Key Largo Dive Trip and Gustav

[Scarp8]

My girlfriend and I planned a trip down to Key Largo so that she could finish up her open water certification dives. We leave Saturday morning.

I looked at the weather channel today and see Hurricane Gustav forming. I called the dive shop and they don't seem too worried. What do you guys think? I want my girlfriend's first dive experiences to be a good ones. Do you think visibilty will be an issue as the storm passes?

As it stands now, we are going ahead as planned. I'm going to watch the storm and make a final decision if we should cancel the trip tomorrow night, but I'd love any input.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[matts1w]

Here is the NOAA forecast. Monday and Tuesday are doable IF it really lays down. Vis may be not so great on the shallow reefs. We do all our check-outs in the Keys. If this were the forecast we would not be going.

SATURDAY
EAST WINDS NEAR 20 KNOTS. SEAS BEYOND THE REEF 4 TO
7 FEET...EXCEPT HIGHER IN THE GULF STREAM. SEAS INSIDE THE REEF 2 TO
3 FEET. NEARSHORE WATERS ROUGH. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

SATURDAY NIGHT
EAST WINDS NEAR 20 KNOTS AND GUSTY. SEAS BEYOND
THE REEF 4 TO 7 FEET...EXCEPT HIGHER IN THE GULF STREAM. SEAS INSIDE
THE REEF 2 TO 3 FEET. NEARSHORE WATERS ROUGH. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

SUNDAY
EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS BEYOND THE REEF 4 TO
7 FEET. SEAS INSIDE THE REEF 2 TO 3 FEET. NEARSHORE WATERS ROUGH.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

SUNDAY NIGHT
EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS NEAR 15 KNOTS. SEAS
BEYOND THE REEF 4 TO 7 FEET. SEAS INSIDE THE REEF AROUND 2 FEET.
NEARSHORE WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY
EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS. SEAS BEYOND THE
REEF 2 TO 4 FEET...EXCEPT HIGHER IN THE GULF STREAM. SEAS INSIDE THE
REEF AROUND 2 FEET. NEARSHORE WATERS A LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

 

[hlsooner]

Key Largo must be just on the edge of the winds from the storm. The marine forecast for Miami to Boca Raton looks great for the weekend through Monday/Tuesday. I assume you are flying into MIA or FLL. If Key Largo looks bad, you might consider switching to any of the fine boats and instructors up here.

 

[matts1w]

Had to figure one of those two forecasts would change. Here is the new forecast for the east coast:

FRIDAY
EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 KNOTS.
SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. CHANCE OF
SHOWERS THROUGH THE DAY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT
EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KNOTS.
SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS CHOPPY IN EXPOSED AREAS.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

SATURDAY
EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KNOTS.
SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS CHOPPY IN EXPOSED AREAS.
SHOWERS LIKELY AND CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

SATURDAY NIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO
AROUND 25 KNOTS. SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS CHOPPY IN
EXPOSED AREAS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

SUNDAY
SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS BECOMING EAST 10 TO
15 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4
FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. INTRACOASTAL WATERS CHOPPY IN EXPOSED
AREAS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

SUNDAY NIGHT
EAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. GUSTS UP TO 20 KNOTS
AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

MONDAY
EAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET OR LESS.
INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP. CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

 

[Scarp8]

Thanks guys

I'll continue to check the NOAA forecasts and talk it over with my girlfriend tonight. We'll see what happens.

Thanks again for the advice,
Dave

 

[Garrobo]

Key Largo isn't much more than a half mile wide. On the west side is the Gulf. I doubt that the waves will be nearly as high over there. Maybe you could do your OW in it instead of the ocean.

 

[matts1w]

Key Largo isn't much more than a half mile wide. On the west side is the Gulf. I doubt that the waves will be nearly as high over there. Maybe you could do your OW in it instead of the ocean.

The gulf side is less than six feet deep in most places outside of the boat channels, muddy/grassy bottom, and zero vis. It is not an option. The Jules Verne lagoon is often used when the wind is bad and people need to complete their check-outs, but hardly a reason to go to key Largo.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Here in Islamorada it is coming down in the buckets and they have issued several marine warnings. Prognosis does look negative at this time.

 

[Garrobo]

matts1w: Sounds about like the quarry in central Ohio where I did my OW except it was about 20 feet deep.

 

[Scarp8]

Thanks guys for the comments. We ended up going to Key Largo as planned and it was wonderful. Gustav passed right on by and all we got was a rain shower the first evening there. Dove all week and spent Friday and Saturday in Key West just before the evacuation for Ike. All week it was blue skies and never seemed that the storms were on their way.

We ended up doing 4 2tank dives with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. The waters were choppy and the viz was only around 20-25 feet, but the staff was great. We had a lot of fun and want to go back when the viz is better. I'm sure the other dive shops out there are very good, but I can't say enough about the crew at Rainbow Reef. They took the time to help my girlfriend out in the not so great conditions and she's now certified. We'll definitely dive with them again. Can't wait to get back.

-Dave