Need Charter Recommendation for Vandenberg

[IncreaseMyT]

Thanks for reading!

My son and I are going to dive with Caruso's group on the 17th and 18th, then we are gonna head down and do a double dip on the Duane and the Spiegel on the 19th with Horizon since they have it on the schedule that day.

Then that Friday night was going to drive to Key West and try to do a double dip on the Vandenberg (which I have not dived). Any recommendations on a charter for this dive?

Also besides the Vandenberg, are there any other recommended dives we should do that afternoon?

 

[In2theabyss]

I believe Lost Reef has the best operation down in KW. Offer numerous dives on the Vandy

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Only been to Key West once, but Lost Reef was fantastic.

 

[sportxlh]

I don't know if this is the best operator in Key West, but I've been out with Captain's Corner on numerous occasions and always had a good experience.

 

[scubadada]

I did a triple on the Vandenberg with @Wookie off the Spree, boy, those were the days

 

[caruso]

I've dived with Southpoint Divers in Key West and did the Vandenberg on 2 separate dive vacations over the past couple of years.

The first time we went the visibility was less than 6' in murky, silty water and we couldn't see much of anything. This last time about 5 months ago the dive was a bit better, still in low visibility conditions but at least we could see stuff. It's very hit or miss with the Vandenberg and we've just had bad luck. I recommend you pay for a dive guide for that wreck even though it isn't cheap. Everything in Key West is expensive including no free parking. A guide will cost about $150 for a group of up to around 6 divers. There's a parking lot adjacent to Southpoint divers they give a break to divers and you can leave your car there and explore the town after the dive.

There are 2 more wrecks to see in Key West: The Cayman Salvager is smaller but has an intact hull, and has 2 large holds that can be penetrated. I got into "trouble" with the crew. During the briefing they said "penetration is not recommended", and during the dive when I disappeared down the stairs and explored one of the deep holds for several minutes the DM got really freaked out- but I dive solo- as in I leave my group, who knows I do this- and I am suitably equipped for solo diving. The crew said to me post-dive that although they don't prohibit penetration, it can be dangerous in there and rarely does anyone go inside. But I would have found the dive to be boring without doing that. Towards the bow there is a large circular opening and if you drop through it there's a cool round room to swim around but you need to be really good with your finning. (Check my FB videos we did that dive 8/2018).

If look up "Florida Keys Wreck Trek" you will see 9 wrecks listed. It was my hope to also do "Joe's Tug" in Key West as it's one of the 9 listed wrecks- but apparently there isn't much left of it and the currents are strong and it isn't dived that much for those reasons. I haven't dived any of the reefs in Key West mainly because I've never heard anyone say that they're even close to being worth it but you know the old saying "the worst dive of a trip still beats a great day at work". Or something like that.

Florida Keys Diving & Snorkeling - Become a Wreck Trekker

I cannot recommend Lost Reef Adventures. I booked with them on our first trip to Key West and they canceled me the afternoon before the dive because they didn't have enough divers to make it profitable- they retain the right to cancel a trip for any reason including not enough divers, right up until the evening before the scheduled dive- and yet their cancellation policy is that if a diver doesn't cancel within 72 hours before the dive, they lose their entire deposit. Luckily Southpoint got us to the Vberg with no issues.

 

[In2theabyss]

I cannot recommend Lost Reef Adventures. I booked with them on our first trip to Key West and they canceled me the afternoon before the dive because they didn't have enough divers to make it profitable- they retain the right to cancel a trip for any reason including not enough divers, right up until the evening before the scheduled dive- and yet their cancellation policy is that if a diver doesn't cancel within 72 hours before the dive, they lose their entire deposit. Luckily Southpoint got us to the Vberg with no issues.

Never had that issue when i used them a number of years ago but good to know! I hope to get back down there in the next few moonths, may try Southpoint.