Hoping for diving / snorkeling recommendations in Florida Keys

[fatgreta]

Hi,

My wife and I will be in the Keys from Feb 13-18. I'd like to dive one or two days while we're there. She and I would like to snorkel. I'm hoping for some recommendations for a good dive shop, and some ideas about snorkeling.

I'm a PADI advance open water diver, but I dive very rarely, the last time was 18 months ago (I dive when we vacation in a place that has good diving, basically).

I snorkeled in the Keys once, before I was certified to dive. That was from a boat, I went out with a group that was mixed snorkeling / scuba. I believe I've read that to snorkel on any kind of reef in the Keys, you have to take a boat, I'd like to know if that's true.

Even if so, is there any shore snorkeling that we can do, even if it's not terrific (my memories of the snorkeling day are that it was tremendous).

I dive and snorkel so rarely that I don't really need to be wowed to have a good time, but I am really looking forward to this chance (I hear that the Keys are terrific for both), so I'd like to get good feedback about where to look, who to try to book with, etc.

I rent diving equipment, but do have mask / snorkel / fins of my own. My wife would have to rent snorkeling gear (she's not a diver).

I don't know that it would matter, but my wife gets cold very easily, even in pretty warm water. So snorkeling for her from shore is best, although we'd go on a boat even if it meant staying close so she can return when she wants to.

Thanks for any feedback,

Chris (and Stacy) Buhl

---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ----------

I should have said, we'll be staying in Tavernier, but I'm happy to drive anywhere in the Keys for this. We'll be exploring all over them anyway.

 

[danvolker]

Captain Slate's Atlantis Dive Center, Key Largo, FL is the website for Spencer Slate's Atlantis Dive Center...a great operation for what you describe would like.

The shore diving in the keys is horrific--murky, full of jelly fish, and nothing of much interest--whereas the reefs the boats go to will be very exciting for you and your wife.

I would just have her rent a wetsuit....they can be quite comfortable, and then she can snorkel in warmth.

If you have to do shore dives with her....then the Blue Heron Bridge Marine park might be a better bet...as you go off the beach, it is world famous, and you can stay quite close to shore and be in water as shallow as a baby pool as long as you like.

Lauderdale by the Sea also has good shore diving, but will require her to swim farther from shore to see anything.....I am not sure how comfortable she would be if 50 to 100 yards or more from shore....??


[video=youtube_share;xaidWv0R-bo]http://youtu.be/xaidWv0R-bo[/video]
Here is BHB Marine Park in Palm Beach, on Singer Island. Closest nice hotel with diver programs/pricing is Hilton Oceanfront Singer Island ( Hilton is almost walking distance away from BHB, at about 600 yards away).

 

[kelemvor]

I believe I've read that to snorkel on any kind of reef in the Keys, you have to take a boat, I'd like to know if that's true.

You can snorkel a reef in John Pennekamp State park from shore. Not particularly great, as Danvolker said. However, they rent snorkel gear including wetsuits cheap. They also have a snorkel boat that only costs $30 and takes you out to the Christ of the Abyss.

 

[grantwiscour]

Agreed about the shore diving in the Keys. Broward and Palm Beach Counties have some good shore diving but we prefer the boat dives.

We've had great fun with most of the dive ops in KL all the way to KW. Some of our favorites are Rainbow Reef (free dive guide and great pricing), Horizon Divers, Ocean Divers, Silent World and Fl Keys Dive Center.

There used to be good coupons for buy one get one free dives in the entertainment.com coupon book for the Keys...haven't had a copy lately so not certain if they're still in it.

Have a great time...dive safe!

Video link to Turtle Ledges in KL: Turtle Ledges 11/27/10 - YouTube

 

[fatgreta]

Many thanks to all of you who replied, this is exactly the kind of information we'd hoped to get. For sure we'll do some boat trips, but would like to be able to do less time invested jaunts as well, which we can do comfortably it seems.

Again, thanks so much.

Chris & Stacy

 

[sportxlh]

You can also snorkel in Bahia Honda state park which is about an hour further down the overseas highway. I've not done it but several folks have posted videos and it looks OK, but not great. Probably better than Pennekamp though.

This dive operation will take both divers and snorkelers and will take you where ever you want to go. I don't use them often, but the times I wanted to go shallow with friends that don't dive deep, they've been great.

Quiescence Diving Services, World Class Diving in Key Largo, FL

 

[The Chairman]

Have fun while you're down here. This might help: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-diving/362149-florida-keys-guide.html

 

[pickens_46929]

Thumbs up for Silent World. They do a great job!

 

[billinwilliamston]

Never mind.

 

[violamama]

We are in Islamorada/Tavernier right now, and loving it.

It could be that I'm very easily impressed, but we have actually been snorkeling half the day every day right off our dock here (we're on the ocean side in a rented house). We've seen rays, seahorses, barracuda up to about 4 feet long, all sorts of other nifty fish (we lost count after about 30 species including a lovely empress angelfish and several kinds of parrotfish), a pretty big nurse shark, and lots of gorgeous sunshine. I think it really depends on what you want from your snorkeling, but if it's just to bop around and see some critters, even the quiet docks without much traffic are great.

We used Islamorada Boat Tours and liked them a lot last week for snorkeling. We saw Morada and Cuda Reefs.

We're using Key Dives for scuba and it's been a very good experience so far. I would recommend them, but I am very new to the sport so you'll want to comparison shop if you have specific things you like/require.

It's just so beautiful here. We are already sorry to leave at the end of the week!