Looking for Dive Buddy, Key West, Fri 12 Feb - Sat 13 Feb

Hi, I'm looking for a dive buddy to do a couple of dives with on Friday, 12 Feb and Sat 13 Feb in Key West. I've never been to Key West before, but I'll be in town on business and would like to check out the diving and I don't want to show up at a dive shop running solo. Would really like to hit the Vandenburg, if possible. However, if someone has a better suggestion, I'm open for advice on dive spots and operators.

About me: Male, mid-20's, AOW/Nitrox certified. I have ~18 dives under my belt (South Carolina, Jersey, California, Panama). Yes, I know thats not many, but I like to think that I'm more capable than my count would suggest. Even the pro's had to start at 0, after all.

Also, as an added bonus, there may even be a margarita in it for you (thats what you key wester's drink, right? ).

Thanks in advance...

-Kevin

PS, never posted one of these dive buddy requests before, so let me know if I'm missing any pertinent info.

You're buddy request is fine. Don't try at Dive Key West, you don't have enough dives to dive the Vandy with them. If you don't find a buddy beforehand dive with Southpoint, Captain's Corner or Subtropic. There are other good operators here, but those 4 are the biggest. You will have the best chance of being buddied with someone compatible. I'm not impugning your experience, but you might want to hire a DM. The Vandy can be a tough dive. It can be a cheesecake, too. It's more often tough than easy.

Only the cruise ship passengers drink that watered down lime juice and crappy tequila that they serve at Margaritaville. They think they've had the "Key West Experience". The rest of us drink just like normal folk, only more.

Thanks for the info, Wookie.

Welp, I booked a Saturday Feb 13 morning dive with Lost Reef Adventures, who seem to have a pretty good reputation on SB. So far it's me, plus a group of 5. Gentleman at Lost Reef Adventures I talked to on the phone said that he'd dive with me if nobody else showed that i could buddy with. Guess that's taken care of, now I just gotta figure out Friday's plans...

Also, can anyone provide some insight on the KW Hostel (Seashell Motel)? I'm planning on staying there for a few nights and just wanna make sure it's not too sketchy.

Sea Shell is fine they have dorm beds for a reasonable rate. Ive stayed there numerous times. Its not too far from Duval either. The corner store up the road has pretty good pre dive breakfast and cuban coffee.

Hey, I don't mean to undermine what others have advised, but if you are a low time diver, there is a fabulous reef/national marine sancturary just 25 miles up the road, called Looe Key. IMO its the best reef in the Keys. Yes, I don't live in the Keys, but I drive down several times a year and own a Hyatt timeshare in town. I've been diving the area since 1973. Man oh man has it changed for the worse. Big Pine or Sugarloaf is an easy drive. Several dive charters go out to Looe Key daily. You can't take bugs or shoot, but it is a great dive. Water depth runs from a few feet down to about 25 feet if you put your belly on the sand just off the reef. Lots and lots of coral in good shape. Strike Zone Charters out of Big Pine is who I would go with, but there are several others who go daily. The cruise ships are allowed to dump their human waste tanks at sea if they are 6 miles offshore. Well, the reef line at Key West is about 6 miles out, so they can and they do. I have had several Key West private charter captains tell me they have seen human waste in the water near the Key West reef line - lots of it. The Vandy is too deep for a rec dive in my book. I have seen wrecks all over the lagoon in Palau that our Navy fly-boys sank (there was some major battles there), and up and down and all over. I go because it was on the schedule and because it's what others wanted to do. I just don't get what the attraction is for a wreck, especailly if it was just put there as an artificial reef, and not by history (other than as a good place to shoot dinner). Coral reefs do it for me, and I would quit diving if there were no reefs. But that's just me. Anyway, hope this helps, and be safe and have FUN!