West Palm and Key Largo Next Week

[lstepko]

I dive with Narcosis in WP a few times a month. Their DM are great at giving you the layout of the dive site and normally one will carry a dive flag. If you are expericed/comfortable and have your own safety sausage Ray will normally let you drift with your own group and come pick you up when you surface. He's also really great with bottom time. You must be the group that got most of the boat this weekend - curses!

Not sure where you'll do your advaced dives. He normally hits a wreck (I forget the name) but it's 3 wrecks right in a row. Normally there is a strong current so you may have to do a negative descent - but last time we dove it, it was dead calm and the viz was great (could see two wrecks at once). We were actually able to dive, ascend, and re-dive without a redrop! If you do a night dive, they are pretty nice too. Lots of life on the reefs down here, and lots of cool stuff that only comes out at night.

Anyway, after that you'll probably do a deeper reef. Like everyone else says, don't worry about the drift. You just dive and surface and magically the boat is there to pick you up. The first time I had to navigate back to the boat I thought, man I miss drift diving

I'm not sure about the viz right now. I know it was crappy this past weekend.
"like mud to 50' and low viz (15'-ish) below that." Maybe that will help you feel more in your element, eh? But, from what I hear it is supposed to clear up this week.

If you have any other specific questions about Narcosis let me know. If you PM me I can send you photos of a few of our dives with them.

 

[ramgib]

Istepko,

Thanks for the info. Most of the people that will be going use Ray all the time. I was a bubblewatcher for a few dives last year. Susan was the DM then. Real nice person.

One of the instructor's wife got a video of a whale shark they saw last year. Forgot what time of year but it was on the local news down there.

How about the temps? Hoping my 2/3 or my 3 mil and cap will be okay. The do me fine in the Quarry and at MB at temps of 70-72 at depth.

I do hope the viz gets better. I'd hate to think we drove nine hours to get MB conditions.

 

[lstepko]

I'm guessing you'll be fine with a 3mm. I have a 3mm and a hooded vest and I'm normally fine with some combination of that in the winter. My blood has seriously thinned from living in FL - I seem to add a layer each year...we'll see how this winter goes. When I first came here from Colorado I thought even the winter water was "warm" and laughed at people in their "winter" gear...oh how the tables have turned

I haven't hit the water for a few weeks so I'm not sure about the temps right now.

Hope you all have a blast this weekend!

 

[riguerin]

I'm not sure about the viz right now. I know it was crappy this past weekend. "like mud to 50' and low viz (15'-ish) below that." Maybe that will help you feel more in your element, eh? But, from what I hear it is supposed to clear up this week.

Wow, that's pretty poor vis for this area. I've only seen this bad due to run offs after heavy rains. Is this a result of Wilma ?

 

[lstepko]

Part of it the aftermath and clean up from Wilma. I didn't ask for details but I they were dumping something in the area and the current took it right over the reefs.