Buoyant1
Contributor
Just got back from our whirlwind tour yesterday, and I wanted to do a little mention about the trip and the dive operators I used. My individual trip comments can be found at MOD SCUBA Home under the "dive blog" section.
Captain Hooks, Marathon (Two reef dives) :
Captain Hook’s Diving and Fishing in the Florida Keys
Since we stayed in Marathon, and I like to get a dive trip or two under my belt to check weighting and get used to warm water diving again, I use Capt. Hooks. (and if I can sneak in a Thunderbolt dive...even better) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use them as much as I'd have liked to due to the windy conditions those two weeks. When we arrived, I stopped in to see what I could schedule and I was informed that the boots were all stranded due to the wind, and they wouldn't be going out until Thursday. I asked if they had a night dive set up and they did, so I scheduled for that, but it was blown out also. I ended up doing an afternoon dive to a few reefs and couldn't really schedule much more since the days I had free all seemed to be windy. This operator is highly recommended, their customer service is in the "bend over backwards to make you happy" column! Each time I've used them, they've attempted to make sure I got everything I wanted, and delivered. Hilary and Doug are great people to work with, and if you get a chance to use this operator, you won't go wrong!
Looe Key Reef Resort & Dive Center (Adolphus Busch & two reefs):
Florida Keys scuba diving dive training charter boats,Looe Keys Dive Center Florida scuba,scuba diving dive training Florida Keys,dives boat charters scuba diving Florida keys,Vandenberg Busch wrecks
Last year I wanted to do a dive on the Adolphus Busch, and used another operator in the Big Pine Key area and had a very unsatisfying experience that I won't go into, mainly because it was last year and they deserve the benefit of the doubt since they were purportedly bought, and are under new management. Not wanting to potentially get burnt a second year in a row, however, I decided to try another outfit that had a regularly scheduled trip to the Busch, and couples it with two reef dives. A three tank dive for $80 something is a pretty good deal if you ask me so I scheduled with Looe Key Reef et al. First the complaints; They have a nice sized boat, and scheduled a lot of divers for this trip, so I would place it in the "cattle boat" column. I don't MIND cattle boats as much as some, but when they add snorkelers to the equation, it gets a bit much. I don't have a big problem if a boat puts a few snorkelers on an otherwise empty boat (ask me about the Brazilian women LAST year) but I would suggest to these people that if they have more then X-amount of divers, they refrain from the snorkelers. Their "front of house" system is a tad confusing, they take your information (and your C-card) and give you a wrist bracelet with a number, the idea is to get any gear you need to rent (regs, bcd, weights) you have your number, and then they use it when returning the gear...but they don't TELL you that's what the bracelet is for. A couple I befriended on the trip and I were on the boat setting up our gear, and we asked the captain where we get weights...he said "they should have told you they would call your number to get your gear inside" Ok, they didn't...it wasn't just me and this couple...it seemed that most of the divers needed to go back to get some things. Ok...that was solved...no harm done. One weird part of that was the captain telling everyone to "use more weight than they normally do since this was salt water" Ok, most people already know that they need more weight for salt then fresh, but ...never mind, I just thought it was a weird statement. Other than that, it was a good trip, and they got you there and back safely and fairly quickly (except for the long trip from their dock out of the "no wake" zone...about 15 minutes) They sell (hot) food and drinks on the boat, have a water cooler (filled from a garden hose with Monroe County's finest) and give you a ticket to get a cocktail or beer from the "Tiki bar" on the premises. I would use them again ONLY because I wouldn't mind diving the reef and the Busch again...now that I know their "system" and what to expect as far as the cattle boat/snorkelers, I'll have to deal with it...the pickings are pretty sparse in that area. SO I can recommend these guys, but with an asterisk!
