We're headed to the keys the second week of August. I'm looking to dive key largo and have never been. Any advice on hotels and operators? It will be my first dive trip with my girlfriend and I would like a nice hotel that won't kill my wallet. Although I have alot of experience diving in CA, my girlfriend is new to diving. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks
keys hotel advice
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DeputyDan
Contributor
You can book the Ramada Inn in Key Largo at www.hotels.com for $99 a night.
Everything in Key Largo centers around mile marker 100. Therefore from a logistics point of view use it as a guide. The Ramada Inn is right there and is OK lodging. I have stayed at the Ramada, Amy Slade's - Kelly's by the Bay and Sunset Cove. My daughers prefer Sunset Cove. They joke about the fact that its not a place mom would stay at. It clean and reasonable priced but very old. www.sunsetcoveflorida.com
We normally stay in one of the cottages #2 through #6. But to each their own. My wife would say its a dump (She's right)
Dive times. Most operations go out twice a day. There is a tremendous drive in and dive crowd so Friday PM - Saturday and Sunday AM are more crowded. If you can dive Sunday PM through the week the experience will be better.
If you want to go a little farther down the coast, MakoSince70 (on this board) works at Ocean Quest. I have not used them but he seems like a nice guy. Very helpful with various questions I have had.
Diving is "THE INDUSTRY" in Key Largo almost all of the operators are going to be OK.
Go to www.upperkeysdiving.com and look at the dive profiles - The City of Washington - Pickles Reef - French Reef are awesome shallow dives.
Plenty to see and maximum depths of 25 to 45 feet. The Christ statute is one of those "tourist" things that everyone has to say they have done.
The reason that the diving is easy is that you are on a plateau so to speak - no walls - no deep sites - the bottom is the bottom. At the City of Washington you can't pass 36 feet if you tried.
All that being said the four wrecks - the Duane - the Bibb, the Spiegel Grove and the Eagle are definitely AOW sites if you are qualified for that sort of thing.
When we go to the Keys we use Jeff Jarvis at www.hmsminnow.com His operation can be a bit daunting for a new diver since you do everything yourself and except for a dive brief you are on your own.
Hope this helps.
DD
Everything in Key Largo centers around mile marker 100. Therefore from a logistics point of view use it as a guide. The Ramada Inn is right there and is OK lodging. I have stayed at the Ramada, Amy Slade's - Kelly's by the Bay and Sunset Cove. My daughers prefer Sunset Cove. They joke about the fact that its not a place mom would stay at. It clean and reasonable priced but very old. www.sunsetcoveflorida.com
We normally stay in one of the cottages #2 through #6. But to each their own. My wife would say its a dump (She's right)
Dive times. Most operations go out twice a day. There is a tremendous drive in and dive crowd so Friday PM - Saturday and Sunday AM are more crowded. If you can dive Sunday PM through the week the experience will be better.
If you want to go a little farther down the coast, MakoSince70 (on this board) works at Ocean Quest. I have not used them but he seems like a nice guy. Very helpful with various questions I have had.
Diving is "THE INDUSTRY" in Key Largo almost all of the operators are going to be OK.
Go to www.upperkeysdiving.com and look at the dive profiles - The City of Washington - Pickles Reef - French Reef are awesome shallow dives.
Plenty to see and maximum depths of 25 to 45 feet. The Christ statute is one of those "tourist" things that everyone has to say they have done.
The reason that the diving is easy is that you are on a plateau so to speak - no walls - no deep sites - the bottom is the bottom. At the City of Washington you can't pass 36 feet if you tried.
All that being said the four wrecks - the Duane - the Bibb, the Spiegel Grove and the Eagle are definitely AOW sites if you are qualified for that sort of thing.
When we go to the Keys we use Jeff Jarvis at www.hmsminnow.com His operation can be a bit daunting for a new diver since you do everything yourself and except for a dive brief you are on your own.
Hope this helps.
DD
Diving with Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier and staying at Ocean Pointe Suites which is close to the Marina. Brenda and Gary run a great Dive operation, have a full-service dive shop and the Cuban sandwich shop there on the marina is good grub after your dives!
Ocean Pointe Suites gives good sized condos with kitchens. They have a pool and include continential breakfast.
Check these out:
www.conchrepublicdivers.com
www.oceanpointesuites.com
Julie
PS- I just dove with them in June, for a week.
Ocean Pointe Suites gives good sized condos with kitchens. They have a pool and include continential breakfast.
Check these out:
www.conchrepublicdivers.com
www.oceanpointesuites.com
Julie
PS- I just dove with them in June, for a week.
mike_s
Contributor
Last two trips there we stayed at Bayside Resorts (http://www.baysideresort.us) and the Holiday Inn Key Largo (http://holidayinnkeylargo.com/). I would stay at either again, but if I had a choice of the two I'd stay at the Holiday Inn. But only because they have dive boats onsite.
