Key Largo - Any recent experience with...

[trheeltek]

When we dove with Aquanuts, before every dive they put this numbered DAN tag on everybody's valve, and didn't leave until all tags were back in. I'd never seen anything more than a roll call before, thought it was kind of overkill at the time, but NOW it makes sense. Once bitten...

 

[otobmark]

Last time stayed at Futura Yacht Club which has 3 bdrm condos and private docks (bayside). I had 12 Boyscouts in tow and we used Conch Republic for tank rental/fills as well as a couple of big boat dives. I find big boats hetic and schedule driven. Small boats are very low stress leisure paced diving. I miss the amenities...sigh, nothings perfect. Make sure you get a boat w/ some shade and deck space. If you have rudimentry boating skills and are not a moron, you should have no trouble if you take the time to preplan (navigation, preload gps w/ major routes to sites as well as emergency fastest to shore routes-take 2 gps as well as marking courses for compass headings should the satellites fall from the skies; cell phones work fine but a vhf HT is cheap insurance). Put all electronics in waterproof bags/containers-a couple of well aimed drops of salt spay killed my cell. I think the 3 bdrm condos were about $750 w/ two slips. If the weather kicks up and you are determined to dive then maybe switch to Cattleboat. Remember, no matter who is the divemaster, once you submerge you are on your own! The best the divemaster can do is take you to an "appropiate" site and inspect you before you jump.

 

[raviepoo]

scubawife once bubbled...


since my buddy goes through air quicker then I do, that pretty much sets my dive time.

I'm agonizing about which dive op to use in Cozumel in May. I would prefer a small, fast boat that lets experienced divers do longer dives. My buddy, however, sucks through his tank pretty quickly. I'm afraid that if I get him in a group of people who want to drift for an hour and a half and he finishes his air in half an hour .... well, you can see how this might be an uncomfortable situation.

I really don't want to dive with a cattle boat, but I think it might be the right thing to do.

 

[scubawife]

We were in Akumal in December and the ocean diving there is drift dives. We told the DM & Captain that we would probably not do as long of a dive as the group. It wasn't a problem. When his air started getting down, we told the DM that we were going to go up a few ft and drift above the group. When we (ok, he) was ready to surface, we made sure the DM knew. The Capt. knew we'd be coming up before the group so he was always very close to where we surfaced. It was never a problem. This was a skiff with no more then 8 divers. Akumal is very laid back and this was the ultra-slow season. I don't know what the attitude would be like in Coz, but it's worth asking.

 

[scubawife]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. The friend's we committed to going with got in on a group at Kelly's with really good rates, so that's where we're going. It's a large block so they've got a very good discount for diving with Aquanuts too.

Since we don't need to pre-pay the diving and we don't loose our hotel rate if we don't dive with them, I'm going to take the other info with me and if we don't like Aquanuts we'll be using another shop (probably Blue Water Divers) for the rest of the days.

Thanks again!

 

[Scuba Duffer]

How is it aqua nuts is still in business. I mean, sure they have a tag system now - but what will they screw up next time? I can't believe anyone would entrust an operation that made a mistake like that - it could cost you your life!

 

[Wizard]

:wacko: Get out of the snow Duffer. I think you're brain's frozen. Kelly's is probably one of the safest operations to go with since their "incident". They, like any other dive operator don't want anything bad to happen but circumstances occur and they do. Mistakes are made. Tempers flair. Bad days happen. Enough? I don't dive with Kelly's nor do I say that what happened couldn't have been avoided but to hold every mistake against anyone for the rest of their live is a little extreme, don't ya know! Didn't someone once say "let he that has not sinned cast the first stone"? Let it lie. You have your choices and others have theirs. Good diving anyway!

 

[scubawife]

I'm keeping an open mind. I've gotten such mixed opinions about Aquanuts. There are lots of diver incidents in the Keys each year and there are lots of dive opertors. I'd have to beleive that a dive op does everything they can to prevent a second incendent. We've all been on boats with divers who are incendents waiting to happen, whether it's unsafe diving or just their determination to not conform to the rules. Car accidents need the combination of cars and drivers. Most diver incidents are a combination of diver and dive op.

I've dove in the Caribbean, Mexico and Australia. This is my first trip to the Keys and I'm looking forward to it. We're going with friends and this is a large group who does this trip every year. They get their own boat and the DMs/Instructors with the group run the dives. I'm sure it will be a different experience then if we were on our own diving with Aquanuts. If we aren't happy with the first day, we'll find another dive op to use for the duration.

I'll be sure to post a report when we get back. Again, thank everyone for your opinions and first hand info.

 

[Scuba Duffer]

Leaving divers behind is more than an "incident". Having you boat break down or forgetting to bring some equipment out is an "incident". Leaving people behind is gross negligence and a company should be shut down - and shut down for good for doing something that stupid! There is no excuse for that other than negligence.

I see your from Largo - so I can understand where your interests are.

 

[Asta1227]

Scuba Duffer once bubbled...
Leaving divers behind is more than an "incident". Having you boat break down or forgetting to bring some equipment out is an "incident". Leaving people behind is gross negligence and a company should be shut down - and shut down for good for doing something that stupid! There is no excuse for that other than negligence.

I see your from Largo - so I can understand where your interests are.

Actually, I believe Wizard is affiliated w/ another dive shop. More than likely, Aquanuts is competition. His interests lie somewhere else. I think he was just saying to give'm a break.

And he's from Key Largo, not Largo ::