving, diving every couple of years when I go on vacation. I have my advanced but I am just looking for some easy diving as I will only be diving for a couple of days. One other thought, is a refresher recommneded for key west?

So, my question to all my fellow scubaboarders is ...any recommended dive shops, sites? We are staying on eaton street so should be near a couple I would imagine.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wookie]

You are nearest to Lost Reef Adventures, depending where on Eaton. You might be closer to Captain's Corner, either is a great time, but Captain's Corner is a bigger boat, hence more divers. A refresher is not strictly necessary, you may inquire about having a guide on your first day, that's kind of a refresher in itself. Vis on the reef yesterday was 30 feet, but there was lots of life. Vis on the Vandy was 100 feet. The Vandy has become the signature Key West dive and is not to miss. Although the reefs in Key West are not spectacular for vis (Key West decided years ago to dredge for more and bigger cruise ships instead of trying to keep the reefs healthy) the reefs are in quite acceptable shape and the fish life is quite good. The only advantage the upper keys have is better vis, but then, you have to deal with a thousand divers and snorkelers on Molasses at any given day.

 

[Lorenzoid]

You would have a lot of fun flying in to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, renting a car, and doing the drive out to Key West. The drive is an experience in itself. Stop in Key Largo to dive, then spend your time in Key West doing things other than diving.

 

[richardbrown77]

Wookie - Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

Lorenzoid - That is sort of what we are doing. Flying into Miami and driving down. Re driving up to largo, it s a possibility but not sure I want to do that as the main reason is to go for our anniversary. I take what Key West offers, I was just wondering, other than the Vandy, what that was.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

If you are driving down, and for your type of "easing back into it" diving, a little up the road from Key West (about 20 miles) is Looe Key marine sanctuary (off of Big Pine Key). It is a very beautiful reef, shallow (18-40), usually benign conditions, great coral, good animal life with some huge groupers and lots of moray eels. It is not nearly as crowded as Molasses/Pennekamp because it is much farther from Miami, where most of the divers come from on day trips and stop at Pennekamp. Looe Key would be an easy half day trip up from Key West, driving included. It is, I think much better than the reefs near Key West, for the reasons Wookie said.

Yes Molasses is crowded, but it is still one of the nicest reefs you are going to find in the Keys on a day trip, and if school is not out when you get here and you go during the week it can be fairly uncroweded.

My thought, dive Molasses/Pennekamp in the morning (it is a half day trip) on your way down (or spend one night in Key largo to dive the next morning), then go to Key West and do a half day trip Looe Key, and then, if you are feeling comfortable, consider the Vandy, but with a guide, and if conditions are benign, and if you feel comfortable. Those would be three great dives and the two shallow trips (4 dives total) ought to get you comfortable for a more challenging dive like the Vandy. For all dives, always try to dive in the morning as that it is when it is calmest.

If you only want two dives, then go to Key West and do Looe Key one morning. The Vandy is a great dive but it is no lightweight, and if you have been away from diving a couple of years two shallow dives are not much of a refresher, so go with a guide and only if conditions are benign.

It's been a while since I was there, so I would defer to Wookie or other regular Key West divers for suggestions as to operators.

 

[Jjparker]

I just dove with Captains Corner. I was solo and am just certified, they gave me a buddy who had over 100 dives, and whom they knew (and also had lots of local knowledge of the dives).

Good, safe experience. I did the afternoon reef dives, as they were shallower and I had new gear. Kind of shake down dives.

i had a blast, cannot say enough great things about the operation.

water was 75f, slight wind and chop, viz was about 60.

 

[Carol202]

We were on Key West in late February. The diving there is good, maybe not as good as Looe Key or Molasses, but if you want to stay close to Key West and enjoy your anniversary, there is nothing wrong with the local reefs around Key West. We also did the Vandenberg, but I wouldn't recommend that as your first dive after being out of the water for a while because sea conditions could be rough and there could be currents. Also, we didn't find as much fish life on the wreck as we did on the reefs. There are many reefs in the 25 to 40 foot range with lots of colorful fish. You will have to ask around for a boat that is doing the reefs, because it seemed to me that most of the dive shops concentrated on diving the Vandenberg. Many do the Vandenberg in the morning and reefs in the afternoon.

 

[billinwilliamston]

Since you're staying on Eaton Street, the construction on Roosevelt can make the trip up and down the Keys a bigger ordeal than I would want to bother with for a single dive, especially if you were trying to make a morning dive boat. I didn't notice if your wife was a diver as well, if she's not that would make the trip up the Keys even less appealing.

Either way, my advice is park you car when you get here and don't pull it out again until you're ready to leave the island. Unless you're way down by the Navy hotel at Trumbo Point, there is plenty to keep your bride and you entertained within easy walking distance. Chances are if you hit enough of the historic seaport area happy hours, you'll see my lovely bride (who's an instructor at Lost Reef) and I somewhere along the way. We'll be the ones sitting at the bar, talking loud and laughing a lot :wink1:

 

[ohonu]

When in Key West we usually dive with Seaduction. Mike is a great guy, worked with us to get the dives we wanted and even signed his book for us (which is a great read if your into diving books). We will be going back in July and plan to dive this Mike again. Good luck and Safe Diving.

 

[richardbrown77]

Guys - Thanks for all your ehlp

I do have one more question


Are all dives of Key West unguided (except the vandy)?