florida keys

[Sirena]

i've been reading about the florida keys and it seems to be a wonderful place to dive. i'm a new diver and would like to go there next spring, and would love go hear what anyone has to say about the keys, and any recommendations about the best sites and places to stay. whatever info you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

 

[herman]

Hi Sirena,

I like the keys a lot, especially the upper keys, Key Largo/Tavernier area. I have dove with Tavernier dive center and they were great people to work with. You can check them out at. http://www.tavernierdivecenter.com/ One of the hotel operations they have agreements with is Franks Key Haven, it's a small operation that caters to divers,they have on site rinse tanks, wetsuit drying racks and the like. It's not 4 star but it's clean, is located on a well kept property about 1 mile from the dive center, has a nice pool and they like divers, something that can't be said for some other operations. Almost all of the reefs around the area are good, the Christ of the Abyss is a don't miss. It's a 10ft or so statue at about 30ft on a reef near Key Largo. By the way, the transition from high season to low season is around May, you can save a few bucks if you can schedule your trip after high season.

 

[scywin]

I also dove with Tavernier and was very pleased. I took Advanced Open Water certification with them and thought the instruction was excellent. We stayed at Ocean Point Condos, which was a short distance from Tavernier. If you want a small apartment/timeshare Ocean Point was good.

 

[Sirena]

thanks a lot for the info. i'll check out tavernier since they seem to pass with flying colors with both of you. thanks again!

 

[phxcamera]

Sirena,

My wife and I just got back from a dive in Key West. We went with a shop called Subtropics. Nice boat, but if you're renting, the gear is a little beat up.

Have fun!