Thinking about Key Largo Vacation

[Fishy8411]

My wife and I live in Michigan. For our vacation, next year February, we are thinking about Key Largo. We are considering renting a waterfront cottage or condo. So, I thought I would list our criteria and get the opinion of the Board's Florida experts to see if Key Largo is a good choice in Florida.

Criteria:

1) Has to be warmer than Michigan (think that is covered)

2) Has to have good and really fresh seafood, my wife is fond of oysters, lobster, crab, mussels, sushi and FRESH fish. I will eat whatever is put before me.

3) I would like to be able to dive every morning (she will sleep until noon) and see lots of pretty fishies (sp?).

4) I would also like to fish.

I would really appreciatte any feed back. The earlier I make reservations and fix the date in my wife's mind, the better off I will be.


Tom
Fishy8411

 

[AHUMANWITHGILLS]

Tom,

John Penekamp has some of the most beautiful reef dive sites in the FL Keys, during the summer months! All that nasty cold weather that you want to leave behind in February usually find its way down to Florida in the form of rough seas and murky water. Most of the time you have to wait one to two weeks, before you get one or two days of good diving weather. If you realy want to have a good time, you better put out with the snow and wait for the last part of spring to the begining of summer and you'l have a blast.

 

[Big Mike]

Key Largo is a good choice. I usually go in early Dec & Feb for a week each. Pot luck on weather. Could be wavy 3 to 4 footers. Sometimes worse, but usually better. Pennekamp Park is a good place - Reef Adventures is the dive op there. They usually go to French or Molasses Reefs, which are 30' dives. On wavy days there can be alot of surge. Their boat leaves at 9:30. Alot of the ops leave at 8 or 8:30. There are several good ops at the 100 MileMarker (everything in Keys is located by Mile Marker (MM)) right next to the Holiday Inn. Sometimes in winter they don't have enough takers to make it worth their making a trip. So I start early and hit some of the 8am boats at 100MM to see if they are going out that day. If not, I have the 9:30 boat at the Park as a backup. They usually will go out as the park gets quite a draw for snorkel & scuba.

As far as fishing, you are in the right place too. You can either rent a boat, rent a guided boat or go out on a "party" boat. Party boat works for me. They have an evening trip that leaves at 7:30pm and comes back around midnight. About $30 and they provide pole/tackle/bait. It is about a 70' boat so it handle the waves well. The one I've taken before is at the HOLIDAY ISLE complex, Robbie's Marina, and it is called the "Capt. Michael".

Lots of eating options for fish. Some waterfront restaurants that you can watch sunset over the bay.

If you have any other questions, give me a PM.

Mike

 

[Padipro]

I agree, February isn't the best month to dive in the Keys. The weather is unpredictable and the seas can be very rough. Waiting a few months until spring can vastly improve the conditions. The weather here in south Florida has been nasty for the last few weeks, high winds, rain, and 6 to 8 foot seas. We dove the Spegial Grove last week and although the sun was out and it was warm the seas were terrible and people were puking all over the place. Not a good day. Another problem with the Keys are the currents. Because it's so exposed to the Gulf Stream the currents there can be brutal. If you're an advanced diver it's still doable but if you really want to enjoy the dive and you're inexperienced in that type of diving it can make for very poor diving conditions.

Now don't get me wrong, the Keys can be a very beautiful dive spot but IMO it's kind of hit and miss. You never know what the conditions will be like from one day to the next and they may cancel a trip at any time. I've had that happen to me several times.

 

[Fishy8411]

Thanks for the information, keep it coming. So already I'm thinking, that I should start pushing a May vacation with my wife.

Thanks again

Tom

 

[Padipro]

Thanks for the information, keep it coming. So already I'm thinking, that I should start pushing a May vacation with my wife.

Thanks again

Tom

Tom,

Another option is Ft. Lauderdale. This area is a little more sheltered from the strong currents and rough weather then the Keys are. Although you'd never know that by the way the seas have been here the last week or two. We have reefs that IMO are every bit as good as the Keys, many more wrecks to dive then the Keys and the dive ops here aren't nearly as anel as they are down there. The Keys dive ops see mostly vacation divers so they're alot more cautious with what they allow divers to do and require you to do some strange stuff, like wearing a snorkel on a wreck dive. There are more local divers in this area and the dive ops are used to having people on their boats that know what they're doing so they tend to let you do your thing.

There are lots of dive shops in this area to choose from and if you want more info just let us know and we can point you in the right direction.

 

[Marvel]

Tom,

Another option is Ft. Lauderdale. This area is a little more sheltered from the strong currents and rough weather then the Keys are. Although you'd never know that by the way the seas have been here the last week or two. We have reefs that IMO are every bit as good as the Keys, many more wrecks to dive then the Keys and the dive ops here aren't nearly as anel as they are down there. The Keys dive ops see mostly vacation divers so they're alot more cautious with what they allow divers to do and require you to do some strange stuff, like wearing a snorkel on a wreck dive. There are more local divers in this area and the dive ops are used to having people on their boats that know what they're doing so they tend to let you do your thing.

There are lots of dive shops in this area to choose from and if you want more info just let us know and we can point you in the right direction.

Plus, the Keys are a hop, skip & a jump from FT Lauderdale- 2 hours by car- so if you really want to dive say, the Spiegel Grove or the statue of Jesus, you can book a daytrip & go. Can you tell I'm bored to death at work today????

 

[Mike Newman]

My wife and I live in Michigan. For our vacation, next year February, we are thinking about Key Largo. We are considering renting a waterfront cottage or condo. So, I thought I would list our criteria and get the opinion of the Board's Florida experts to see if Key Largo is a good choice in Florida.

Criteria:

1) Has to be warmer than Michigan (think that is covered)

2) Has to have good and really fresh seafood, my wife is fond of oysters, lobster, crab, mussels, sushi and FRESH fish. I will eat whatever is put before me.

3) I would like to be able to dive every morning (she will sleep until noon) and see lots of pretty fishies (sp?).

4) I would also like to fish.

I would really appreciatte any feed back. The earlier I make reservations and fix the date in my wife's mind, the better off I will be.


Tom
Fishy8411

I've used Horizon Divers several times in Key Largo - you can get accommodation right beside the operation at either Best Western or Ramada - or elect for a cabin / villa as you suggest. Whatever - the operation will store your gear on site. Staff couldn't be friendlier - they run trips to the Spiegel Grove two or three times a week and have a fast, comfortable and spacious catamaran that gets you to the best reefs and other sites quickly. Must-do dive, apart from the Spiegel Grove is the City of Washington, where Nurse Sharks are always present and very accessible.

 

[Fishy8411]

For a non-diver (my wife), would Fort Lauderdale be more entertaining or Key Largo. Her primary turn on is REALLY FRESH SEAFOOD. If I can feed her addiction, she will be happy and thus make me happy.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Tom

 

[divad]

For a non-diver (my wife), would Fort Lauderdale be more entertaining or Key Largo. Her primary turn on is REALLY FRESH SEAFOOD. If I can feed her addiction, she will be happy and thus make me happy.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Tom

Ft. Lauderdale seems to give you more options. If you're in Key Largo and the weather is futu, then you're futu.