FL Keys or Coz?

[fjpatrum]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'm not looking to do any "deep" wrecks but I don't mind dropping down to about 80-90 feet. I don't know my buddies' comfort levels yet, or if I'm comfortable diving with them deeper than 60 so I'm not really looking for any of the deep stuff. I suspect both buddies are more interested in reefs than wrecks anyway.

As for your question, Don, I have a DSMB, a couple of whistles (one on my harness one on the SMB) and a mirror in my kit and I will make sure my buddies at least have whistles. I do have DAN insurance but can't speak for either of my buddies.

I'm comfortable with the idea of drift diving so Coz isn't a big concern with respect to that but I have no intention of doing any of the Cenotes at this point and will discourage my buddies from them as well. We're just too new to push that limit, in my opinion. I'm sure there are a couple of the shallower ones we could safely do but I can wait to do those along with some of the more advanced options sometime in the future. As for diving the keys, I'm okay with navigating as well so I'm not worried about no DM in the water. Likely we'll hire one anyway just because everyone else is either brand new or out of practice but if everyone is comfortable (with themselves and each other) we may not.

At this point I'm leaning toward the Keys, but my buddies haven't really weighed in on it fully. Any other suggestions other than Pennekamp and Molasses?

 

[BVickery]

My vote is for the keys. Don't know your exact situation as far as job/vacation time. Take the difference between diving the Keys and Coz and put it aside to put towards your next dive trip.

Most of all man, have fun diving.

 

[macado]

I would recommend Cozumel over Keys. Both are fantastic locations but I prefer the diving in Cozumel. The environment, the number of dive ops choices, restaurants, land based activities, hotel pricing, visibility. Drift diving is easy, fun and relaxing. I just don't find the reefs in the Keys as nice as those in Cozumel. If you're really set on wrecks though, Keys would be a better choice. Cozumel only has one major recreational wreck and it's in an area with lots of current.

In regards to location, I've done a number of long weekend trips to Cozumel from Boston though people think I'm crazy. I've actually found flights cheaper to Cozumel than I have Ft Lauderdale/Miami although to be honest, not lately.

With the Florida Keys, you need to rent a car unless you're driving down, drive from Ft Lauderdale or Miami airport, drive to the dive op, drive back to the hotel (depending on where you are staying). In Cozumel, you can stay downtown for around $40-70/night, walk across the street to the dive boat, you don't need to rent a car and you can walk to hundreds of restaurants. I've also found the hotels in the Keys to be much more expensive.

I actually think Cozumel is a better place for newer divers because of the fact that most groups go with a DM, sometimes two DMs. You actually can't dive without a DM in Cozumel due to park regulations. In Keys, depending on the dive op you may be diving alone. The two times I was in the Keys, I found the conditions, visibility, current and waves were worse than Cozumel.

That being said, I've only done two, week-long trips to the Keys and have more experience with Cozumel so I may be a bit biased. Ultimately, both places are great dive locations.

 

[DandyDon]

Fares from DCA to Coz are indeed cheaper than from much of Texas, depending on dates - but DCA to FLL for $127 RT, non-stop is hard to beat.

 

[BVickery]

How long is the long weekend? 3days? 4?

 

[Adobo]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'm not looking to do any "deep" wrecks but I don't mind dropping down to about 80-90 feet. I don't know my buddies' comfort levels yet, or if I'm comfortable diving with them deeper than 60 so I'm not really looking for any of the deep stuff. I suspect both buddies are more interested in reefs than wrecks anyway.

As for your question, Don, I have a DSMB, a couple of whistles (one on my harness one on the SMB) and a mirror in my kit and I will make sure my buddies at least have whistles. I do have DAN insurance but can't speak for either of my buddies.

I'm comfortable with the idea of drift diving so Coz isn't a big concern with respect to that but I have no intention of doing any of the Cenotes at this point and will discourage my buddies from them as well. We're just too new to push that limit, in my opinion. I'm sure there are a couple of the shallower ones we could safely do but I can wait to do those along with some of the more advanced options sometime in the future. As for diving the keys, I'm okay with navigating as well so I'm not worried about no DM in the water. Likely we'll hire one anyway just because everyone else is either brand new or out of practice but if everyone is comfortable (with themselves and each other) we may not.

At this point I'm leaning toward the Keys, but my buddies haven't really weighed in on it fully. Any other suggestions other than Pennekamp and Molasses?

I don't have a recommendation in terms of destination but rather, I have a generic comment...

Personally, when I assess whether or not I am comfortable doing a particular dive, I don't imagine how I would feel in that dive in the ideal, no issues case. Instead, I assess based on how I would feel during that dive if there were some small to medium sized issues taking place. For example, would I be confident in my abilities if I had to assist a slightly narced slightly panicked buddy at 80ft? I also assess the dive based on my confidence in my buddies' abilities to assist me if it were I having the issues at 80ft.

Even with my experience level (not a ton but I do dive quite a bit), I would personally prefer doing profiles no deeper than 50 or 60 feet given the proficiency that your buddies are likely to have. An additional benefit is that your dives last longer if you stay shallower.

With this in mind, if it were me, I would be picking the location that offered the best diving in the 60ft or shallower ranges.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

You should pick somewhere else with easier conditions.

KL has no guides, so you are navigating on your own the whole time. You get lost, you are out of luck.

