Key Largo or North Carolina??

[Bratface]

Ahem.... I live in NC and have dived many of our historic wrecks. The viz can be up to 80 feet, and I wear a 3mm in the summer without being cold. However, this is not for the inexperienced diver. It is advanced diving and there is no DM leading your around underwater. You make your own dive plan.

Check out this link for more information on the wrecks:

www.nc-wreckdiving.com

 

[herman]

NC diving can be clear, calm and great or the vis can be low, the current stong and the seas rough. Our wrecks are typically more distant off shore and deep. 2 to 3 hr boat rides in 6ft seas to dive 100ft plus wrecks in common. Also consider our blow out rate is somewhere between 40-50%. I am not trashing NC diving, rather trying to paint a clear picture. If you decide on NC, be prepaired to not dive, it happens often and we go in seas that most Fla ops will not. On the other hand we do get glass flat seas, gin clear water with sand tigers up close and personal plus a lot of tropicals as well, including lion fish. We hope for the best but you need to be prepaired for less than idea conditions.

 

[Sarah Moody]

Key Largo was my first salt water dive experience and I'll never forget it. NC & FL are totally different but I'd probably save NC and go with the warm water and better viz in the Keys.
sarah@h2otours.net

 

[fireflock]

I'm going to steal an analogy from a NC DM. Diving in Key Largo is like swimming in an aquarium. Diving in NC is like being on an African Safari. The animals are bigger, the conditions can be more challenging, and you never know what you're going to see (everything from a Mola to a Manta to a Bull Shark to Lionfish).

If you're looking for reliable conditions and easy (relative) diving - choose Key Largo. If you're looking to take a chance on a little adventure - pick NC.

They are different, and I like them both.

Rich

 

[babs]

I live in NC and have been divng the NC coast for many years i have also been to Key Largo many times.

i have had some of my best diving off NC coast. It has been rated in the top 5 with Rodale's Diving Mag dive destinations. Olympus Dive Center is the best operator not to say ohter operators are bad Olympus is all about saftey and the staff and crew are great. you just never know what you are going to see diving here, from sand tigers, massive schools of fish small and big and some of the biggest stingrays and loinfish. NC does have tropical fish just not in large numbers, you'll see mostly angelfish, trumpet fish, damsels and butterfly fish and schools of spadefish amongst the schools of other big fish. the depth are mostly 100' and the viz on average in summer 70-100+ there usually isn't any currents and if by chance there is its not ripping like FL can be at times you can't even dive the wrecks beacuse their so strong in FL.

by summer the water will be warm upper 70's to low 80's, right now it is low 70's off shore. the boat rides are not bad, there is plenty of room to catch some z's on the way out and enjoy a few beers on the way back of course not before diving and soak up some rays on top deck or go below deck in AC with TV, movies etc..

Olympus also has a dive lodge for $25 a night + 12% tax.

I can go on and on but if you want more info you can reach me at 866-436-6158

Babs

 

[highlandfarmwv]

I have done both, and love them both. Key Largo is nice to relax and see reef animals. Hatteras, NC is intense, but amazing. Big animals and tropicals. My Avatar is a sand tiger at Hatteras. Do one this year and one next year! Have a great trip whichever place you go.

 

[Prostar]

We were diving on the Stone, 15 miles out from Wilmington, NC a few years back. The shop owner and I were swimming up by the bow with Sand Tigers all around us. There was one a few feet above us so Bob took his octo and gave the shark a little shot of air on its tummy. Shark gave a wiggle and took off. It turned right around and came back over us. Pshhht, whoohoo, pshhht, whoohoo, over and over.

Then, you'd have thought someone rang a bell because they all took off in an instant.

The water was warm enough to dive with shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[evensplit]

Check into Pensacola.

 

[Richesb]

We live in the Middle Keys and dive a few days a week. I would be hard pressed to go elsewhere to dive. I am a warm water woosie!!!!! Under 80F - 5mm full suit.
People see different fish/animals on different sites daily. As far as seeing "big fish" there are plenty, depending on where you dive. In general, the deeper you dive the bigger the fish here in the Keys. This is because the water is too warm for the adults during the summer months. Being a spear fisher I personally am not happy about seeing sharks (Bulls, Hammerheads, Blacktips) and yes they are prevalent here in the spring(may,june).
There are more than a few wrecks here in the Keys. Better ones are 100ft+ dives, current can be a factor.
All safe dives are good dives, have fun

 

[highlandfarmwv]

My Avatar is a sand tigert from Hatteras, NC. It was intense diving (but amazing) for me. Key Largo was fun and relaxing.