Info Please on Spiegel Grove

[cardzard]

I will be diving in Key Largo in about 1 week and was wordering about doing Spiegel Grove while i'm there. I have read my post on this site"Spiegel Grove" and the current there. I only have 14 dives under my belt but 8 of those were on Santa Rosa Wall and the reefs of Cancun Mexico. The current there was very strong but I had no trouble with it. Please let me know if the Grove is way to much for my diving experience ? I would proably limit my depth to 90' and above.
Also any places you suggest to dive in Key Largo?
I'm diving with Sea Dweller.

 

[HarleyDiver]

I would suggest a VERY strong buddy or hire a divemaster for the grove. It's not a good place to find out what you don't know.

 

[MikeJacobs]

Good thinking to check here, and HarleyDiver is correct about arranging a good buddy but GO.

Pay attention to the divemaster/captain because they'll give you advice you'll need if the current is strong, but GO.

I don't understand the Grove's reputation as a dangerous dive... we've done it several times and it was Marvel's FIRST ow dive the day after her certification. Granted, she had me and an instructor with her, but she had no difficulty.

You sound like a competent diver with a good head on your shoulders.

 

[deepstops]

There's a huge difference between staying on a wreck in high current and doing a drift dive on Santa Rosa wall in Coz. A drift dive isn't much of a drift without current. That's called swimming

I'm not going to say you shouldn't do the dive but a dive guide might be in order.

cardzard once bubbled...
I will be diving in Key Largo in about 1 week and was wordering about doing Spiegel Grove while i'm there. I have read my post on this site"Spiegel Grove" and the current there. I only have 14 dives under my belt but 8 of those were on Santa Rosa Wall and the reefs of Cancun Mexico. The current there was very strong but I had no trouble with it. Please let me know if the Grove is way to much for my diving experience ? I would proably limit my depth to 90' and above.
Also any places you suggest to dive in Key Largo?
I'm diving with Sea Dweller.

 

[ReefGuy]

I've done the grove three times. Once was perfect, but the other two had a pretty good current. It wasn't much of an issue once I was done on the grove, but on the surface, it was enough to purge my regulator.

Staying above 90' isn't much of a problem, there's a lot of ship above that mark.

 

[cardzard]

I get the feeling from your posts that conditions on the day of the dive is the most important thing to consider.
THANK YOU for your input.
I'll post when I return if we do the grove or not.

 

[Reeflover]

The dive ops here require AOW certification, several logged dives up to 100 feet or a DM guide. This can be a very challenging dive depending on the conditions.

 

[donclaypool]

Cardzard,

I wouldn't mind buddying up with you guys if you're going out on the morning of the 25th. I've never dived Largo but have good wreck experience.


Anyone,

Is there a "scubaboard approved" diveboat there, one to avoid? I haven't jumped from a cattleboat in years. Are they booked up weeks in advance or can I still get a spot?

"The dive ops here require AOW certification, several logged dives up to 100 feet or a DM guide. This can be a very challenging dive depending on the conditions." -- I'm currently only open water and have not written in a log book in years. Will my computer log suffice?

Thanks,
Don

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

Don,

I'd suggest that you transfer your most recent dives to a personal logbook, and obtain verification signatures where possible. Be sure to include recent deep and wreck diving experience. I don't think that your dive computer alone will cut it with most ops here.