Question Recommendations for Keys diving, father-daughter trip

[mountainsean]

My daughter (19) and I are looking at a trip to the Keys over the holiday break, but neither of us have ever been diving in FL. I've got ~300 dives, she has ~20 (most of hers were on a trip to Cozumel last year). We're in Colorado, and non-stop flights to Miami are cheap, so figured we'd give the Keys a shot rather than head back to Coz or elsewhere. Is Key Largo our best bet for variety and quality? Or is it better to head further south to Islamadora, etc.? Are there any (non-private charter) liveaboards that run out of the Keys? Any great stay-and-dive resorts (Amoray looks promising, but that's the only one I found)? Would love a place where we can get 3-4 dives/day, as well as some night dives. Bonus for somewhere with a house reef for an easy afternoon/night dive. Are there any wrecks she can do as an OW diver? Would we be better off (from a dive quality perspective) paying more in airfare and heading to Nassau?

Any other advice/suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Alpha2K4]

I always enjoy Key Largo but my diving is limited to Southern California and East Coast Quarries both which I needed to wear 7mm wetsuit, gloves, and hood. So going to Key Largo and wearing board shorts and a rash guard or on a "chilly day" a 2mm shorty is a real treat.

The Spiegel and the Duane are wrecks in Key Largo. Horizon Divers were comfortable with my diving ability so I was able to dive the wreck with a private guide when I was just an OW Diver.

I don't believe you will be able to find a place down there that has a "house reef". Most of the boat rides are at least 15mins to the sites.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Any great stay-and-dive resorts (Amoray looks promising, but that's the only one I found)? Would love a place where we can get 3-4 dives/day, as well as some night dives. Bonus for somewhere with a house reef for an easy afternoon/night dive.

Not really, not in the Keys nor anywhere in Florida. That type of resort is pretty unique to a few Caribbean destinations. They don't really exist in Florida.

Are there any wrecks she can do as an OW diver?

A better location for OW depth wrecks is Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach. There are many wrecks (artificial reefs) in the 40-60' depth range.

Are there any (non-private charter) liveaboards that run out of the Keys?

Nope.

Would we be better off (from a dive quality perspective) paying more in airfare and heading to Nassau?

To be brutally honest, based upon your questions, you may not be happy with the Keys or really anywhere in Florida. The diving here can be fantastic BUT it isn't set up in the way you are seeking. Many independent dive shops, independent charter boats, shore diving in various locations, but none of that is all together in one location managed by one operator. There is more planning and logistics involved to make a dive trip to Florida function properly.

The closest Florida options to what you want may be Rainbow Reef in Key Largo and stay at one of their affiliated hotels. Another would be Sea Experience in Fort Lauderdale and stay right there at the Bahia Mar Doubletree Hilton which is on the same property.

 

[divinginn]

Amoray was nice,our rooms were 50-75 feet from dive boat docks.
We dove the reefs which are 20-30 feet deep which is perfect for new divers or old divers,I am ready to go back there again.
There is a pool on the grounds with a bbq grills on non diving days or after diving,we also snorkled off the tiny beach and saw fish and other critters.

 

[Dan G]

As is said above, the FL Keys are not a "resort" experience. That being said, I travel from CO to FL almost annually and always enjoy myself. This is my perspective as a diver who travels to FL to dive. People who live in the area may have a different experience and pov, just as those of us who do day trips to Winter Park, Copper, or Vail do compared to someone who travels from out of state to get here.

There is a nice variety of diving in Key Largo from shallow reefs to deeper wrecks. The biggest issue in FL is the weather, which is inconsistent compared to Cozumel. Bonine is a good thing to pack if anything higher than 2-foot seas causes you sea sickness. Since the boats in FL tend to be bigger than the smaller fast Cozumel boats, operators will go out in 5-6 foot seas. I have experienced the best weather and sea conditions from June-August in FL.

I am glad to hear Amy Amoray's was a good experience for another diver. It has been a long time since I stayed there, so I would not be able to give an accurate review.

When I go to FL, I will often book things separately, although plenty of ops have a partnership with a hotel and those are worth looking into. I like getting a VRBO (or similar) because you do end up with a decent amount of down time and it is nice to have a place to spread out.