Subtropic Divers (double dip on the Vandenberg):
Home | Subtropic
I met Jesse (Sweetwaterhag) here on the board and decided to give them a go. I'm usually a Captains Corner user, but with what Jesse described about how Subtropic operated (and I was able to get an afternoon double dip on the Vandenberg) I happily signed on for a trip! I can also highly recommend this operator, they were pretty organized amidst the chaos of having a group on board from Orlando doing two trips, and a bunch of other divers hitting the wreck. I think in all there were about 12-13 divers on the trip. The boat was big enough to handle them, and no one got in each others way. The crew was very professional and helpful, and the captain gave us an option to do a drift dive on the wreck for the second dive (which was a great thing!) They offer "I dived the Vandenberg" shirts at 50% off if you actually dived the Vandy (but they didn't have XXL's for us larger folk...Jesse said she would try to order some bigger shirts...(any luck? btw...any Fantasy Fest pics???) Only one SLIGHT complaint. We were limited on the first dive (by the captain) to 35 minutes. Seeing that it can really be a multi-level dive, I would question that limit. I MAXED my bottom time with the guys I dove with (who were scouting stuff the day before) and the 35 minutes was plenty for what we did, but could see this as an easy 45 minute dive if you stay shallow...just a suggestion.
Conch Republic Divers (Spiegel Grove & Snappers Ledge):
CONCH REPUBLIC DIVERS " COME SEE WHY WE'RE NOT JUST ANOTHER DIVE SHOP"
What can you say that hasn't already been said in these forums about CRD! This is (in my opinion) the FLAGSHIP dive operator of the Keys! The best customer service, the best prices, the friendliest staff, two great boats! When I didn't think these guys could get any better, I was bumped up a notch! There was a group of 4 people and me. I figured that I'd probably just tag along with them, no biggie. Since the group was all together, and I was by myself, they set me up to dive with Jason from the shop (at no extra charge for a "guide") I got the BEST tour of the Spiegel Grove that you could imagine! Most of the dive was inside the ship, and I was taken to see the Snoopy mural! Talk about an awesome first experience on a wreck! But when it comes down to it, you'll get no better treatment anywhere than from these guys! (But most of you already know that!) Thanks again Gary, Brenda, Jason, and Jorge!!!
I hope these assessments help you when it comes time for your trip to the Keys. I know that a few don't get many mentions in the forums, but I wanted give you something to chew on in case you are heading there, and didn't know who to use. I also want to give an honorable mention to Tilden's in Marathon... Although I wasn't diving with them this trip, I did use them for my air/Nitrox fills. It was a good convenient place to get my fills! Scuba Dive Middle Florida Keys Tildens Marathon Florida Keys Reef Diving
Captain Hooks, Marathon (Two reef dives) :
Captain Hook’s Diving and Fishing in the Florida Keys
Since we stayed in Marathon, and I like to get a dive trip or two under my belt to check weighting and get used to warm water diving again, I use Capt. Hooks. (and if I can sneak in a Thunderbolt dive...even better) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use them as much as I'd have liked to due to the windy conditions those two weeks. When we arrived, I stopped in to see what I could schedule and I was informed that the boots were all stranded due to the wind, and they wouldn't be going out until Thursday. I asked if they had a night dive set up and they did, so I scheduled for that, but it was blown out also. I ended up doing an afternoon dive to a few reefs and couldn't really schedule much more since the days I had free all seemed to be windy. This operator is highly recommended, their customer service is in the "bend over backwards to make you happy" column! Each time I've used them, they've attempted to make sure I got everything I wanted, and delivered. Hilary and Doug are great people to work with, and if you get a chance to use this operator, you won't go wrong!
