Key West -- recommendations?

[sactomags]

We're down to about four weeks before we leave on our trip. Our first week we'll divide between St. Maartin and Saba, then we return for a week in Key West. We do plan on a trip up to Marathon to dive with Capt. Banny again. But, anyone got any recommendations for dive ops in Key West? Also, anyone know about the Dry Tortugas -- is it only snorkeling now allowed?

Appreciate any and all info.

Regards,
Margaret
Sacramento, CA

 

[joewr]

(to sorta quote Rhett Butler), my recommendations for Key West: an extra week on Saba!

Have fun, fellow(ette), Norte Californiana,

Joewr...this space available for fee...

 

[CheeseWhiz]

I only dove with one dive operation in Key West: Sub Tropic. This was last October.

I have no complaints about my experience with them. The boat was in reasonable condition, the staff was competent, the dive briefing was thorough, there was water and fresh fruit for after the dive. I lucked out and only had 4 other divers on my trip, which undoubtedly helped the overall experience, but the staff was very helpful gearing divers up and getting us into and out of the water.

Because the wind was high and the waves running 2' to 3', we all agreed that a shallow reef dive would be just fine. We dove a couple of reefs a fairly short ride from the marina, but no complaints there either. Clean reef, lots of marine life.

My 2¢...

 

[Bob3]

Hiya~
Key West diving destinations are not the greatest, you may want to consider going to the Tortugas from there, or driving up to Summerland - Little Torch - Big Pine for a run to Looe Key. The south west end of Looe drops down deeper & is not as heavily visited.

http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/

Big Pine to Summerland have a bunch of excellent eating places, each one with its own specialty.

 

[sactomags]

We'll probably wind up doing more above-ground stuff in Key West and hit the middle Keys for diving, since that seems to be the concensus of most.

Will post an after-trip report here .. will have reports for St. Maartin, Saba, and the Keys (of course), probably be mid-December by the time I get to it.

Counting the days to be diving in WARM water!

Regards,
Margaret
Sacramento, CA