Here is what I like to do in the keys. I rent a small boat that has the GPS locations for the reefs. I rent my own tanks and have a ball. The boats costs about $100 a day plus gas. If you split the boat costs, you can dive for $10.00 a tank. You can do 2 to 4 dives a day. I don't know to many places that you can do this in the world and make your own dive times. The dive sites are 1 - 2 miles out from Key Largo, and there are 20 - 30 places to tie up the boat for the dives. Just take a phone with and if clouds come, head for shore.
Where to go in the Keys?
- Thread starter FortWorthDiver
- Start date
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That sounds great! Where do you rent the boat/GPS?ed3362:
I wondered about doing that myself. Is it safe to leave the boat tied up to the mooring ball when you dive, or do you need an extra person to remain topside? Seems it would be a bit of bummer if you surfaced and found that someone swiped the boat.
Bluefish:
I have done it twice. A lot of locals from Florida bring there boats on the weekends. I guess it is possible to have your boat stolen. I can't imagine it would be a thiefs first choice since the rental boats are slow and inexpensive to buy. You usually can choose spots where others are tied to in the area and I haven't left anyone on the boat when I have dived. If you are worried about that then I wouldn't be the last one out diving in the late afternoon. I found it very enjoyable and you could expore at your own pace. I was down at 30' for 1 hour and 15 minutes on one tank. You should go at your comfort level and do what is comfortable. I have about 50 dives. Most of them with a group and dive master. I like to try different things and sometimes get tired of follow the leader type of dives.
Phone book for boat rentals. Make sure it is on the ocean side since it takes to long to go from the gulf. It added an hour to get to and from the reefs. Rent a boat on Key Largo if you want the most reefs to choose from. It is harder to find rentals for tanks than it is for a boat. I know of only one place and that is at the dive shop near the Holiday Inn in Key Largo, their great people. You pull up with your boat and they fill it on the dock. Should rent the number of tanks that you will use for each diver each day since it takes time, gas and takes to long to come to shore for each fill.
murphdivers286
Guest
My wife and I spent out anniversary last summer in Key Largo. It was great. There were a lot of shallow sites to dive that non-divers could snorkel as the same time. It was awesome to dive the Speigel Grove. You really don't realize how small you are until you are looking dead at one of the srews. All I can say about that dive is
AWESOME!!!
AWESOME!!!
ed3362:
Very cool. Thanks for the info--I'm going to have to try that.
Bluefish:
The Spiegle Grove starts at 80' or so. It is a great dive but you got to be sure of yourself and your buddy. My 18 year old son almost panic going down on the line. At the time the currents were strong, we were the only two there and visability at the start of the dive was 5'. Once we got down to the reck it improved. What a ship. Try the rear have since it is more open to swim into. That thing is like a small cruise ship. It takes two tanks to see the whole ship. I love diving the SG. But it takes guts. Not for the beginner. You can always check with other divers at the site to see about the conditions. You can always hold on the line and abort if vis on the ship is bad. The dive is one of the farther out locations and deep. It was very calm on the surface when we started. Get a book at the dive shops of the dives in the keys and make your choices. The last dive we made a large shark came right up to my sons face. He aborted the dive after that. On that dive we saw rays, eels, a shark, lobsters, lots of small swim-throughs, lots of fish. You should use your compass on dives on your own. Keep track of where your boat is so your swim back to the boat isn't to far.
MakoSince70
Contributor
For a good combination between top side activity and diving, I would stay at Islamorada. There are a number of condo rentals. (private message for data)
Then you can drive 15-20 min to Largo and dive with Brent. Some of the best dives are out of Largo. There is also excellent diving from the several dive operators located in Islamorada.
You will get some diving variety if you dive both Islamorada and Largo.
Hot fishing in Islamorada and the Theater by the Seas. Short drive south and you get out of the more built up area. (if there is such a thing in the keys)
June should be good and as previously stated, the hurricanes missed the Keys.
It is possible to catch the wrecks on days when the current is minimal. Rarely a noticeable current on the reefs.
Then you can drive 15-20 min to Largo and dive with Brent. Some of the best dives are out of Largo. There is also excellent diving from the several dive operators located in Islamorada.
You will get some diving variety if you dive both Islamorada and Largo.
Hot fishing in Islamorada and the Theater by the Seas. Short drive south and you get out of the more built up area. (if there is such a thing in the keys)
June should be good and as previously stated, the hurricanes missed the Keys.
It is possible to catch the wrecks on days when the current is minimal. Rarely a noticeable current on the reefs.
FortWorthDiver:
I have not been here, but stumbled upon it yesterday. Could get a few people interested to offset the cost:
Seabird Key
The rental looks like it includes a 19ft runabout that you should be able to dive from. Just have to lug some tanks or rent them from a shop down there.
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