Not another "Which is the best dive op in Key Largo" - Promise

[Craig66]

Hi I have a question regarding dive ops and which might be best for me and my daughter given our special circumstances

I am an intermediate diver (180 dives in the last 3 and half years) and am very comfortable in the water and know my limits and respect them.

My daughter is 10 and from age 8 did PADI SEALS AND THEN PADI MASTER SEAL and this year when she turned 10 did PADI SCUBA DIVER (Limited to 40 feet and must dive with a certified diver/instructer/DM). She is amazingly comfortable and has bouyancy after 10 dives that I wish I had, had after 50 dives. This summer we dived Cozumel and she did amazingly and has 10 1 hour dives logged already

I am looking to do a long weekend in Key Largo in October and would like a dive op that will meet the following needs ( or any others that you Key Largo divers are aware of that I might not be aware of).

I need advce on not which is the best dive op in KL but which one will most fit us and our needs.


1. 63 cuft Tanks for her
2. Dives absolutely limited to 40 feet where the sand is around 40 feet or if it is a deeper dive where the top of the reef is limited to 40 feet
3. A DM to accompany us, more as our emergency buddy but also as our guide. I can be her buddy but at 10 I cannot rely on her to be my buddy and although I am comfortable looking after her a DM would make me feel more comfortable.
A dive boat that will allow her easy access back to the boat - she is very short and small and is more in stature like an 8 year old and so cannot climb the ladder with her tank on her back. In Cozumel she would take it off in the water and then climb onto the boat while the DM or captain would heave the tank onto the boat
4. A reputable and safe operation - probably universal requirement
5. Not sure how important the number of divers on the boat is as if we have a private DM/Instructor we will be our own little dive unit
6. Dont want to feel like I am hampering anyone elses dive. I dont want a bunch of tech divers to suddenly find that they are heading to a 30 ft reef because of us but likewise dont want to be in a dive that we didnt want to do just because we are the minority on the boat.
7. We have our own equipment and given her size she actually dives a Halcyon with junior backplate so equipment availability is not an issue

Thanks

Craig

[aquaregia]

I believe Horizon Divers might fit your needs. I'm not sure about #3.5 (reboarding procedure), but the rest shouldn't be a problem. They're pretty helpful folks though, so I wouldn't be surprised if they can accomodate it. Scuba Diving Key Largo Florida scuba Diving Upper Keys Snorkeling (http://www.horizondivers.com/)

[F106A]

Quiescence www.keylargodiving.com (http://www.keylargodiving.com)

If I were in your shoes this would be the answer. Absolutely! (You might want to contact them in advance as they may have some questions for you to make your experience as safe and productive and fun as possible.)

[ScubaWorks]

Craig, We just spent a long weekend in Key Largo and stayed/dove with Amy Slates. (See link)

Amoray Home Page (http://www.amoray.com/)

We had a few kids that went through our Scuba Summer Camp program so shallow/safe diving was our main concern. The deepest sight we did was 35 feet all weekend. The only item I am not sure about it the 63cf tanks. We took our own 50cf & 63cf tanks from the shop. If you need smaller tanks and are driving down, you can stop at our shop in Jupiter and pick up some small tanks. I am sure there are plenty to good ops in the Keys but this is one we tried recently. Congrats on your daughter getting certified. Hope you have years of fun diving together. Enjoy your trip to the Keys. It can be magical down there.

[Bad-Andy]

I second aquaregia's vote for Horizon Divers. That's who I use when taking my 12 year old son out with me. As for 63's, I have no idea. But, it is worth calling and asking them. And, any of the reef trips they do will suit your needs (shallow).

[aquaregia]

I second aquaregia's vote for Horizon Divers. That's who I use when taking my 12 year old son out with me. As for 63's, I have no idea. But, it is worth calling and asking them. And, any of the reef trips they do will suit your needs (shallow).

Horizon definitely has 63s.

[Craig66]

Thanks all for your advice - looking forward to a great trip