Recommendation for dive shop in Key Largo who will rent tanks and weights for a week

[islanddream]

Four of us are meeting up in Key Largo the first week of July to dive. We've rented a house through VRBO (located 1.5 miles to the entrance of John Pennenkamp State Park) and have a place to tie up a boat. Here's what we'd like to know:

• Can someone recommend reputable dive shops in the Key Largo area who rent tanks (will need fills during the week) and weights for a week? We have all of our own equipment.

• We've just started researching boat rentals. If anyone has a recommendation of a reputable place to rent boats, please let me know.

Thanks for any help you can give us!

 

[kwm13]

When I am down there I like to use Quiescence Diving Services, World Class Diving in Key Largo, FL . I think they are a great operation. They run 3 smallish boats. I think they are near where you are going to be.

 

[islanddream]

Thanks, kwm13. I looked at their website and saw that they have rental gear packages that include tanks and weights, but we all have our own equipment so the only thing we need are tanks and weights. I see they also have individual rentals of regs, computers, bcds, wetsuits, lights, and nitrox upgrades, but don't state that they rent just weights and tanks. However, I'll call or email them to see what they can do for us. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[CajunDiva]

@islanddream - I know Rainbow Reef Dive Center has a brand new compressor at their dive shop...located at MM100. But I do not know their policy on renting or filling of tanks. Their location would make pick-up and drop-off really easy for you. Why don't you give them a call and check it out? Dive Key Largo, Florida Keys with Rainbow Reef Dive Center;scuba diving:diving, Florida keys, florida diving

 

[Danny D in FTL]

I for gear rental or purchase I would recommend SCUBA Outlet. Ask for Warren. He's located on the north end of the island on the Bay side. By boat rentals I assume you mean charter service. For that I would recommend either Rainbow Reef due to proximity of where you indicated you are staying, or if you don't mind going a little farther south, Conch Republic Divers on the south end of Key Largo. If you need any more information feel free to PM me. Have fun and consider me jealous.

Danny

 

[reefman]

scuba outlet for tank rentals(weights etc) and warren is the man. they now fill our tanks exclusively. best nitrox price(10$ up to 36EAN any size tank even HP'S) in the upper keys and never short fills. ocean divers would be my 2nd choice(they bank 32EAN) and they always have a dedicated tank filler in the cage for quick fills,,,,,,,,,,,,


reefman
key largo

 

[islanddream]

I for gear rental or purchase I would recommend SCUBA Outlet. Ask for Warren. He's located on the north end of the island on the Bay side. By boat rentals I assume you mean charter service. For that I would recommend either Rainbow Reef due to proximity of where you indicated you are staying, or if you don't mind going a little farther south, Conch Republic Divers on the south end of Key Largo. If you need any more information feel free to PM me. Have fun and consider me jealous.

Hey Danny:


Danny

Hey Danny:

Thanks for the info....looks like reefman agrees with you. Will check out SCUBA Outlet. We aren't looking to charter a boat, we are looking to rent a boat for a week and take ourselves out to the dive sites. If you've got any info on a good place to rent a boat for a week, please let me know.

We'll definitely have fun, but sorry you're jealous. I understand.....leaving Cozumel last Saturday was very painful....especially while watching divers get on the 8 AM boat:sad:.

---------- Post added April 18th, 2013 at 03:12 PM ----------

Thanks, reefman, we'll definitely check them out!

 

[oly5050user]

Hey Danny:

Thanks for the info....looks like reefman agrees with you. Will check out SCUBA Outlet. We aren't looking to charter a boat, we are looking to rent a boat for a week and take ourselves out to the dive sites. If you've got any info on a good place to rent a boat for a week, please let me know.

We'll definitely have fun, but sorry you're jealous. I understand.....leaving Cozumel last Saturday was very painful....especially while watching divers get on the 8 AM boat:sad:.

---------- Post added April 18th, 2013 at 03:12 PM ----------

Thanks, reefman, we'll definitely check them out!

Looks like you plan to rent a boat and take it out yourself to go diving. By the time you rent the boat for a week,rent tanks/weights,pay for gas, you probably be better off safety wise, and financially, by just going out on a charter boat. Running a boat out to the reef is not difficult, but if you do not know your way around ,it can be daunting. Very easy to run aground especially when leaving/returning to your rental house. I am sure REEFMAN who lives about 2 homes away from home of a friends that I stay in on the same canal can attest to that fact.
While I was there last month, I was out on a kayak near Pennekamp park, a rental boat hit bottom in front of me because they did not stay close enough to a daymarker just outside of REEFMAN's home. They were in the channel , but not the deepest part of it..OOPS..expensive fix of propeller and perhaps the lower unit too.

 

[islanddream]

Looks like you plan to rent a boat and take it out yourself to go diving. By the time you rent the boat for a week,rent tanks/weights,pay for gas, you probably be better off safety wise, and financially, by just going out on a charter boat. Running a boat out to the reef is not difficult, but if you do not know your way around ,it can be daunting. Very easy to run aground especially when leaving/returning to your rental house. I am sure REEFMAN who lives about 2 homes away from home of a friends that I stay in on the same canal can attest to that fact.
While I was there last month, I was out on a kayak near Pennekamp park, a rental boat hit bottom in front of me because they did not stay close enough to a daymarker just outside of REEFMAN's home. They were in the channel , but not the deepest part of it..OOPS..expensive fix of propeller and perhaps the lower unit too.

Thanks for the heads-up about needing to be very careful if we rent a boat. The couple we're going with have been diving in Florida for many years. They are experienced boaters so I'm hoping we would be OK....they're very safety conscious, also. I'm guessing we won't save any money by doing the boat rental vs. diving with a shop....that never was the reason for doing so. What we'd like to do is dive when we want, where we want, and not be on a schedule. We all just got back from a vacation in Coz where we did dive everyday with a shop and had to be on their schedule. Something different would be nice. BTW, by looking at my number of dives you can see I'm still a fairly new diver. The couple we are going with have about 1400 dives between them. So half the team of four are seasoned divers....the other half....still getting seasoned :blinking:.

 

[CajunDiva]

Have a great time! And be sure to write us a trip report when you get done (some of us have to live vicariously through others :depressed: ) And others will benefit from your information...