Dive boat wear Key Largo area

Yes I am a total newb so please forgive any silly questions. Myself and my son will be diving with Capt. Slates on Dec 22 and 23 to complete our certifications two dives each day. My wife and two daughters will be tagging along as snorkelers or watchers on the boat.

I have heard that it can be a bit chilly between dives and on the ride out and back. Should we bring jackets or large towels or do Slates's boats provide any cover ups or is there an inside area on the boat to keep warm?

This is our first boat trip of this sort and want to make sure it is a pleasant one, nothing worse than freezing!

Just thought of another one. Do they provide any food/beverages on the boat or do you bring your own?

Captain Slate's will provide cold water, paper cups and a cooler full of ice for anything you want to bring. You can get a lunch from Shipwrecks to take along if you ask ahead of time.. It includes a sandwich, soft drink, bag of chips and piece of fruit for $8, I think. Check the website: Captain Slate's Atlantis Dive Center, Key Largo, FL

Alternatively, you can go to the Winn Dixie and get a BIG sandwich from the deli for $5 and take your own drink. I like to have a COLD gatorade waiting on me There is an inside area on-board where you can escape the wind and chill as needed. (although it is WARM TODAY!!!)

It's never a bad idea to wear a rash guard over your bathing suit this time of year, they dry fast and keep you warm after you take off your wetsuit if you decide to wear one There is a visitor center at 106240 Overseas Highway you can stop in and get info or directions you might need. Also cold drinks, post cards, beach towels, etc

Have a great time, there is NOTHING like diving this reef!!! Please take care to dive responsibly and not touch anything in Pennekamp Park Key Largo are divers are quite fond of our coral heads and sea life, we want to keep the reef as pristine as possible as I'm sure you do too!

By the way I commend you for doing your homework in advance, so many people miss out on GREAT things to do in the Keys... Works much better if you show up with a good "plan"

Food/Beverages: All boats provide drinking water, some also juice or cut up oranges. Most also have a cooler where you can place your own snacks/beverages. Best to ask the dive op directly when you book your dives.

For between dives, the surface intervals are usually short with just enough time to switch gear, drink some water, and get ready again. But for the ride back to the dock especially if it is windy, you will probably want to towel off and have a windebreaker, jacket or sweatshirt.

Have some fun safe dives in Key Largo.

Thanks for the info guys, I probably over research things now due to some unpleasant surprises in past travels. Like to be prepared as possible, I guess that two weeks in the boy scouts when I was young actually did sink in a bit!

scallop:

Yes I am a total newb so please forgive any silly questions. Myself and my son will be diving with Capt. Slates on Dec 22 and 23 to complete our certifications two dives each day. My wife and two daughters will be tagging along as snorkelers or watchers on the boat.

I have heard that it can be a bit chilly between dives and on the ride out and back. Should we bring jackets or large towels or do Slates's boats provide any cover ups or is there an inside area on the boat to keep warm?

This is our first boat trip of this sort and want to make sure it is a pleasant one, nothing worse than freezing!

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Hi scallop,

I was never a Boy Scout but I'm generally prepared. I always take a towel and a fleece jacket. I often take a light Gore-tex rain/wind jacket, especially in less predicatable times like when you will be visiting. I often don't have to break anything out but am always able to stay dry and warm when I do. I've made many friends by lending out one or the other to those less prepared. Your wife and daughter may need these things as much or more than you do.

Have a great trip,

Craig

I had to break out my blue jeans last year (Dec 26 or 27th), because it was thaaat cold. Did I mention that that was my only pair of long pants I packed for the Keys?

What will get you on the boat ride is the wind. So, yes, would strongly advise bringing fleece / windbreaker - both for your "topside" guests as well as for yourself. If you're lucky, you won't need it. If you don't bring it, you may well regret it: even though surface intervals tend to be short, if it's cloudy and windy, you will definitely feel it. Florida, although you certainly don't think of it as a "cold" location, has a surprisingly high number of cases of hypothermia...