Are the sites in Key Largo difficult to navigate?

Hi Everybody,
Just wanted to know how difficult the dive sites are to navigate? Have only done about three dives without a guide . . .and my buddy is new to diving. Thanks in advance. Happy/Safe dives to all.

I would say you rally need to brush up on your navigation skills. Key Largo was pretty simple for me, but I practiced using my compass all the time.

Oops!

divetraveler:

Hi Everybody,
Just wanted to know how difficult the dive sites are to navigate? Have only done about three dives without a guide . . .and my buddy is new to diving. Thanks in advance. Happy/Safe dives to all.

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Judging from the number of divers who surface far from and surface swim back to their boats on a daily basis, one would think so! But navigating in Key Largo is actually quite simple.

Your best bet is to orient yourselves at the base of your boat's mooring (or anchor) line at the beginning of your dive. Note any distinctive features that you'll be able to recognize upon returning there. Then pick a natural feature, such as a coral ledge or sand channel, and follow it out a short distance (100' or so) and back to your starting point. Then choose another feature and make another "out-and-back"... and so on.

A couple of things to keep in mind: first, you don't have to travel far (100' is plenty) to see a lot; and second, the slower you go, the more you'll see.

Stop along the way and check things out. Observe everything you come across. If you find a particularly pretty spot... hang there for a while, and see what shows up. Practice bouyancy control by hovering motionless. Point things out to each other, using a slate or waterproof notebook to communicate. Make a game of periodically asking each other "where's the boat".

Share navigational responsibilities, so that you both develop a sense of situational awareness, and self-reliance. Enjoy!

Key Largo is an easy nav place. The thing that messes with most divers is the 'awe' of it when your first diving in reefs and marine life and forgetting to look around at terrain features and a compass heading. Also fresh water lake or quarry divers aren't used to current drift (minor in most places there) and they'll come up out of whack. If your comfortable with land-nav and compass work then it'll be an easy transition for underwater nav... just remember to look up now and again so you don't bonk your head on a reef!

Many of the reef dives are so shallow, you can surface to locate your boat and re-orient yourself after about 30 minutes... My wife and I went with sea dwellers, and they suggested just that. So... I would call that fairly easy navigation.