This was my first trip down to Florida and being land locked I mostly do fresh water quarry diving.
LDS organized a trip down to Key Largo for VERY reasonable price and I couldn't resist. They even paired me up with a guy who is driving down so I could ride/drive with him. We started on Saturday 2pm from Charlotte, NC and pushed all the way down to West Palm Beach around 2am (expect delays on I-26 near I-95 and on I-95 in SC, try US-15 parallel to I-95 instead to save some time and nerves!). We crashed at Marriott WPB near I-95 and woke up around 7am. I gave Captain Slate's a call to check what they have in terms of diving that afternoon. One of the choices was Spiegel Grove (double dip) and I took it. Can't beat their deal! We arrive at dive shop at 11am. Friend drops me off and he goes playing tennis while I go diving with Captain Slate's.
Sunday PM: Friendly staff, great prices. Had good dive site intro, only 13 divers so not too crowded. Tanks are AL80s (2800 and 2900 psi fills according to my Suunto). I carried a pony bottle so I didn't need extra weights. Current was strong on the surface but wind was stronger in aligning the boat so the tag line was all messed up. No biggie. Plenty of help getting off and on the boat. Spiegel Grove was most excellent! Water temp 75F.
Monday AM/PM: Diving with Scuba-Do. Smaller boat and different method. Once we set up our gear we are on our way and have boat intro and good site intro (Snappers Ledge) and off we go. I was loosely buddied up with an instructor and his daughter and had wonderful shallow dive. Putting gear on is different. You sit at the back of the boat and crew brings you tour BP/w (or BCD) and helps you put it on. Then you just step off the boat and that is it. On return you just sit down, they help you get it out and change your tanks and you are ready for your next dive. Second dive was Pickles Reef. I blew right past my safety stop on that one (max depth I was on was 19ft). On the morning dives I've seen few Murray Eels of various sizes, trumpet fish (one with cut tail) and other fish I have no clue about as well as couple of lobsters (too bad I didn't have a license and gear with me). Water temp 75 whole day too.
After our last AM dive we headed back and the group I am originally with was awaiting so I grabbed quick lunch and they've set up their gear and off we went for two dives at Molasses Reef. Seen trumpet fish, few lobsters, a shark (in the distance swimming by) and a huge Murray Eeel - its tail was probably 6" wide!).
Future plans:
Tuesday PM: Snappers Ledge and Pickles reef. (try some lobstering, not sure how successful
Wednesday PM: One dive at Ophelia Brian (new wreck being sunk off of Miami Beach).
Thursday AM: Spiegel Grove double dip with Captain Slate's (dive 99 and 100!)
Thursday PM: Spiegel Grove and some shallow twilight dive.
Friday PM: Duane and something else.
This is it so far.
LDS organized a trip down to Key Largo for VERY reasonable price and I couldn't resist. They even paired me up with a guy who is driving down so I could ride/drive with him. We started on Saturday 2pm from Charlotte, NC and pushed all the way down to West Palm Beach around 2am (expect delays on I-26 near I-95 and on I-95 in SC, try US-15 parallel to I-95 instead to save some time and nerves!). We crashed at Marriott WPB near I-95 and woke up around 7am. I gave Captain Slate's a call to check what they have in terms of diving that afternoon. One of the choices was Spiegel Grove (double dip) and I took it. Can't beat their deal! We arrive at dive shop at 11am. Friend drops me off and he goes playing tennis while I go diving with Captain Slate's.
Sunday PM: Friendly staff, great prices. Had good dive site intro, only 13 divers so not too crowded. Tanks are AL80s (2800 and 2900 psi fills according to my Suunto). I carried a pony bottle so I didn't need extra weights. Current was strong on the surface but wind was stronger in aligning the boat so the tag line was all messed up. No biggie. Plenty of help getting off and on the boat. Spiegel Grove was most excellent! Water temp 75F.
Monday AM/PM: Diving with Scuba-Do. Smaller boat and different method. Once we set up our gear we are on our way and have boat intro and good site intro (Snappers Ledge) and off we go. I was loosely buddied up with an instructor and his daughter and had wonderful shallow dive. Putting gear on is different. You sit at the back of the boat and crew brings you tour BP/w (or BCD) and helps you put it on. Then you just step off the boat and that is it. On return you just sit down, they help you get it out and change your tanks and you are ready for your next dive. Second dive was Pickles Reef. I blew right past my safety stop on that one (max depth I was on was 19ft). On the morning dives I've seen few Murray Eels of various sizes, trumpet fish (one with cut tail) and other fish I have no clue about as well as couple of lobsters (too bad I didn't have a license and gear with me). Water temp 75 whole day too.
After our last AM dive we headed back and the group I am originally with was awaiting so I grabbed quick lunch and they've set up their gear and off we went for two dives at Molasses Reef. Seen trumpet fish, few lobsters, a shark (in the distance swimming by) and a huge Murray Eeel - its tail was probably 6" wide!).
Future plans:
Tuesday PM: Snappers Ledge and Pickles reef. (try some lobstering, not sure how successful
Wednesday PM: One dive at Ophelia Brian (new wreck being sunk off of Miami Beach).
Thursday AM: Spiegel Grove double dip with Captain Slate's (dive 99 and 100!)
Thursday PM: Spiegel Grove and some shallow twilight dive.
Friday PM: Duane and something else.
This is it so far.
