pollywogg
Guest
Hey Everybody,
I did a little search, and other than Speargirls sticky which indexes the places to eat and stay in the Keys, I hadn't really seen any info.
My girlfriend and I stayed at the Looe Key Resort and Dive Center on Ramrod Key, mile marker 27.5. We stayed Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights, checked out and went home on Sunday.
The Room:
The room was very bare bones. It consisted of a bed, a TV, a drying rack, a bedside table, and a bathroom. I had absolutely no complaints, but be prepared to bring your own cooler if you bring food or snacks. They have an ice machine for the bar/restaurant there that they let the customers use, so you can restock your cooler daily. We didn't have any extra towels, so we hung the gear on the rack. The gear and the puddle was mostly dry by the morning
Like I said, it's barebones, but it has all you need.
The Bar/Restaurant:
MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE BEFORE THE LATE NIGHT MENU!!
The regular menu is nice. It has a nice variety. We tried the conch fritters and the shrimp potstickers on the first night. They were decent. We hit the place at 9:05 and they start serving the late night menu at 9 on sun-thur and 11 fri and sat. The late night menu is all fried, and very limited.
While there, we also tried the sesame tuna app(huge app portion), the conch chowder(very nice and spicy), the shrimp cocktail(nice sized shrimp), and the cheese fries(...cheesy)
Everything there was good. The fried stuff, as can be expected, can be heavy. But there is a pretty good variety and you'll more than likely be able to find something to eat after a long day of diving.
The drinks there are strong, and dirt cheap, too. Just sit at the bar and make sure you tip the bartender well the first night.
The Important Stuff:
The Diving:
We dove on the Kokomo Kat II on friday and saturday.
Friday:
Went out on the Kat. There were 22 on the boat, but only 6 were diving, the rest were snorkeling. Dove three spots on Looe Key. The east end, the Nursery, and Shark Alley. The max depth there is 28 feet, but the sealife is amazing. We saw all types of parrotfish, grouper, angelfish, wrasses, huge lobsters, etc. etc. In the Nursery, the tiny fish were amazing. Too many to even name.
Saturday:
Dove the same three spots. 19 on the boat, but only 3 were snorkeling. Again, amazed by all of the fish. Stopped to watch a group of 22 midnight parrotfish for about 10 minutes. Saw a sea slug, with a tiny arrowcrab on top. They weren't the stars of the dive. The vis was nowhere near as clear on day 2 as it was on day 1. But I was pointing something out to my girlfriend, and I see a shark swim by. I tried to catch up to him, but he/she was cruising to fast for me to get a good look at the type of shark. Then I saw a group of 4 spotted eagle rays, all about 4.5 feet. Then we wrapped up the day by seeing the largest jewfish I have ever seen.
I was so happy after the dives. This was my first trip down to the Keys, and I can't wait to go back! I hope someone finds this helpful.
And, Captain gives you a free drink ticket for the Looe Key bar! Can't knock free drinks!
PS: If you're wondering where my pics are, here's the scoop.
I have an old sea&sea 35mm camera. I'm happily snapping away on my first dive of day1. Suddenly, the camera stops clicking and winding. I looked at the camera, thinking that the roll was full. Imagine my dismay to see an air bubble in the housing. Well, I guess I will have to reach deep into my shallow pockets and invest in a real camera
Happy Diving!!
I did a little search, and other than Speargirls sticky which indexes the places to eat and stay in the Keys, I hadn't really seen any info.
My girlfriend and I stayed at the Looe Key Resort and Dive Center on Ramrod Key, mile marker 27.5. We stayed Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights, checked out and went home on Sunday.
The Room:
The room was very bare bones. It consisted of a bed, a TV, a drying rack, a bedside table, and a bathroom. I had absolutely no complaints, but be prepared to bring your own cooler if you bring food or snacks. They have an ice machine for the bar/restaurant there that they let the customers use, so you can restock your cooler daily. We didn't have any extra towels, so we hung the gear on the rack. The gear and the puddle was mostly dry by the morning
Like I said, it's barebones, but it has all you need.The Bar/Restaurant:
MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE BEFORE THE LATE NIGHT MENU!!
The regular menu is nice. It has a nice variety. We tried the conch fritters and the shrimp potstickers on the first night. They were decent. We hit the place at 9:05 and they start serving the late night menu at 9 on sun-thur and 11 fri and sat. The late night menu is all fried, and very limited.
While there, we also tried the sesame tuna app(huge app portion), the conch chowder(very nice and spicy), the shrimp cocktail(nice sized shrimp), and the cheese fries(...cheesy)
Everything there was good. The fried stuff, as can be expected, can be heavy. But there is a pretty good variety and you'll more than likely be able to find something to eat after a long day of diving.
The drinks there are strong, and dirt cheap, too. Just sit at the bar and make sure you tip the bartender well the first night.
The Important Stuff:
The Diving:
We dove on the Kokomo Kat II on friday and saturday.
Friday:
Went out on the Kat. There were 22 on the boat, but only 6 were diving, the rest were snorkeling. Dove three spots on Looe Key. The east end, the Nursery, and Shark Alley. The max depth there is 28 feet, but the sealife is amazing. We saw all types of parrotfish, grouper, angelfish, wrasses, huge lobsters, etc. etc. In the Nursery, the tiny fish were amazing. Too many to even name.
Saturday:
Dove the same three spots. 19 on the boat, but only 3 were snorkeling. Again, amazed by all of the fish. Stopped to watch a group of 22 midnight parrotfish for about 10 minutes. Saw a sea slug, with a tiny arrowcrab on top. They weren't the stars of the dive. The vis was nowhere near as clear on day 2 as it was on day 1. But I was pointing something out to my girlfriend, and I see a shark swim by. I tried to catch up to him, but he/she was cruising to fast for me to get a good look at the type of shark. Then I saw a group of 4 spotted eagle rays, all about 4.5 feet. Then we wrapped up the day by seeing the largest jewfish I have ever seen.
I was so happy after the dives. This was my first trip down to the Keys, and I can't wait to go back! I hope someone finds this helpful.
And, Captain gives you a free drink ticket for the Looe Key bar! Can't knock free drinks!
PS: If you're wondering where my pics are, here's the scoop.
I have an old sea&sea 35mm camera. I'm happily snapping away on my first dive of day1. Suddenly, the camera stops clicking and winding. I looked at the camera, thinking that the roll was full. Imagine my dismay to see an air bubble in the housing. Well, I guess I will have to reach deep into my shallow pockets and invest in a real camera
Happy Diving!!
