Dive boat or boat rental in Marathon?

DiveandPuttGuy · Aug 26, 2009

I'm leading a group of 6 divers and one non-diver on a Marathon Vacation. We can dive from a dive boat or rent our own boat and run our own divs rigth from the dockl of our rented home. What would you do? Any other Marathon dive tips are appreciated. :crafty:

matts1w · Aug 26, 2009

DiveandPuttGuy:
I'm leading a group of 6 divers and one non-diver on a Marathon Vacation. We can dive from a dive boat or rent our own boat and run our own divs rigth from the dockl of our rented home. What would you do? Any other Marathon dive tips are appreciated.

-How much boat are you gonna rent? Seven people and six sets of dive gear requires much boat.
-Do you know the water off Marathon? Getting out to the reef line can be kinda tricky in places. Scars on sea grass beds are not cool.
-Good water ebbs and flows off the Keys. Operators talk to each other... as do locals.
-How many dives are you planning a day? Two or three? That means 12-18 tank rentals plus gear plus seven people in a boat.
-Don't forget you gotta hump all 12-18 tanks from the boat to the car for fills.
-Will you have O2, first aid kit, a tag line, and dive flag on board your rental?

That being said, it does rock having one's own boat.

Use Tilden's Scuba Center to dive.... rent a boat to explore a day or two.

Have a great trip.

Speargirl · Aug 26, 2009

I hope this helps :http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3525029-post1.html

SandyRobinson · Aug 26, 2009

Good advice above. Several years ago on an off day of diving, 5 of us rented a boat at Bud n Marys to make a few dives. The pluses were:
1. trip to Alligator Reef was easy which was visible from the marina - a straight shot towards a metal structure.
2. made a dive trip.
3. then made a snorkel trip with some of the non-divers.

The minuses were:
1. we only had room for one tank each on the boat and only had time for one dive.
2. we would not have been comfortable going anywhere but Alligator Reef (lack of knowledge of reefs, etc).
3. difficult to anchor to ensure we did not harm the reef - either no buoys or all were taken - cannot remember.
4. no first aid kit or O2 if needed.

We would have been better to go on another charter and incude the non-divers. Based on that experience, we have not rented another.

Have a good trip whatever your decision.

Tom Winters · Aug 26, 2009

Way easier to go on a dive boat - renting something big enough for all of you to be comfortable on starts running into some serious money.
Plus, which one of you in your group knows the reefs and channels?

DiveandPuttGuy · Aug 26, 2009

matts1w:
-How much boat are you gonna rent? Seven people and six sets of dive gear requires much boat.
-Do you know the water off Marathon? Getting out to the reef line can be kinda tricky in places. Scars on sea grass beds are not cool.
-Good water ebbs and flows off the Keys. Operators talk to each other... as do locals.
-How many dives are you planning a day? Two or three? That means 12-18 tank rentals plus gear plus seven people in a boat.
-Don't forget you gotta hump all 12-18 tanks from the boat to the car for fills.
-Will you have O2, first aid kit, a tag line, and dive flag on board your rental?

That being said, it does rock having one's own boat.

Use Tilden's Scuba Center to dive.... rent a boat to explore a day or two.

Have a great trip.

Thanks, your advice is great. We'll dive with an op like Tildens for the first few days, then rent a boat after we've had our dives and learned our way around. Why Tildens?

Speargirl · Aug 26, 2009

DiveandPuttGuy:
Thanks, your advice is great. We'll dive with an op like Tildens for the first few days, then rent a boat after we've had our dives and learned our way around. Why Tildens?

Because he is one of the best in Marathon

Buoyant1 · Aug 27, 2009

Tilden's does have a great outfit and you won't go wrong by them!! Capt. Hooks rents boat and does charters so they're worth a look also ...

Captain Hook’s Diving and Fishing in the Florida Keys

Capt Slate · Aug 27, 2009

Buoyant1:
Tilden's does have a great outfit and you won't go wrong by them!! Capt. Hooks rents boat and does charters so they're worth a look also ...

Captain Hook’s Diving and Fishing in the Florida Keys

I will agree 100%. This is good advice

OneRestlessNative · Aug 28, 2009

We have used Capt Pipps in the past to rent boats and it was about 100$ a day. They are in the Vaca Cut area. Sounds like a rather larger group though but it still might be cheaper to rent 2 boats vs. combined charter costs and you get to go explore where you want to go.

Dive boat or boat rental in Marathon?

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