Reefs in Key West compared to Key Largo

[elgoog]

Hi -

I'm thinking about a week long trip to the Keys in the 1st week of June or thereabouts - 3-4 days in Key Largo followed by 2 days in Key West. The current plan is to do the AM and PM trips in Key Largo to get a lot of dives with a mix of wrecks and reefs. The main reason for the days in Key West is to dive the Vandenberg.

The Key West ops also have afternoon trips to reefs. After doing probably 8-10 reef dives in Key Largo earlier in the week, would the Key West reef dive trips be worth adding? From what I've read, the reefs down there are not as good. Of course, this is assuming I'll have the energy and motivation to do the afternoon dives at the tail end of a week of lots of diving (by my standards, anyway).

This will be my first trip to the Keys. I'm equally interested in the wrecks as I am in 20ft dives with lots of pretty fishies.

Thanks in advance,
elgoog

 

[Wookie]

If you are talking about visiting the same old reefs, no. If you are talking about diving with one of the adventure charterers like Finz Diving or Keys Mobile Diving who will take you somewhere off the beaten path, I think that Key West reefs compare very favorably.

 

[Killerflyingbugs]

There is a lot more "off the beaten path" off of KW then off of KL but you have to find someone to take you

 

[packrat12]

Reefs like Molasses, French, Carysfort (if you get to there), and the Elbow are very hard to beat anywhere. They are some of the best the East Coast can offer. Wrecks like Spiegel Grove, Duane and my favorite the Bibb are excellent first class wrecks. This makes Key Largo a great destination. I have dove the Vandenberg but it was in less then ideal conditions (<20' vis). I would assume it would compare equally with the Spiegel Grove in equal conditions. I find that the costs of the hotels, and the parking issues at the some of the dive boats make Key West a less favorable destination when I am diving. I have never heard much good about the reefs in Key West but like Wookie says, if you get out of the beaten path... He is/was a charter captain out of there so he knows his stuff!

 

[elgoog]

I'm traveling alone on this trip so would be joining one of the regular day boats. Appreciate the feedback so far.

 

[Steve_C]

Always have a plan B and when diving a plan C and D. I have had many great dives out of Key Largo. I have also had days when I went to Jules or even Canon beach to get wet and this has happened more than once. Point is, this is the ocean. You may be dived out by Key West. You may have only gotten a few dives in and want to do more. Explore your options ahead of time so that if you want more diving in Key West, you know who you will call.

 

[sunshower]

I'm interested in this as I would also like to get off the beaten path the next time I'm in KW. Of course, one can pleasantly pass an afternoon with a cigar and a couple of cold drinks.

 

[Rred]

Since you mention the Vandenberg and others...IIRC the KW dive shops plan that as a 95' (top deck) 17 minute dive, with a 1 hour surface interval and then a second dive. (Hey, time is money.) And that 95' top deck is ignoring the temptations of 130-150' bottom depths. I know, everyone is an expert and they are in the business...but it seems like the short surface intervals especially make some of the profiles they use, violate some of the tables. FWIW.

Opinions? Better operators?

 

[Wookie]

Since you mention the Vandenberg and others...IIRC the KW dive shops plan that as a 95' (top deck) 17 minute dive, with a 1 hour surface interval and then a second dive. (Hey, time is money.) And that 95' top deck is ignoring the temptations of 130-150' bottom depths. I know, everyone is an expert and they are in the business...but it seems like the short surface intervals especially make some of the profiles they use, violate some of the tables. FWIW.

Opinions? Better operators?

The Key West dive shops have a problem inherent to Key West. People come to Key West to party. They don't necessarily like to get up early to go diving. When I would be on the Vandenberg for my first dive at 0800, the day boats didn't start to show up before 0930 and one at 1015. That makes for a short day if you're trying to get 4 dives in.

 

[sportxlh]

Reed, I've never had an issue with timing the surface interval on the Vandenberg wreck when I've been in Key West. I've been out with Captain's Corner several times, and they let me plan my dives as i saw fit. They just told me when they were unclasping from the mooring ball and heading back to the dock, and I could plan the two dives and the surface intervals however I saw fit. In Jupiter, where I used to live and dive every Saturday morning, a 40-minute surface interval is fairly standard in depth of 85-100 feet if one is diving with nitrox, which is what I always do. If you're careful with the depths that you keep on the Vandenberg and don't stay deep too long, you can actually get a pretty long set a dives in.