Coz, always drift diving. Really easy on the diver, but it is a learned experience and some people have to learn it. Plus, wall dive is almost on every boat trip and that along with the drift current might be too much for beginners.

Some place with incline reef like Bonaire would be most idea, or a place similar to Molasses reef in KL would be easy. Maybe Playa de Carmen? and throw in some cenotes at the same time?

Easier than Key Largo? Is there such a place. If one of the divers is getting a cert then there will be an instructor in the water with them.

Lost - out of luck? Really? Where exactly could you be out of luck? Surface, find the boat, swim to it. Very simple easy diving in Key Largo, with the exception of the wrecks.

Bonaire is a pretty long flight for a weekend but the diving there is great, and no DM with you there either. Easy for beginners to swim past entry points and be far away from their truck.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'm not looking to do any "deep" wrecks but I don't mind dropping down to about 80-90 feet. I don't know my buddies' comfort levels yet, or if I'm comfortable diving with them deeper than 60 so I'm not really looking for any of the deep stuff. I suspect both buddies are more interested in reefs than wrecks anyway.

As for your question, Don, I have a DSMB, a couple of whistles (one on my harness one on the SMB) and a mirror in my kit and I will make sure my buddies at least have whistles. I do have DAN insurance but can't speak for either of my buddies.

I'm comfortable with the idea of drift diving so Coz isn't a big concern with respect to that but I have no intention of doing any of the Cenotes at this point and will discourage my buddies from them as well. We're just too new to push that limit, in my opinion. I'm sure there are a couple of the shallower ones we could safely do but I can wait to do those along with some of the more advanced options sometime in the future. As for diving the keys, I'm okay with navigating as well so I'm not worried about no DM in the water. Likely we'll hire one anyway just because everyone else is either brand new or out of practice but if everyone is comfortable (with themselves and each other) we may not.

At this point I'm leaning toward the Keys, but my buddies haven't really weighed in on it fully. Any other suggestions other than Pennekamp and Molasses?

Other dive site suggestions for Key Largo-Benwood (shallow wreck) City of washington(shallow wreck), Hens and Chickens, Davis, Crocker, Secret Garden, Snapper Ledge, Pickles, and Conch Wall (drift).

 

[fjpatrum]

I don't have a recommendation in terms of destination but rather, I have a generic comment...

Personally, when I assess whether or not I am comfortable doing a particular dive, I don't imagine how I would feel in that dive in the ideal, no issues case. Instead, I assess based on how I would feel during that dive if there were some small to medium sized issues taking place. For example, would I be confident in my abilities if I had to assist a slightly narced slightly panicked buddy at 80ft? I also assess the dive based on my confidence in my buddies' abilities to assist me if it were I having the issues at 80ft.

Even with my experience level (not a ton but I do dive quite a bit), I would personally prefer doing profiles no deeper than 50 or 60 feet given the proficiency that your buddies are likely to have. An additional benefit is that your dives last longer if you stay shallower.

With this in mind, if it were me, I would be picking the location that offered the best diving in the 60ft or shallower ranges.

I assess my comfort level similarly to how you do. The certified buddy and I are both ex military and "rescue" experienced in non-diving situations and both respond very well to emergency situations. The un-certified buddy will obviously have an instructor with him at all or at least most times.

I don't, however, know which location offers "better" options at the shallow ranges, hence my question and the information I provided. I've been to neither destination and the local subgroups don't provide "compare and contrast" type options, unfortunately.

To answer someone else's question, 3 possible dive days depending whether we leave Thursday night or Friday morning, return on Tuesday. That's actually the reason I'm leaning toward the Keys, simply because it's closer and we will likely have more opportunity to dive on Friday that way.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

Have you dived KL? Some the boats put DMs in on the dives.

I think Bonaire is too much for a weekend, and Tulum cenotes out the question for the out of practice diver.

I've dived the keys multiple times. All the times I went, it was everybody be back up in 60 minutes type of thing. Of course, you can hire your own guide.

I am not saying going to Bonaire, but some place with similar terrain, with terrain sloping downward, so you can do deep, shallow or anywhere in between depending on experience.

I actually think the Cenotes are easy. zero current, and I've been in groups with people that has really bad buoyancy. They might stir up silt, but won't sink down walls or kill corals.

Easier than Key Largo? Is there such a place. If one of the divers is getting a cert then there will be an instructor in the water with them.

Lost - out of luck? Really? Where exactly could you be out of luck? Surface, find the boat, swim to it. Very simple easy diving in Key Largo, with the exception of the wrecks.

Bonaire is a pretty long flight for a weekend but the diving there is great, and no DM with you there either. Easy for beginners to swim past entry points and be far away from their truck.

As said above. Bonaire type terrain, not bonaire. Don't think there is much others like that with the terrain sloping downward the whole way.

The keys is super shallow and easy. And I had instance where I went up to to see where the boat is or surfaced to the wrong boat. Navigation in theory is a piece of cake, but when you have to remember what they said about following this landmark or go in and out of all these fingers, pretty soon, especially with low visibility, you are not where you think you are anymore.

What I am recommending is some place with not so deep sandy bottom and guides that are automatically provided. That is why I mentioned Playa de Carmen. guided sandy bottom dives where you just go straight down mini walls or such. These would probably be lame dives for experience divers, but beginners would still find them interesting.