Key Largo Diving (post-Wilma)

Visibility appears to be returning to the reef. Yesterday, Captain John of the Key Largo Princess reported 20' of viz and blue water at Molasses Reef... viz was just 5' there on Thursday! We're planning deep wreck dives all weekend... I can hardly wait!

Brent... We'd love to make the drive down there and get in the water... I just don't know if we'd have enough gas to make it there.

Brent,
Thank you for the updated vis conditions in your neck of the woods. How is the vis at depth? Does is improve at 80+ feet on the wrecks? Thank you and looking forward to diving with you beginning Dec 5. Sid

we had 30' of viz, top to bottom. Seas were 3-5' when we got there, and 4-6' by the time we left. The water temperature has dropped a bit in the past week... I clocked 76 degrees minimum.

Despite the relatively lousy conditions, it was GREAT to be back underwater, and good to know that the Spiegel Grove is STILL on her keel! The highlight of my dives was coming face-to-face with a five foot Goliath Grouper at the stern gate.

Tomorrow afternoon we're heading for the Duane or Bibb. Unfortunately, one of the resident Bull Sharks there was recently discovered (by a local dive instructor) lying on the sand with it's gut slit open, and a piece of steel stuck thru its head. Some folks just don't get it!

Gasoline is currently available at most stations here in Key Largo, but I realize that that doesn't help much with the "getting here" part. We were only without power for a couple of days (no generator), but it was enough to remind me of how much we all take for granted.

I hope that all of South Florida will have power back soon. In the mean time, I heard from the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce that many local hotels are offering special rates to "power-deprived" Florida residents. Let me know if you need contact info.

just for your info, you can get gas with almost no waiting here in Doral now. So, if you need to make that stop getting down the keys, I'm guessing anything south of doral boulevard would be a safe bet. There are a couple on doral boulevard (36street), and I also got some gas today down at Florida City like normal times. Gas is cheaper in the upper keys, but I guess that doesn't really matter now. I can give you specifics for the gas stations around Doral if you need info.

we had 50' of visibility, and no current to speak of. Seas were 1-2'. Tomorrow morning, we dive the Duane. Rick on the Key Largo Princess reported 40' of viz at Molasses this morning. Dive conditions are slowly but surely returning to normal.

was awesome yesterday! No current, and viz was a good 60'... the best I've seen since Wilma. Minimum water temp was 75 degrees, and seas were 1-2'. The highlight of my dive was dropping to the sand at 125' and photographing one of the large (8-10') Bull Sharks on patrol down there.

We made our second dive on the deep ball at Molasses Reef... dropped down the forereef to 95' or so before starting back up. Still no current, but viz was on the low side at around 30'. In the afternoon, we went to the Spiegel Grove where viz was in the 40' range. Seas were less than a foot, and current was nil.

This morning, we'll be diving the Bibb and Duane. Life is good!

Great News. By the time I get to Key Largo in February everything should be back to normal, eh?

Anything changed other than the Spiegel since I was there last December?

KeyLargoBrent:

Visibility appears to be returning to the reef. Yesterday, Captain John of the Key Largo Princess reported 20' of viz and blue water at Molasses Reef... viz was just 5' there on Thursday! We're planning deep wreck dives all weekend... I can hardly wait!

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I maybe able to get down in December.. still up in the air...

I'm curious, what are the water temps like in Nov/Dec, and what RU wearing in the way of exposure suits?

Enjoy your ... umm... job, and glad to hear that conditions are getting back to normal

ArcticDiver:

Great News. By the time I get to Key Largo in February everything should be back to normal, eh?

Anything changed other than the Spiegel since I was there last December?

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Things should be back to normal long before your visit in February! Besides the Grove, the biggest changes around here have to do with the development of "condo-tels"... controversial stuff, to say the least. Kelly's Motel is a goner. Rowells Marina has been sold and closed, and lots of other hotels, motels, and marinas have been, and continue to be, sold and slated for redevelopment.