CA Diver
Contributor
Dove in the Florida Keys with Upper Keys Dive Center from MAy 6 to May 9. Did 14 dives in 4 days including 2 night dives.
The Dives:
Thursday 5-6: The Duane, Snapper Reef, Conch Ledge and Horseshoe Reef
Friday 5-7: The Eagle, Davis reef, Conch reef drift dive, Crocker reef and Davis Reef night dive
Saturday 5-8: Spiegel Grove, Molasses reef and Snapper Reef night dive
Sunday: 5-9: The Duane and Molasses Reef
The seas were generally 4 to 6 feet when on the wrecks and slightly less on the reefs. The group of experienced divers is from southern California and these seas are not unusual when diving off a boat near Catalina Island, so the conditions were not considered adverse. The only dive with considerabel current was the dive on the Eagle. Captain Brian said the current was 2 knots so it was hand over hand up the granny line and down the bouy line. The current slacked off once over the rail and onto the deck of the Eagle resulting in a great dive and current swept safety stops. The wrecks were fantastic dives with the Spiegel Grove as the standout. The docking level cavern on was cool, especially when you realize that much of the roof is laying on the sand next to the shipThese are definitely advanced dives with depths regularly exceeding 100'.
All were great dives we saw almost every fish on the Florida Keys dive slate (French & Queen Angelfish, Rock Beautys, Hogfish, Filefish, Stoplight, Blue and Midnight Parrotfish Trunkfish, Spotfin, foureye and banded butterflyfish and others). The reefs were vibrant with colorful coral and fans. The best dives were the night dives with numerous nurse sharks, green and spotted moray eels, southern and yellow stingrays, slipper lobster, large pufferfish and three types of turtles (Green, loggerhead and hawksbill). The viz ranged from 25 to 30 on some of reefs (reduced due to the surgy seas) up to 70 to 80 on the wrecks.
I highly recommend Upper Keys Dive Center. Captain Don, Captain Brian and Jason were an excellent crew. They were professional, courteous and most inportantly a safe operation. Ther were very attentive to logging everyone in and out of the water (This is an issue here in southern California... see the accidents and incidents thread) Upper Keys dive center had rinse tanks to clean the gear and a locked storage room for the gear each night. They were able to get to the dive sites we wanted to go to even with the rought seas and windy weather.
Overall it was a fantastic four days of diving in warm water with excellent viz. I look forward to returning to the Keys for future dives. I envy the warm water and visibility you conch divers get even when I read how poor the current conditions are. Here in SoCal Kelp diving the water is cold and the vis is only about 20 to 25 at best. It is still great diving but I enjoyed the change.
The Dives:
Thursday 5-6: The Duane, Snapper Reef, Conch Ledge and Horseshoe Reef
Friday 5-7: The Eagle, Davis reef, Conch reef drift dive, Crocker reef and Davis Reef night dive
Saturday 5-8: Spiegel Grove, Molasses reef and Snapper Reef night dive
Sunday: 5-9: The Duane and Molasses Reef
The seas were generally 4 to 6 feet when on the wrecks and slightly less on the reefs. The group of experienced divers is from southern California and these seas are not unusual when diving off a boat near Catalina Island, so the conditions were not considered adverse. The only dive with considerabel current was the dive on the Eagle. Captain Brian said the current was 2 knots so it was hand over hand up the granny line and down the bouy line. The current slacked off once over the rail and onto the deck of the Eagle resulting in a great dive and current swept safety stops. The wrecks were fantastic dives with the Spiegel Grove as the standout. The docking level cavern on was cool, especially when you realize that much of the roof is laying on the sand next to the shipThese are definitely advanced dives with depths regularly exceeding 100'.
All were great dives we saw almost every fish on the Florida Keys dive slate (French & Queen Angelfish, Rock Beautys, Hogfish, Filefish, Stoplight, Blue and Midnight Parrotfish Trunkfish, Spotfin, foureye and banded butterflyfish and others). The reefs were vibrant with colorful coral and fans. The best dives were the night dives with numerous nurse sharks, green and spotted moray eels, southern and yellow stingrays, slipper lobster, large pufferfish and three types of turtles (Green, loggerhead and hawksbill). The viz ranged from 25 to 30 on some of reefs (reduced due to the surgy seas) up to 70 to 80 on the wrecks.
I highly recommend Upper Keys Dive Center. Captain Don, Captain Brian and Jason were an excellent crew. They were professional, courteous and most inportantly a safe operation. Ther were very attentive to logging everyone in and out of the water (This is an issue here in southern California... see the accidents and incidents thread) Upper Keys dive center had rinse tanks to clean the gear and a locked storage room for the gear each night. They were able to get to the dive sites we wanted to go to even with the rought seas and windy weather.
Overall it was a fantastic four days of diving in warm water with excellent viz. I look forward to returning to the Keys for future dives. I envy the warm water and visibility you conch divers get even when I read how poor the current conditions are. Here in SoCal Kelp diving the water is cold and the vis is only about 20 to 25 at best. It is still great diving but I enjoyed the change.
