Need comments on a planned trip from FLL to Key Largo to Key West to Miami

[scubadada]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. After further research, I decided to concentrate on Key Largo with 3 or 4 days of AM and PM dives and perhaps taking the last day off to be a tourist on the top side at Key West.

I will fly LAX-IAH-FLL, rent a car, drive to Courtyard by Marriott across Rainbow Reef, get a stay/dive package from them for 3-4 days. Then drive to Miami on Thursday afternoon, stay at Coconut Grove, U of Miami on Friday, back to LAX on Sunday.

I plan on coming back next year for the Dry Tortugas/Vandy charter on MV Spree, followed by some other sites in between Key West and Key Largo.

Thanks again for the comments, and to all who contributed to other threads about diving in Florida.

Best,
Selo

You'll have a great time diving this trip. I had a marvelous time diving the Spree wreck trek, fabulous crew, really good food, wonderful platform to dive from. I would love to dive the Dry Tortugas trip. Capt Frank is also working hard in putting together a trip to Cuba I would really like to do.

 

[selo]

Thank you scubadada. I had posted my reply before reading your comment and I am glad that my decision seems in the right direction. I am a late comer to the scuba scene, starting in my late 40s, and I decided to take a day off in between the diving and driving also. Even in Cozumel, I don't do back to back 4-5 dive days and instead take some time off and enjoy the place.
I am also planning to do Nitrox as much as possible.
Best,
Selo

 

[AdivingBel]

Well sure. These islands are so interconnected and so similar to each other (from this visitor's perspective) that you might not notice when you cross from Key Largo into Islamorada. From this visitor's point of view, Key Largo, Islamorada and Tavernier are pretty much all the same. The dive ops visit many of the same sites. As for venturing further into the Middle Keys, again, it can be a nice drive to do for the hell of it, but I don't think the diving is any different from Key Largo, etc. I'm not sure what you mean by "a little different flavor"--for diving, I don't perceive any difference. If anything, the diving is better up in Key Largo, etc.--the Upper Keys.

While many of the dive ops visit the same sites, they don’t necessarily specialize in those sites and that can make a significant difference on where you drop and what you see, especially on some of the more southern (less dived) Upper Keys sites. I find Alligator, Davis, & Crocker reefs (among others) to be different in both topography and wildlife from Molasses & French reefs. I guess you can make the case that they are all the same reef and that you can find relatively identical microcosms of reef structure & wildlife, but, in my experience, the locations favored by the “usual suspect” dive ops are different enough that I wouldn’t call the northern sites to Islamorada “all the same.”


As for venturing further down the Keys, just saying, “it’s a nice drive for the hell of it” does Highway 1 a great disservice. I know it can get jammed up and if all you’re concerned about is getting from here to there, it can be a colossal pain in the ass, but every time I return after being gone for a few months, I’m just floored by the beauty of the vistas of the drive. It just prepares me to slow down (sometimes literally ) for the lower, slower Keys. As for the diving, IMHO, the western (deeper) end of Looe Key Marine Sanctuary is special for both the topography and wildlife. Unless you’re going out with Reefman, TimG, or Deeper Thoughts, you’re not going to see anything like it on a standard Key Largo dive charter. Not necessarily better or worse, just different (one example).


As to “a little different flavor,” I find the whole dive vibe different, more laid back. Not to pigeonhole Key Largo dive ops, but I find in general (and I know I’ll get flack for this, but I mean it with a great deal of respect) they tend to be either “well oiled machines” or (for lack of a better word) more “technical” or both. I haven’t found many that will grill me up a dog between dives, have DMs that dance to reggae before the dive brief, or will fix me a marg on the way back to the dock after the dives. If you’re a “serious” diver it might not be your scene, but its kind of fun sometimes for us recreationally minded folks.


Sorry for the length of the post. My original post was in response to seeing so many travel plans posted “I’m diving 3 days in Key Largo then heading to Key West for the Vandy.” There is nothing wrong with that plan. I’ve done it and had a blast. If you have the time or you’re planning more than one trip to the Keys in your lifetime, there is more than that to diving in the Keys (despite what L says… hey man, your new “tech” is showing ).

Selo, you have a good plan. Enjoy your trip. Safe diving.

 

[CajunDiva]

You will LOVE diving with Rainbow Reef - great dive op. Please tell Captain Jordan that Hank & Jackie say hello! They will provide dive guides at no additional charge for you. Be sure to tell them what you would like to see and interact with them - great bunch of folks!

I think you will have the ideal accommodations as well. It will all be very convenient for you - have a great time! Please come back and let us know how your diving was

 

[Lorenzoid]

AdivingBel: I agree with everything in your post above. Thanks for filling in the detail that our previous posts omitted for brevity. You captured the nuances.