Keys diving

[sparelli]

Hi all!

I'll be visiting South Florida/Keys in May for a week and I'm looking for recommendations on where to go! I'll be flying in and out of Fort Lauderdale and driving down to the Southernmost point stopping leisurely along the way. So basically anything between Fort Lauderdale and Key West is fair game.

I'm interested in wrecks and reefs alike -- but I'll be travelling with my newly certified friend, so dives have to be OW friendly.

I did look through the Dive Sites thread but a lot of that diving is North of where I'll be. I KNOW there's great diving in the Keys! Help me find the must see spots!

Thanks in advance! :-D

 

[llBuckshotll]

Literally just did the same thing in December. Flew in to FLL and drove down. Stopped at like 4 places for cocktails and Tuna. Lots of good info, check the other thread here:
Key West December

My wife and I actually took our AOW while there.
You have to dive the Vandenberg at least once.
OW divers can do the wreck with a guide too.
I'd recommend Captains Corner Dive Op in Key West.

My review in the other thread should mostly cover any questions, but feel free to ask anything else.

Enjoy, you're going to love it!

 

[sportxlh]

Key Largo and Islamorada are great spots. The three big wrecks are the Spiegle Grove, Eagle and Duane. All three have some shallower sections but if there is current, diving shallow can be a challenge. I like the idea of getting an AOW while there. There are shallow wreck dives too, but the shallow wrecks are pretty beat up and some are more like metal rubble heaps; still fun dives but not the same as the big intact wrecks. The Bentwood, City of Washington and Mike's Wreck are 3 that come to mind.

My go-to shop is Conch Republic Divers, but I also like Rainbow Reef and Quiessece.

Like Buckshot said, the Vandy in KW is also a nice dive.

There are a lot of wrecks in Pompano too... that's very close to FLL.

 

[KDAD]

Not to push you too far north of ft. Lauderdale but one good spot is the shore dive at lauderdale by the sea. If it fits your schedule you can hit it first as a checkout dive plus the town area is nice for lunch and drinks. Nice long dive on the reef.

Ft. Laderdale has some good diving also with the typical first dive to a wreck around 65 fsw and the second to a reef around 30 fsw. Since you are there it would be worth the dives.

I used American Dream Dive Charter which was fine.

 

[AdivingBel]

Marathon has nice, colorful patch reefs and the Thunderbolt for a wreck dive. Captain Hook's is a friendly shop. Looe Key is a wonderful shallow reef dive off Big Pine. It's a protected reef so lots of wildlife. Looe Key Reef Resort runs a laid back boat off Ramrod Key. Second the recommendations for Conch Republic up north (Admiral Brenda is a peach) and Captain's Corner for a double dip on the Vandy in Key West. Have fun. The lower, slower Keys are nice if you're in the right frame of mind.

 

[WinfieldNC]

To add to the post above, my girlfriend and I dove Marathon in May of last year. We had a great time and she was a recently certified OW diver. We dove with a few different shops and liked Abyss Dive Center the best. They have a six person boat which was great and we didn't feel rushed like we did with some of the other operators. Just my two cents. Have fun!

 

[bluesrocker22]

We really love KEY DIVES in Islamorada. Eagle is a good wreck dive but 80 feet if you stay OUT of the sand. I think it is 110 - 115 feet down in the sand. Alligator reef is a GREAT night dive or day dive. Cindy's corner, Jumpin Mackeral, really good reef and life. If you get lucky, great turtles. We saw a turtle that they believe was over 100 years old (biggest one we have EVER seen).