You are going to need a car because you need to drive to most places and while pedestrian access has improved over the last decade, driving still gives you the best access to the area. Not everything is within walking distance. Also, you need to get to Key Largo from Miami anyway. One thing to consider when renting a car is the fee the rental company charges (daily) for the automatic road tolls you will encounter between Miami and the Keys. You must pay the fee each day, even when you do not use a toll road.

I highly recommend Horizon divers. They have boats that go to reefs and to wrecks. They have guides you can hire and I found them to be a very well run and friendly op. They cater to a variety of divers from vacation divers to people making a day trip who live within driving distance.

Florida diving is definitely different than going to the Caribbean for vacation, but it is enjoyable and worth checking out.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

The biggest issue in FL is the weather, which is inconsistent compared to Cozumel. Bonine is a good thing to pack if anything higher than 2-foot seas causes you sea sickness. Since the boats in FL tend to be bigger than the smaller fast Cozumel boats, operators will go out in 5-6 foot seas. I have experienced the best weather and sea conditions from June-August in FL.

This is a fantastic point. I dive quite regularly in Palm Beach County from Jupiter south to Boynton Beach. The diving can frequently be fantastic and quite diverse. But on almost every charter I see tourists who are not prepared for the topside conditions. It can occasionally be glass flat, but it is more commonly somewhere in the 2-4' range and as you mention, charters will go out in up to 4-6' seas. If they feel they can safely get you into and out of the water, they will run. It is up to you to know your limitations and to be prepared. It is more common than not to be on the boat with at least 2-3 very green, puking divers. They are always tourists who have not taken the time to learn about the prevailing conditions and to prepare for them.

In full agreement with @Dan G , bonine (or generic meclizine) is your friend. I have gotten seasick in the past when I was a new diver, but not while on bonine/meclizine. I medicate for every charter, regardless of the forecast. I've seen a thunderstorm kick the seas up from nothing to 3-4' during the course of a 60-minute dive. Also ignore the directions on the bottle. You cannot take one just before leaving/boarding the boat. You need time for it to get into your system. I take one the night before and then another a solid 2+ hours before boarding. If diving again in the afternoon, I take another. I sometimes see divers taking their meclizine/bonine while on the boat heading for the inlet. Yea, that is going to do nothing to help them!

 

[MrChen]

Winter is not the best time to visit Florida for diving. If you come during the summer, the seas are MUCH more favorable. In the winter, it can get VERY sporty. I dislike anything over 2 ft, call me spoiled, but I won't go out on a charter if swells are above 2ft. I might do at shore dive a Blue Heron Bridge instead though. BHB is protected from the seas since it's in the intracoastal waters near an inlet.

If you love macro photography, BHB is an amazing option. It's typically 10-25ft and you don't have to go very far from the shore. If conditions are good in the ocean, you can mix in some boat charters. There are a lot of charters. I believe there's a forum thread on it. You can book a lot of them online, through a dive shop, or directly with the boat owner.

If you have a car rental, stay at a place in the Palm Beach or Jupiter area, you can dive anywhere from Lauderdale by the Sea to as far north as Stuart. Just keep an eye on the ocean conditions and make plans accordingly. Worst comes to worst, you're stuck diving BHB every day (some would call that a good vacation all on its own).

 

[Lorenzoid]

For a father-daughter trip, I agree with those who recommend the Florida east coast, such as Pompano or Jupiter, rather than the Keys. My thinking on the Keys has long been that the allure of the place is the whole package--the "Keys vibe," restaurants, etc.--and if quality, reasonably priced diving is the main goal there are better options in Florida. Further north, with a rental car and an Airbnb you'll be set. The dive operators are good, there are lots of fish to see, and a variety of sites to suit different experience levels. However, the reefs are not the kind of coral reefs seen in Cozumel and the Caribbean; they're often described as "ledges." If you prefer pretty coral to wrecks and fish, you really need to return to the Caribbean (and no, not Nassau).

 

[mountainsean]

Thanks for all the great advice folks. Rethinking the trip and looking at the Jupiter area.

 

[XavierLL]

My buddy and I are driving from Denver to Florida around Xmas. We did some research, and the main plan is to do Jupiter shark dives, west palm beach, BHB and maybe the Keys. I think they are all OW friendly. In terms of wrecks, we may go dive at Spiegel Grove. FYI