Best in Key Largo?

[wedivebc]

A friend is going down to Miami in January and asked me about diving in Key Largo. The operator I dove with there a couple years ago is gone so I will throw this out there. For a couple days of reef diving and at least one Spiegel Grove dive who would be a good operator for a fairly experienced but rusty diver to go have some fun.

 

[CptTightPants21]

There are a lot of great operators in Key Largo. I'll be heading down there for the first time early next year, but I spoke extensively with 4 different shops.

My top picks are Silent World or Conch Republic Divers. I was blown away with their customer service, responding to emails, willingness to negotiate, competitive pricing, just straight up how a dive op SHOULD be run. I chose Silent World, but either is a fine choice---which is what you will see if you search on google or this site.

 

[drrich2]

Does he want a guide? If so, does he want one at no added cost? Is he okay with diving a fairly big boat? If yes to all, consider Rainbow Reef Dive Center.

If he wants a 6 pack boat and doesn't need a guide or prefers to hire one just for him at added cost, that would be a different story.

Richard.

 

[mselenaous]

Rusty Diver?
Policy for most ops in the Keys...
No dives in a year, 1st dive must be with a guide. After that you can choose to dive without one.
No dives in 2 or more years, a pool refresher will be required before boat dives.

I recommend you ask the dive op about this and set this up in advance if needed.
Buddy could also do his tune-up at home first then dive with a guide.

There are 30 dive ops in the upper keys, lots of good options. Ask plenty of questions so you know what to expect.

Plenty of threads here with tons of info & reviews of favorite ops.

If I can be of assistance, please feel free to contact me directly.

 

[sportxlh]

My favorite is Conch Republic but I also like Silent World too. Neither shop babysits divers. If you want a six pack, Quiescence is nice. Rainbow Reef might not be a bad suggestion either since they do provide guides. As Elena pointed out, some shops will require you to hire a guide to start with if you haven't dove in a while. Maybe you can start with RR since they already include a guide in the price, if you find that you don't like Rainbow Reef all that much after your first outing, switch over to Conch Republic, Quiescence or Silent World (or any other shop that seems interesting to you).

 

[tattooedjeeper]

Does he want a guide? If so, does he want one at no added cost? Is he okay with diving a fairly big boat? If yes to all, consider Rainbow Reef Dive Center.

If he wants a 6 pack boat and doesn't need a guide or prefers to hire one just for him at added cost, that would be a different story.

Richard.

I'm with Richard, I had a great time with Rainbow Reef but, I also don't mind the larger boats and the dive guide was nice to have.

 

[thez_yo]

I like to have my own dive plan, and nobody else to touch my dive gear (or me, really). If you like that sort of experience, I go with Horizon Divers. They find you a good spot, open the gates, and be back in an hour. They'll put a DM in the water with you if you ask for one, but I'm pretty sure you need to pay for it if you do. Just hanging out right underneath the boat is pretty good in any case, to un-rust yourself if need be, because imo everything looks great in Key Largo in comparison to the crud viz here in San Diego.

 

[Steve_C]

I usually dive Horizon or Ocean Divers. But I like room to move around and get out of the sun. Plus if it is cool and windy day getting out of the wind is nice.

 

[wedivebc]

Thanks for all your replies. I think she would be happy paying for a guide and would be happy on a smaller boat.

 

[pickens_46929]

+1 for Silent World