Tampa Bay Divers hit the Keys!

[I Dive]

Tampa Bay'ers,
Are you ready to dive water that doesn't make you shiver? Are you ready to dive in something less than a 5 mil? Are you ready to start remembering why you live in Florida? Are you sick of rhetorical questions? It's time to get wet!

The Tampa Bay area is a great place to live but it still finds a way to get pretty darn cold! I think we all need to thaw out by hittin the Keys. I have some ideas that should let us dive the best of the Keys, i.e. the reefs and wrecks, if we can get a decent amount of people together. My goal is a set up where people of all skill levels could get together and dive. New divers would feel comfortable, experienced divers would have fun, and veterans wouldn't get bored! I need to get an idea of interest so I can move forward with these plans. Are you interested? If so, what timeframe? Late Feb? March? April? Weekday, weekend? How many total days? Reefs, wrecks, both? What is your cert level? Are you Nitrox? Would you share a room? Would you be stubborn and want your own room? What gear would you need? All of this info will help me when chatting with dive Ops and Hotels. I'm thinking mid-March for a timeframe but this is all about consesus. I'd like to get some group rates on transpo, diving, lodging, possibly even dining, but to do that I need peeps. There is power in numbers! Once I get some feedback and start to get an idea of what people are interested in, I will get formal details and post them. So, for those of you who refuse to express interest until you see details, you are inadvertanly delaying those details! Post up! PM me! Also, for those Internet surfers out there, you don't need to live in the Tampa Bay area to take part in this! Come on, let's make this a great time! Let's get ready to blow bubbles!!!!! Let's dive the Keys!!!!

Interest list:
IDive, AOW/Rescue, ASAP!
MissD, AOW/Rescue, March or April (bet you didn't realize you were interested did ya! Actually, you are already on the confirmed list!)
Catra8104; OW, March or April
SalmonBoy97; AOW, prefers deep and advanced dives, checking his business owner calendar
Reef; OW
Mrs Reef; OW
MsScuba; OW, April, new to diving
Blondeambition; March or later, OW, somewhat new, may need tanks depending how many days the trip is
Truck1; March or later, AOW Nitrox, may need tanks depending how many days the trip is
Bob; late March/Early April - instructor
Quickenuff; March thru first week of April, OW, needs nitrox, interested in AOW

Sleeping arrangements:
Floor spot; $30 for the weekend - Open
Twin bed; $50 for the weekend - I Dive
Fullsize bed; $80 for the weekend - Catra
Fullsize bed 2; $80 for the weekend - Scott5644
Fullsize bed 3; $80 for the weekend - Open
Couch 1; $40 for the weekend
Couch 2; $40 for the weekend
2 floor; Quick and William

Dive Schedule and links to book With Conch Republic Divers
Sat. 3/28 AM Duane
Sat. 3/28 PM Reef
Sun. 3/29 AM Eagle Double Dip
Sun. 3/29 PM Spiegel Grove

 

[Missdirected]

Sounds like a great idea. March works or even April then we have a some time before we head down again for ITK. Sharing rooms is a must and fun! Carpooling :thumbs-up Mollases, Pickles and all of those are shallow and brilliant - therefore, great for all divers. Of course the wrecks are a must do - if you are AOW :cool2: Seems long weekends work the best for going down to the Keys. No one is missing to much work, if in fact they have to miss work.

Heya IDive - if you think you'd like to do a poll down the road, let me know and I can get one set-up for ya And thanks for taking this on - this could be really good!

 

[catra8104]

Definitely interested.. Prolly March or April... Contact Speargirl for lodging info..

I have all my gear now and am just a lowly OW, but loved my diving there in Nov..

 

[I Dive]

- this could be really good!

This will be as good as Tampa Bay'ers let it be! Turn out and participation is the key!

 

[I Dive]

Definitely interested.. Prolly March or April... Contact Speargirl for lodging info..

I have all my gear now and am just a lowly OW, but loved my diving there in Nov..

Excellent! Yeah, I mistyped in the OP. I didn't mean I would personally be chatting with hotels, condos, and whatever. I'll leave that to the Pro! But, the more peeps we have the more leverage she has to get us the best deals possible!

 

[Salmonboy97]

Im not interested..................Dont even LIKE to dive!


JK.

Weekends, or long weekends are a MUST. I prefer wrecks and deeper more advanced diving. Because ITK will be in the upper keys, maybe this trip can be further down (Looe or KW). Spearing the Dry Tortugas is on my "must dive" list. April is generally a busier time of the year for me. I will check my upcoming work and see if there is a break in there.

 

[I Dive]

Im not interested..................Dont even LIKE to dive!


JK.

Weekends, or long weekends are a MUST. I prefer wrecks and deeper more advanced diving. Because ITK will be in the upper keys, maybe this trip can be further down (Looe or KW). Spearing the Dry Tortugas is on my "must dive" list. April is generally a busier time of the year for me. I will check my upcoming work and see if there is a break in there.

I dived Key West a few years ago, and while I certainly won't complain about the diving, KW seems to me more suited to hangovers than diving. If anyone feels differently, please let me know. I'm not saying my short trip there a few years ago makes me the all-knowing Key West dive expert! The Middle Keys may be a great idea, I will keep that in mind. Good info on your diving preference, I need that kind of info from everyone! If you are bored on shallow dives, you won't have fun if I don't arrange deep. If you are apprehensive about deep, you aren't going to have fun if I set up too many deep dives. This trip is all about EVERYONE having a good time. I don't want divers like Bill who prefer deeper stuff to get bored and I don't want divers who prefer shallower stuff to feel like the trip is too advanced for them. Personally, while I am AOW and have dived deep, I prefer shallow. I get more bottom time and need shorter surface intervals! But, I will likely mix my diving up with deep and shallow.

I also like your Dry Tort's idea, I will keep that in mind for another trip AFTER I get into spearing!

 

[Reef]

Sounds like a plan. Yesterday Tara and I got the name of a dive op in Largo from some locals in Ft.Lauderdale.

We are going to do Pennekamp at the end February. Being noobs to the area we gotta see, and try it all.

Point the way, and we are there.

 

[I Dive]

We are going to do Pennekamp at the end February.

You'd better bring me to Pennekamp with you!

 

[Reef]

You'd better bring me to Pennekamp with you!

Kicking and screaming.

Hey send me the kennel information.

Tara and I will probably check them out this week.