chachita
Contributor
I've been wanting to get certified as a wreck diver and dive the Spiegel Grove and I recently had the opportunity to cross both off my diving dream list.
I travel solo and had a scary experience a few years back, so now I research every destination and dive op extensively. ScubaBoard is great for that, and the many threads on Key Largo dive ops were very helpful. I narrowed down the list of dive ops to three and phoned each one. Before calling, I had visited several Key Largo wreck websites and had seen that the three most popular wrecks were the Spiegel Grove, the Duane and the Bibb. The Bibb was listed in some sites as a 135 foot dive, and since that is past recreational limits, I asked specifically about this when calling. Two of the the ops said that "it was OK" but Ocean Divers said they weren't diving the Bibb any longer because of safety issues, and that settled my choice of op on the spot. For accommodation I chose Marina del Mar because it's next door to Ocean Divers. All it took was a 3 minute walk from my room to the dive shop.
I can't say enough about Ocean Divers - they were very professional and safety conscious and the service was outstanding. Eric, my wreck instructor, was fabulous - a total pro, very knowledgeable and a lot of fun as well. The class room portion of the course was very thorough - we spent an afternoon practicing reel and penetration skills and reviewing the complete manual. Their large boats are comfortable and the crew were helpful and very focused on safety. There were never more than 8 divers on any trip and people were able to dive their own plan and profile. I had some challenges with my BC and the feedback I received made me decide that it was time to upgrade my equipment. I was so impressed with everyone at Ocean Divers that I gladly gave them the business and bought a new BC, a regulator and a dive computer. They even drove me to a bank so I could withdraw money from my checking account for my purchases.
The diving was everything I had expected and more. The dive on the Spiegel Grove is now my all-time favourite dive and I can't wait to get back to explore more of this enormous wreck. The weather was OK, but the week before there had been a hurricane elsewhere in the Caribbean and the sea was still quite choppy with visibility of about 30 to 50 feet. Getting out of the boat on the first day was a big challenge but conditions improved each day and by the third day exits were much easier.
This was my first dive in the Keys and I was amazed at the size of the fish. I usually dive in Curacao and I saw the same species, but everything is much larger in the Keys. Highlights included a monster, 250 lb grouper on the Benwood wreck, an 8 foot Southern stingray lounging on the sand, and a pristine 10 foot high brain coral which served as a 'parking lot' to hundreds of yellowtail snappers lined up in neat rows from top to bottom.
The Marina del Mar was OK: it was convenient and inexpensive. The room was clean and the front desk staff was very friendly. Wi Fi was available only in the lobby and terrace, which was perfect as I didn't want to hear from my office.
They only offer a very modest buffet breakfast, which is fine if you don't like to dive with a heavy stomach.
Finding healthy, 'lite' food in Key Largo is not easy. I finally found Eco Eats in the mall across the road from the Holiday Inn. Their food is delicious. For the rest, I ended up eating at Sharkey's, which is next door to Ocean Divers, and has the absolute best fish tacos I have ever eaten.
Can't wait to go back: I am now planning a trip to do an advanced nitrox course. Dive op recommendations for this specialty are welcome!
I travel solo and had a scary experience a few years back, so now I research every destination and dive op extensively. ScubaBoard is great for that, and the many threads on Key Largo dive ops were very helpful. I narrowed down the list of dive ops to three and phoned each one. Before calling, I had visited several Key Largo wreck websites and had seen that the three most popular wrecks were the Spiegel Grove, the Duane and the Bibb. The Bibb was listed in some sites as a 135 foot dive, and since that is past recreational limits, I asked specifically about this when calling. Two of the the ops said that "it was OK" but Ocean Divers said they weren't diving the Bibb any longer because of safety issues, and that settled my choice of op on the spot. For accommodation I chose Marina del Mar because it's next door to Ocean Divers. All it took was a 3 minute walk from my room to the dive shop.
I can't say enough about Ocean Divers - they were very professional and safety conscious and the service was outstanding. Eric, my wreck instructor, was fabulous - a total pro, very knowledgeable and a lot of fun as well. The class room portion of the course was very thorough - we spent an afternoon practicing reel and penetration skills and reviewing the complete manual. Their large boats are comfortable and the crew were helpful and very focused on safety. There were never more than 8 divers on any trip and people were able to dive their own plan and profile. I had some challenges with my BC and the feedback I received made me decide that it was time to upgrade my equipment. I was so impressed with everyone at Ocean Divers that I gladly gave them the business and bought a new BC, a regulator and a dive computer. They even drove me to a bank so I could withdraw money from my checking account for my purchases.
The diving was everything I had expected and more. The dive on the Spiegel Grove is now my all-time favourite dive and I can't wait to get back to explore more of this enormous wreck. The weather was OK, but the week before there had been a hurricane elsewhere in the Caribbean and the sea was still quite choppy with visibility of about 30 to 50 feet. Getting out of the boat on the first day was a big challenge but conditions improved each day and by the third day exits were much easier.
This was my first dive in the Keys and I was amazed at the size of the fish. I usually dive in Curacao and I saw the same species, but everything is much larger in the Keys. Highlights included a monster, 250 lb grouper on the Benwood wreck, an 8 foot Southern stingray lounging on the sand, and a pristine 10 foot high brain coral which served as a 'parking lot' to hundreds of yellowtail snappers lined up in neat rows from top to bottom.
The Marina del Mar was OK: it was convenient and inexpensive. The room was clean and the front desk staff was very friendly. Wi Fi was available only in the lobby and terrace, which was perfect as I didn't want to hear from my office.
They only offer a very modest buffet breakfast, which is fine if you don't like to dive with a heavy stomach. Finding healthy, 'lite' food in Key Largo is not easy. I finally found Eco Eats in the mall across the road from the Holiday Inn. Their food is delicious. For the rest, I ended up eating at Sharkey's, which is next door to Ocean Divers, and has the absolute best fish tacos I have ever eaten.
Can't wait to go back: I am now planning a trip to do an advanced nitrox course. Dive op recommendations for this specialty are welcome!
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