Florida Keys in April

I want to take my bride down to the Florida Keys in April... I have never planned my own dive trip and do not know about finding good dive charters and places to stay. We are both certified and experienced, I am just not sure how to go about booking all this logistics type of stuff. Does anyone have any direction or suggestions they can give me? Thank you so much.... TJ

TJ,

I live in Key Largo and there is great diving here. I work at Jules' Undersea Lodge and we can help you make all the arrangements. Just look us up on the web if you haven't gotten any help yet and give us a call.

Teresa McKinna

My wife & I experienced our first week long diving vacation to Key Largo this past early November. I've been diving for over 10 years & have over 300 dives logged, but my wife is a novice diver of just a few years. I researched which dive shop would be the best match for the two of us, & decided on Sea Dwellers Dive Center, which coordinates their dive packages with the Holiday Inn Key Largo Resort. I can't say enough about both the dive operation & the roomy, comfortable boat. The crew accomodated my newby wife very professionally & handled my video gear as if it belonged to them.

First of all, it was just a quick jaunt across the parking lot from our room to the marina, which moored the Sea Dweller's boat, second, even in 8 ft seas, the boat was stable & gave us an adequate sense of security. Now their were a few days where either the morning or afternoon dive outings found not enough divers for Sea Dwellers to fill their boat (remember...we were their during the tail end of hurricane/low season), so they connected us to the Horizon dive shop's boat. Well, let's just say we were SO glad to be back aboard the Sea Dwellers' craft the next outing. Horizon's boat is quite a bit smaller, CROWDED & the crew....well, let me give you an example: when surfacing after one of our dives, I came up to the ladder with my 10lb video housing in hand, & had to yell up to the boat for nearly 5 minutes before someone finally leaned down & grabbed it...& it was another diver - not a crew member!! The Holiday Inn is not a luxury resort, but definitely nicer than conventional ones around the country that I've stayed at. The included breakfast if very nice, the courtyard pool area & whirlpool also nice, & all in all...a GREAT value. We ate out every night & we were never disappointed with the many nearby restaurants. Feel free to PM me for other details.

Teresa Mckinna here again. Yes, Sea Dwellers is a very good dive operation. FYI I just found out that their boat or one of their boats is out of commission. I don't want to go into details but, let's say it was operator error. I am not sure how long it will be out. The operation is run by the owners and I have to say that the best dive operations are the ones run by owners. Like I said before, look up Jules' Undersea Lodge and give us a call and we can steer you in the right direction and to very good dive operations as well.

I was on the boat when the problem occurred and I wouldn't call it "operator error". We were heading out to a dive site, in the channel, when the boat's propellers struck a coral head. Not sure what else to call it but "bad luck", they were doing everything as it should have been and handled the situation in a very professional way. Looked like maybe a few weeks in the boat yard waiting on parts but you should be good to go long before your April trip. We will certainly be using them again.

Pastor G:

I was on the boat when the problem occurred and I wouldn't call it "operator error". We were heading out to a dive site, in the channel, when the boat's propellers struck a coral head. Not sure what else to call it but "bad luck", they were doing everything as it should have been and handled the situation in a very professional way. Looked like maybe a few weeks in the boat yard waiting on parts but you should be good to go long before your April trip. We will certainly be using them again.

Click to expand...

That IS operator error. How does a local op strike a coral head?? Operator error. Or tear up sea grass..Bad enough seeing the damage to the heads from anchor chains and people standing on them for pictures. Not bad luck by any means. I think we are being kind by calling it operator error.

The Keys is a great destination but be advised that some might consider the water at that time of the year to be a bit cool. Talk to charter operators about how much neoprene you should bring. Like just about any region, a Keys visitor has to decide whether he/she wants to take the place by storm and hit every area or whether a "surgical strike" to one particular area might be best. Perhaps Key Largo is the most popular dive area. In 20 or so years of diving the area, I have found Quiescence to be the best for my purposes. Their boats acomodate 6 divers. Be advised that the trips to the reefs from their dock are 45 minutes to an hour and that their boats do not have heads. The captains get you out there in comfort and assist you in getting into and out of the water but they do not dive with you. For experienced divers the wrecks of the Duane and the Spiegel Grove are difficult to beat.

A little further down the Keys is Islamorada. The wreck of the Eagle is a beauty. Key Dives is a good operation but be advised they do spearfishing and you may wish to clarifiy whether any on your boat will be participating in that activity and then decide how you feel about that.

If I am staying on points at the Courtyard Marriott, I will either dive with Rainbow Reef or for more advanced dives Ocean Divers. Both are close to the hotel. Rainbow Reef is great if we have less experienced divers along.

If I am not using points, I would stay and dive with Amoray Dive center. They have inexpensive accomodations that can be packaged with the dives.

I prefer Ocean Divers and Amoray, because the will provide Nitrox.

there are some good suggestions in this thread from late last year.....

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fl...-experienced-divers-mid-week.html#post6030575

Pastor G:

I was on the boat when the problem occurred and I wouldn't call it "operator error". We were heading out to a dive site, in the channel, when the boat's propellers struck a coral head. Not sure what else to call it but "bad luck", they were doing everything as it should have been and handled the situation in a very professional way. Looked like maybe a few weeks in the boat yard waiting on parts but you should be good to go long before your April trip. We will certainly be using them again.

Click to expand...

Hitting a coral head is usually due to inexperience or not paying attention. Doesnt sound like bad luck except for the coral.