The Bayside was very nice and the rooms were very clean. The resort is prob 40 years old, but the rooms were nice and updated. The A/C worked great. Their staff
was also very nice and helpfull. They have a very small pool though similar to a
"home" pool. They are located on the Bayside (as you can tell by the name) and
have great views of the sunsets. There is a pic in my Scubaboard Gallery that
I took of the sunset there. A very small Continential breakfast is included
and there is a Japenese resturant next to the office, a Burger King next door,
and Snooks Bayside which is sorta on the property that had pretty decent
food and a nice outside bar area to watch the sunsets also.
The only negative of this place was that you had to load up in your car
and go down the road to get on a dive boat, where other places you can
simply wheel your dive bag from your room to the boat. Click HERE for
a full "trip report" of staying at the Bayside.
The Holiday Inn is almost across the street and the building is typical Holiday Inn.
But it has two older but nice pools in the courtyard and a "Tiki Bar".
They have a regular breakfast the rooms all come with a mini fridge, which
was nice. The rooms were all updated and had very cold A/C.
The thing I liked better about staying here is that you could just walk outside
the door to the dive boats. This works better when you have non-diving
family members going with you that might want to use the car for something
else during your dive and don't want to have to get up really early to
take you to the dive boat. If you want sunset views, you can walk
across the street to Snooks at the Bayside and enjoy a cold beer
while watching the sunset. A review I wrote a couple years
ago on the Holiday Inn Key Largo can be found HERE
Within walking distance of both places was a convience store and gas station,
a McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King. A grocery store and 2 drug stores
(CVS and Walgreens I think). Also World Watersports "supersize" dive shop
was located right next door.
Of course there are several other hotel choices in Key Largo, but
hope this info was helpfull.
The Bayside was very nice and the rooms were very clean. The resort is prob 40 years old, but the rooms were nice and updated. The A/C worked great. Their staff
was also very nice and helpfull. They have a very small pool though similar to a
"home" pool. They are located on the Bayside (as you can tell by the name) and
have great views of the sunsets. There is a pic in my Scubaboard Gallery that
I took of the sunset there. A very small Continential breakfast is included
and there is a Japenese resturant next to the office, a Burger King next door,
and Snooks Bayside which is sorta on the property that had pretty decent
food and a nice outside bar area to watch the sunsets also.
The only negative of this place was that you had to load up in your car
and go down the road to get on a dive boat, where other places you can
simply wheel your dive bag from your room to the boat. Click HERE for
a full "trip report" of staying at the Bayside.
The Holiday Inn is almost across the street and the building is typical Holiday Inn.
But it has two older but nice pools in the courtyard and a "Tiki Bar".
They have a regular breakfast the rooms all come with a mini fridge, which
was nice. The rooms were all updated and had very cold A/C.
The thing I liked better about staying here is that you could just walk outside
the door to the dive boats. This works better when you have non-diving
family members going with you that might want to use the car for something
else during your dive and don't want to have to get up really early to
take you to the dive boat. If you want sunset views, you can walk
across the street to Snooks at the Bayside and enjoy a cold beer
while watching the sunset. A review I wrote a couple years
ago on the Holiday Inn Key Largo can be found HERE
Within walking distance of both places was a convience store and gas station,
a McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King. A grocery store and 2 drug stores
(CVS and Walgreens I think). Also World Watersports "supersize" dive shop
was located right next door.
Of course there are several other hotel choices in Key Largo, but
hope this info was helpfull.
Life-Is-Good-Diver
Contributor
Juls64:
I'll second Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier and staying at Ocean Pointe Suites which is close to the Marina. We live here in FL, and make a trip down to Tavernier if not every month, every other month. Having my own boat to dive off of, Ocean Point Suites is ideal for us, marina on site, and most dive site's are withen 10 miles out, and very easy access. When i don';t bring my boat down, i drive down and stay at any one they have mentioned, Holiday Inn, Marina Del Mar, Sherton, plenty there with nice accomadation's.
Gary and Brenda also will work with you with Conch Republic diver's, to help out with your lodging if needed, they have plenty of connection's, and will do just about anything to help anyone out.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
PS, if you like shallow reef's, i highley recommend Molassess Reef, and French Reef, they are right next to each other, I love diving both of them at night, awsome dive';s !
Thanks to everyone who has replied. I will let you know how it goes. We were originally headed for Cozumel, but cancelled due to the big blow. We know we're traveling during hurricane season but it's the only time of year we can get away. Thanks again!
offduty:
I suggest http://www.bluewaterdiver.net/ . They are located right next to the Holiday In & cam get you a room there, or the Marina del Mar (Better). Plus they are a great dive boat.
Sirto
Contributor
offduty:
I just got back from Key Largo a couple of weeks ago. We dove with Silent World . They have nice small boats , 14 divers max, and did a fine job. Do a Google search for them.
PS, be sured to go to Molasses reef if you can. It's a beautiful shallow dive.
sergeantnic
Registered
Marina Del Mar is a pretty good place to stay. They've got a coulpe dive charters right there at their Marina too but I've never used them as I'm not certified yet. The rooms were alright and you can use their pool or the other two pools at the neighboring hotels.
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