Just an update. We drove to Key Largo Sat morning (Jan 12) and got there in time for the morning run. Watching the weather for this weekend since December, we were hoping it would be a little more favorable for our first dives as the weekend got closer. It didn't. The weather forecast winds 15-20knts with 3-4ft seas for Saturday with it dying down and getting better as the weekend went on. Not favorable conditions but not a no go either so we went. The seas were definitely 3-4 and choppy but once we got in the water it wasn't bad at all. If it wasn't for the surge, you would have never known what was going on at the surface.
The first drop was at the Molasses Reef. This buoy marker where we dropped was nice but not great. Seemed kinda one dimensional and not as much to see as I thought there would be but to be fair we stayed really close to the boat since this was our first dive for all three of us since OW checkout(and first dive in salt water) and we were the only ones in the water. We took a minute after descending to make sure we all had our buoyancy and weights right before we started the dive. Once we began it was a good first dive.
The second drop was also on Molasses but this one was much nicer then the first. Personally I think the Capt. did this intentionally knowing we were completely new and took us to an OK spot to get our gear right and get comfortable under water and saving the best for last once we and our gear were ready to go. Lots of wildlife and the reef was great. It had peaks and valleys,a couple swim throughs which were really cool, and a huge winch from an old ship.
If you've read the first post of this thread you know that we were planning on going back out for the afternoon and doing two more tanks. Well after the first two dives, the ladies with me weren't feeling the afternoon trip. One got mildly sea sick (on surface, in water she was fine) and the other one was somewhat exhausted and the thought of a good lunch @ The Fish House and some rum runners sounded more appealing then rushing off the boat for a quick bite and rushing back on to fight the waves so we scrubbed it. Still was a great day though. We ate fantastic food, drank rum runners, then later on that night headed to Sharky's pub to watch the Ravens vs Broncos. Saddest part of my day was watching the Ravens beat the Broncos in OT. =\
Next day (Sunday the 13th) we showed up again in the morning. I asked the Capt. about conditions for this dive he said about the same but no better then the day before but they were supposed to get better as the day went on. Since we had a good time the day before and seemed to didn't feel at any time we were in danger we went for it. As we were heading out the seas were less like 3-4' and more like 4'. This time we went to The French Reef. Seas were a little choppy especially when trying to move around on the boat but once in the water everything was great. Surge was a little stronger but no currents or anything. The dive was fine. This reef had a few more swim throughs which was cool but overall The French Reef seemed dull. More rock then corral and not as much or vibrant color like there was on the Molasses. I'm not sure if it was because TFR is older then TMR and therefor more run down after years of high traffic and new divers or if it was because the visibility was much lower this day and the light was filtered out.
Once we got on the boat after the first tank we headed to another spot on The French Reef. Pretty much the save as the first tank. Reef seemed a little more run down then the Molasses but it was still cool with stuff and fish to see. By the time this dive ended and we surfaced the conditions have gotten visibly worse. Instead of 3-4' it was 4-6' and those 6' were making the latter dance. We all boarded with no problems, pulled anchor and headed back to shore.
Quick word about the dive op (Blue Water Divers). It was a great first time out with these guys. It was just us 3 on board for both days and it was quite nice having an entire boat and captain to ourselves. Captain Eric was extremely noob friendly, helpful, and knew the dive spots well. We wanted to dive Snappers Ledge but he said currents would be stronger there and not good for the conditions we had. After our first day he told us to leave all our gear after rinsing it and he put it all away and locked it up for us. The next day our gear was out, dry, and ready to go. We had a great time with Captain Eric and look forward to jumping off his boat again in the future.
1st Dive January 12:
The Molasses Reef - Aquarium
Max Depth: 30'
Vis: 40-45'
Bottom Temp: 72*
B.Time: 30min
Seas: 3-4'
2nd Dive January 12:
The Molasses Reef - Winch Hole
Max Depth: 32'
Vis: 40-45'
Bottom Temp: 74*
B.Time: 37min
Seas: 3-4'
3rd Dive January 13:
The French Reef - Christmas Tree 'Cave'
Max Depth: 35'
Vis: 25-30'
Bottom Temp: 71*
B.Time: 30min
Seas: 3-5'
4th Dive January 13:
The French Reef - Hard Bottom 'Cave'
Max Depth: 38'
Vis: 25-30'
Bottom Temp: 70*
B.Time: 29min
Seas: 4-6'
I know,
horrible bottom times! To the ladies credit, I was the air hog in the group but I am totally going to blame the surge and multiple boat checks.
If anyone has any comments on The Molasses Reef vs The French Reef (or any other dive sits) I would love to hear 'em. We are planning another trip in February and contemplating which sites to hit. Thanks!