Looe Key Reef Resort & Dive Center (Adolphus Busch & two reefs):
Florida Keys scuba diving dive training charter boats,Looe Keys Dive Center Florida scuba,scuba diving dive training Florida Keys,dives boat charters scuba diving Florida keys,Vandenberg Busch wrecks
Last year I wanted to do a dive on the Adolphus Busch, and used another operator in the Big Pine Key area and had a very unsatisfying experience that I won't go into, mainly because it was last year and they deserve the benefit of the doubt since they were purportedly bought, and are under new management. Not wanting to potentially get burnt a second year in a row, however, I decided to try another outfit that had a regularly scheduled trip to the Busch, and couples it with two reef dives. A three tank dive for $80 something is a pretty good deal if you ask me so I scheduled with Looe Key Reef et al. First the complaints; They have a nice sized boat, and scheduled a lot of divers for this trip, so I would place it in the "cattle boat" column. I don't MIND cattle boats as much as some, but when they add snorkelers to the equation, it gets a bit much. I don't have a big problem if a boat puts a few snorkelers on an otherwise empty boat (ask me about the Brazilian women LAST year) but I would suggest to these people that if they have more then X-amount of divers, they refrain from the snorkelers. Their "front of house" system is a tad confusing, they take your information (and your C-card) and give you a wrist bracelet with a number, the idea is to get any gear you need to rent (regs, bcd, weights) you have your number, and then they use it when returning the gear...but they don't TELL you that's what the bracelet is for. A couple I befriended on the trip and I were on the boat setting up our gear, and we asked the captain where we get weights...he said "they should have told you they would call your number to get your gear inside" Ok, they didn't...it wasn't just me and this couple...it seemed that most of the divers needed to go back to get some things. Ok...that was solved...no harm done. One weird part of that was the captain telling everyone to "use more weight than they normally do since this was salt water" Ok, most people already know that they need more weight for salt then fresh, but ...never mind, I just thought it was a weird statement. Other than that, it was a good trip, and they got you there and back safely and fairly quickly (except for the long trip from their dock out of the "no wake" zone...about 15 minutes) They sell (hot) food and drinks on the boat, have a water cooler (filled from a garden hose with Monroe County's finest) and give you a ticket to get a cocktail or beer from the "Tiki bar" on the premises. I would use them again ONLY because I wouldn't mind diving the reef and the Busch again...now that I know their "system" and what to expect as far as the cattle boat/snorkelers, I'll have to deal with it...the pickings are pretty sparse in that area. SO I can recommend these guys, but with an asterisk!
Subtropic Divers (double dip on the Vandenberg):
Home | Subtropic
I met Jesse (Sweetwaterhag) here on the board and decided to give them a go. I'm usually a Captains Corner user, but with what Jesse described about how Subtropic operated (and I was able to get an afternoon double dip on the Vandenberg) I happily signed on for a trip! I can also highly recommend this operator, they were pretty organized amidst the chaos of having a group on board from Orlando doing two trips, and a bunch of other divers hitting the wreck. I think in all there were about 12-13 divers on the trip. The boat was big enough to handle them, and no one got in each others way. The crew was very professional and helpful, and the captain gave us an option to do a drift dive on the wreck for the second dive (which was a great thing!) They offer "I dived the Vandenberg" shirts at 50% off if you actually dived the Vandy (but they didn't have XXL's for us larger folk...Jesse said she would try to order some bigger shirts...(any luck? btw...any Fantasy Fest pics???) Only one SLIGHT complaint. We were limited on the first dive (by the captain) to 35 minutes. Seeing that it can really be a multi-level dive, I would question that limit. I MAXED my bottom time with the guys I dove with (who were scouting stuff the day before) and the 35 minutes was plenty for what we did, but could see this as an easy 45 minute dive if you stay shallow...just a suggestion.
Conch Republic Divers (Spiegel Grove & Snappers Ledge):
CONCH REPUBLIC DIVERS " COME SEE WHY WE'RE NOT JUST ANOTHER DIVE SHOP"
What can you say that hasn't already been said in these forums about CRD! This is (in my opinion) the FLAGSHIP dive operator of the Keys! The best customer service, the best prices, the friendliest staff, two great boats! When I didn't think these guys could get any better, I was bumped up a notch! There was a group of 4 people and me. I figured that I'd probably just tag along with them, no biggie. Since the group was all together, and I was by myself, they set me up to dive with Jason from the shop (at no extra charge for a "guide") I got the BEST tour of the Spiegel Grove that you could imagine! Most of the dive was inside the ship, and I was taken to see the Snoopy mural! Talk about an awesome first experience on a wreck! But when it comes down to it, you'll get no better treatment anywhere than from these guys! (But most of you already know that!) Thanks again Gary, Brenda, Jason, and Jorge!!!
I hope these assessments help you when it comes time for your trip to the Keys. I know that a few don't get many mentions in the forums, but I wanted give you something to chew on in case you are heading there, and didn't know who to use. I also want to give an honorable mention to Tilden's in Marathon... Although I wasn't diving with them this trip, I did use them for my air/Nitrox fills. It was a good convenient place to get my fills! Scuba Dive Middle Florida Keys Tildens Marathon Florida Keys Reef Diving
