Sea Biscuit
Registered
My daughter and I just got certified, and we're planning to dive a few days in the FL Keys around Thanksgiving. Despite paying real close attention in class and passing all the skills w/o trouble, we still feel completely new to this game, and are looking for advice on what to look for in a charter. We'd welcome any general or specific recommendations that might supplement the advice we got from the LDS.
I've got a book listing sites in the Keys, and it looks like there are many Key Largo "novice" sites (20-45 ft). It appears that most charters take reservations, but I take it that specific dive sites are often chosen at the last minute by the captain depending on weather, currents, vis, availability, etc. What are the odds we'll end up sitting on the boat or staying behind at the dock rather than risk a dive at a more advanced site than we're prepared for?
Do all the boats carry O2 on board in case of an emergency? Should I be asking the charters about this?
How important is size of the boat/group? Is smaller better - less crowding? Or are larger boats better equipped and more comfortable despite the larger groups? What's typical?
We've got some of our own equipment - exposure suits, watches, weight belts, masks, snorkels, boots, and fins. We'll be renting tanks, bcs and regulators/gauges. After reading some of the stories here, I figure we should set these up and check them out to be sure they're working before getting on the boat. Is that practical?
We know to listen to what the captain and DM have to say, to watch what the more experienced divers are doing, and to ask for help if we're unclear about anything. Any other advice or etiquette tips to help us avoid looking like total tyros out there? For example, not that we'd plan on touching anything anyway, but are gloves a real no-no? And speaking of tips, is it customary to tip the captain or DM at the end of the trip?
And how are the Keys in late November, anyway? Gotta be better than the 5' vis and 70 deg water from our check-out dives in a Virginia quarry, right?
I've got a book listing sites in the Keys, and it looks like there are many Key Largo "novice" sites (20-45 ft). It appears that most charters take reservations, but I take it that specific dive sites are often chosen at the last minute by the captain depending on weather, currents, vis, availability, etc. What are the odds we'll end up sitting on the boat or staying behind at the dock rather than risk a dive at a more advanced site than we're prepared for?
Do all the boats carry O2 on board in case of an emergency? Should I be asking the charters about this?
How important is size of the boat/group? Is smaller better - less crowding? Or are larger boats better equipped and more comfortable despite the larger groups? What's typical?
We've got some of our own equipment - exposure suits, watches, weight belts, masks, snorkels, boots, and fins. We'll be renting tanks, bcs and regulators/gauges. After reading some of the stories here, I figure we should set these up and check them out to be sure they're working before getting on the boat. Is that practical?
We know to listen to what the captain and DM have to say, to watch what the more experienced divers are doing, and to ask for help if we're unclear about anything. Any other advice or etiquette tips to help us avoid looking like total tyros out there? For example, not that we'd plan on touching anything anyway, but are gloves a real no-no? And speaking of tips, is it customary to tip the captain or DM at the end of the trip?
And how are the Keys in late November, anyway? Gotta be better than the 5' vis and 70 deg water from our check-out dives in a Virginia quarry, right?