Diving road trip in the Keys - March 2019

[Dulcow]

Hey there,

My wife and I are trying to plan a trip to dive in the Keys in March 2019 (15th to 25th). We are currently living in Europe right now but we were based in Malaysia for a couple of years (this is where our addiction started). Certification wise, we are PADI AOW / CMAS 3* / TDI Advanced Nitrox with 200+ logged dives.

I'm pretty sure some of you would be able to guide us on the following:

1) How is the water temperature at time of the year? We have 1.5mm, 5mm and drysuits.
2) What is the usual visibility? I'm doing underwater photography, it's always better when it's clear.
3) How many dives per day? Are night dives interesting over there?
4) Is it possible/worth doing decompression/twinsets diving (40m or more)? I'm thinking about deep wrecks if any.
5) Any amazing spots/wrecks that we should not miss?

Thank you so much in advance!

Guillaume

PS: Here is our Instagram account for the curious ones => Two Diving Bricks (@2divingbrix) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[Billy Northrup]

!) Probably about 76, 5 m is pretty standard.
2) mostly good, but not every day
3) 4 rec, 2 deco... Night dives are a blast.
4) Yes. I like to run 90 minutes on the Spiegle Grove, Duane or Bibb. There are a few deeper wrecks on request all the way to 100+meters. Horizon Divers runs double dips on wrecks pretty much daily, your going to need a buddy tho. You may need to hire a guide but its WELL worth it, you will see so much more of the wreck. About 1.5 hours north there are plenty of deep wrecks. It may be worth it to take your adv wreck with them.
5) Ships Spiegle Grove, Duane, Bibb and Eagle. Spots Benwood wreck shallow but awesome, city of washington, Carys Fort reef. Skip the statue, its boring.

 

[Dulcow]

Hi Billy,

Thanks a million for your precious advices ;-) We aren't wreck divers yet but I guess this can be sorted...

Cheers,

G.

 

[noj3333]

Not to veer this thread off topic, but are you going to Florida specifically to dive in the keys, or for other reasons (family, etc.)?

If making a trip that far I'd suggest other Caribbean destinations before the keys...

 

[In2theabyss]

You can hire a guide, as Billy mention Horizon does double dips daily and they have great guides, for a small additional fee you can get personal guides. And yes everything in Key Largo is great diving but the statue IS boring. I love diving the Keys..enjoy!

 

[Dulcow]

Not to veer this thread off topic, but are you going to Florida specifically to dive in the keys, or for other reasons (family, etc.)?

If making a trip that far I'd suggest other Caribbean destinations before the keys...

You are right, we will be visiting family near Orlando before going on this side diving trip. Would it be much better to consider Caribbeans or Bahamas for scuba diving?

 

[RyanT]

You'll find nicer coral reefs in the Caribbean. If you're interested in seeing some wrecks and doing some deco dives though, South Florida is great! If you're plan is drive down from Orlando, I'd recommend hitting Pompano Beach on the way down. Pompano Dive Center runs great trips and give you a huge amount of flexibility. They'll run dedicated tech trips, but will also let you do one long deco dive on their double dip recreational trips. The shops in Key Largo also offer similar trips. Both Pompano and Key Largo can provide any kind of fill you need.

 

[PoolsOpen]

You dont need wreck cert for diving the Speigel or Duane, only AOW. If you have a guide or experienced buddy you can do plenty of swim thrus as these are artificial reefs and were prepared for diving prior to sinking. They have plenty of cut outs and you can stay in the light zone. Same thing for most of the non-technical wrecks in Pompano. Im not a tech diver so my advice is only for AOW rec dives and times. Temps will be 75 - 77 F and I usually wear a long 3mm wetsuit with 2mm hood for this time of year. Expect viz of 40 to 80 ft with Key Largo having more "blue water".

 

[smellzlikefish]

Others have covered some of your other questions, but if you are traveling all the way to the Keys, there is a lot of diving and water activities in Florida that is a must-do. In the Keys, my favorite wrecks were the Duane and Spiegel Grove. There are shark dives out of Jupiter that are well worth your time, Blue Heron bridge just north from there for some of the best muck diving in the area. They do blackwater dives near there as well. Heading west, I would hit a spring (thumbs up for Ginnie Springs), swim with the Crystal River manatees, and maybe do a fossil dive out of Venice Beach. I've done all of that in a week of diving and driving and highly recommend it for a good bang for your buck.

 

[KristenK]

Lots of fun things top side too, in the Keys. And GREAT food!! Keys Fisheries on Marathon is our all time favorite. And the drive from Key Largo to Key West is just beautiful.