Upper Keys

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chuck41

Contributor
Messages
200
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Location
Hot Springs, Arkansas
# of dives
500 - 999
Is there any good beach diving spots in the upper area of the keys, or is it all pretty much just by boat? :06:

My wife is a bubble watcher and enjoys the beach, but doesn't really relish thrashing around on a boat and I am trying to find some good choices for our stay in S Florida over the next couple weeks.

Who knows. If I can keep mama happy then maybe I can get her to stay an additional week!! :wink:
 
No shore diving in the Upper keys

There are a few beaches, but none offer any access to shore diving. The reefs are 3 to 4 miles offshore and nothing but grass and sand in between. One good beach is Annes beach at MM 73. Also there is Harry Harris Park at MM 92. Annes beach has a bice sandy beach and both have facilities.

Have fun...There's a lot to do in the upper keys.

Good Diving,
Capt Gary
 
chuck41:
Is there any good beach diving spots in the upper area of the keys, or is it all pretty much just by boat? :06:

My wife is a bubble watcher and enjoys the beach, but doesn't really relish thrashing around on a boat and I am trying to find some good choices for our stay in S Florida over the next couple weeks.

Who knows. If I can keep mama happy then maybe I can get her to stay an additional week!! :wink:

Only "Beach Diving" that I know of is at Pennekamp Park, and that is not really beach diving. To explain: Pennekamp Park has a (man made) beach. They have a "man made recreation" of a Spanish wreck...that is there are few fake cannons laying on the bottom in about 10 ft of water. If you keep going out it will drop off to about 25 feet with a horse-shoe shaped wall. There are quite a few fish swimming in that area...small barracuda & schooling tarpon are commonly seen there. Viz is not great because of all of the grasses in the area. I've dove off this beach several times...mainly because the weather on the reef was too bad & boats weren't going out. This allows you to get wet and get some diving in, although nothing spectacular.

Mike
 
Big Mike:
Only "Beach Diving" that I know of is at Pennekamp Park, . . . This allows you to get wet . . .

Mike


Many thanks. Guess I will plan to dive LBTS unless I take a boat trip.
 
chuck41:
Is there any good beach diving spots in the upper area of the keys, or is it all pretty much just by boat? :06:

My wife is a bubble watcher and enjoys the beach, but doesn't really relish thrashing around on a boat and I am trying to find some good choices for our stay in S Florida over the next couple weeks.

Who knows. If I can keep mama happy then maybe I can get her to stay an additional week!! :wink:

The beaches at Largo are dissapointing compared to the rest of FL. My wife and son don't dive, so on our last trip we did time at the Keys, time at Boca (I dove WPB/LBTS/Jupiter) and a week on the Gulf side which IMO have the BEST beaches in FL and I did no diving there (Red Tide/Family time).

If you want to just shore dive LBTS is likely top of the list for FL. But IMO you owe it to yourself to do at LEAST two two tank dives in the Keys. There is lots of stuff to do for you non-diving SO. Snorkeling off the dive boats is a great option if she is into that. She could take a glass bottom boat while you dive. She could fish, shop, lounge by the pool, do a day at the spa, or take part in just about any water sport activity one can think of while you were off diving.

Have fun with whatever decision you make, but IMO if you don't take advantage of some boat diving while in FL, you are really missing out on some good dives. Jupiter is a fantastic boat trip, but more advanced, and I'd recommend a Nitrox certification. Lauderdale, and WPB also have great boat diving, but the reefs in the Keys are just plain fun, with a TON of fish, long BottomTimes and beautiful coral.
 
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