Are There Any Healthy Florida Reefs Left?

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dannysporea

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Location
Fairfax, VA
# of dives
100 - 199
Hi all,

I am a pretty new diver, OW certified in Cozumel, and did a few other dives in our local quarry and have Nitrox as well. I am thinking of planning a trip for 12 days in the Florida keys next year... Are there any healthy reefs left in Florida? What are the best diving sites/operators there? What would be the best base for diving the reefs that are still left, is it Key Largo or further south? Ideally the base would be close to a beach for my non-diving wife...

Thank you in advance!
 
Dry Tortugas, although the coral disease is almost out there too.
 
There are many healthy reefs in Florida! The media makes it seem like all the reefs in the world are unhealthy or dead.

I guess we'd have to know what kind of diving you like to do and what you like to see for us to give you recommendations. I dive out of Jupiter with Jupiter Dive Center. We have very healthy reefs (there is some bleaching) with tons of sea life. The reefs aren't spectacular like those in Cozumel where you find tall structures, swim-throughs, a large assortment of sponges, anemones, etc. What we do have are big stuff...a big variety of sharks, Goliath Groupers, turtles, large schools of fish, etc. Most of the reefs we dive out of Jupiter bottom out at around 90 feet. Nitrox is great to have when diving in our area. We have drift diving on the southeast coast of Florida, so if that appeals to you, come dive here. There are many people who dive out of Ft. Lauderdale, Boyton Beach, Jupiter, etc., and there are many good dive shops.

I'll let someone else chime in on diving in the Keys. I've been there twice and, unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so my one dive doesn't do the Keys justice.

Happy Bubbles!
 
I guess we'd have to know what kind of diving you like to do and what you like to see for us to give you recommendations.

I like warm water diving and corals with a lot of life, both big and small :) Since we're planning on coming in the beginning of February, Ft. Lauderdale area might be a bit chilly, that's why I was thinking the keys which are farther south...
 
Yes, the water can be chilly in February in the Ft. Lauderdale to Jupiter areas...high 60's to mid 70's (looking at my data from my computer). You just need to plan for chilly water and wear the right wetsuit for that kind of exposure. Hopefully, someone will chime in on water temps in the Keys during February.
 
Hi all,

I am a pretty new diver, OW certified in Cozumel, and did a few other dives in our local quarry and have Nitrox as well. I am thinking of planning a trip for 12 days in the Florida keys next year... Are there any healthy reefs left in Florida? What are the best diving sites/operators there? What would be the best base for diving the reefs that are still left, is it Key Largo or further south? Ideally the base would be close to a beach for my non-diving wife...

Thank you in advance!
Do a search of my posts.
You will see hundreds of pix and condition reports to help you
 
Do a search of my posts.
You will see hundreds of pix and condition reports to help you

Thank you for the info. I checked your posts and pictures and it looks like most of them are from Islamorada reefs. Is Islamorada better than Key Largo or further south? What are some good dive operators in the area that would take one diver without a buddy?
 
Thank you for the info. I checked your posts and pictures and it looks like most of them are from Islamorada reefs. Is Islamorada better than Key Largo or further south? What are some good dive operators in the area that would take one diver without a buddy?
Rainbow reef in Key Largo has a good reputation
My boat is in Islamorada so that’s where we usually dive
Both areas are similar
 
February water temps will be in the mid to low 70's. The real thing to watch out for is the wind. Nov - April is the "windy" season down there. It's still very much dive-able that time of year, just maybe not every day.

A lot of the hard corals have died around Largo, but the reefs are still filled with life and still very enjoyable to dive, IMO. Largo also has a good assortment of wrecks, if you're in to that. If you have your AOW, I'd highly recommend diving the Spiegel Grove. The Benwood is another good wreck that doesn't require AOW. The Benwood is always packed with fish.

Dive operations in the Keys:
- Rainbow Reef (Largo): They run 8 boats and put a guide in the water for free (great for your first few dives out there or if you just don't want to worry about navigation)
- Conch Republic (Tavernier): Smaller operation. Halfway between Largo and Islamorada.
- Islamorada Dive Center (Islamorada) - A number of instructors from Rainbow Reef and at least one boat captain moved to IDC. I haven't dove with them yet but I've heard good things. I believe they also put a guide in the water for free.
 
Bermuda, Caribbean, South Pacific. Skip Florida
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

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