rainmaker
Contributor
The Dives:
These dives were made with Dive Key West (800.426.0707). I was very satisfied with the diving and their service in general, and plan to do more business with Dive Key West in the future.
Concerning the actual dives, I hardly know where to begin. This was my first time diving in salt water, and it was quite an experience. I made 1 wreck dive (Joe's Tug) and 5 reef dives. We dived on Western Sambo, Middle Sambo, 10 Fathom Ledge, 9 Ft. Stake and Number 1 Reef. Viz ranged from 30 - 40 ft., except at Joe's Tug where it was about 60 ft.
The maxiumum depths ranged from 18 ft. at one of the reefs to 66 ft. at Joe's Tug. The lengths of the dives ranged from 25.5 minutes to 60.5 minutes. The water temp was about 84 degrees. The wreck dive had the most azure and spectacular blue water that I've ever seen. While making my descent on the mooring line, a group of large barracuda swam by me.
When all the diving was done, I'd seen one 5 ft. shark, a sea turtle, several small moray eels, a scorpion fish, a few large lobsters, many barracuda and more species of tropical fish than I could keep track of.
In addition, after diving over 60 minutes on one AL80 tank, I feel that I have lost my newbie "ASD" (Air Sucking Dog) status. These dives really left me hungry for more.
The Trip:
We drove to Key West from northeast Georgia (a 2 day drive) and arrived on the evening of June 6. We checked into our room at the Days Inn. We were impressed with the large, comfortable, nicely decorated and air-conditioned room. We booked our stay at Days Inn through Dive Key West. The cost of the room (including taxes) was $87 per day for the two of us. There was a $30 deposit to get our room phone activated, which I paid. There is a very nice pool on the premises, along with a 24-hour Waffle House. The motel also has coffee available in the lobby all the time, and they have breakfast bars, granola bars and Pop-Tarts available each morning. We had no problems or surprises concerning the motel. We enjoyed our stay there very much and plan to return to the Days Inn on our next trip to Key West.
The next morning, I drove about 6 blocks to Dive Key West. Only one other diver had signed up for the trip, and he hadn't dived in over 4 years. He was told that he couldn't dive until he'd taken a refresher course, and the morning trip was canceled. Megan (one of the Dive Masters) tried to schedule me with one of the other dive operators on the island, but couldn't. In the end, they agreed to refund my payment for the morning's 2 dives and I returned to the motel room for some much needed rest.
I made two dives that afternoon, and returned the next day for four additional dives. This was my first time diving in salt water, and I was truly awed by what I saw and experienced. Megan, boat captain Eric and Dive Master John really made the trips enjoyable. Bottled water, pretzels and fruit snacks were served on the boat. The dive boat (the Easy Diver) has a roof, in addition to a bathroom and shower. The cost of my dives was $241.00 (before the refund mentioned above). This included $177.00 for a 2-day "Dive Pass" which was good for 8 dives. I also paid $64.00 for 8 tank rentals, air fills and weights.
My life-partner Carol doesn't dive. She spent part of the first day at one of the local beaches, and then walked back to our room. She was bothered a great deal by the heat and humidity, which neither of us was accustomed to. The next day, she purchased an all day pass on the (air conditioned) Bone Island Shuttle for $8, and she regretted that she had not purchased a pass on the previous day as well. The shuttle goes all around the island, including the Duvall Street area where there are many shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars.
On our last night on the island, we went souvenir shopping and we also stopped by the Two Friends Bar, where there is nightly Karaoke. I had an O'Douls and Carol had a Margarita. We each sang a couple of songs before heading back to our car. Finding a parking space (and driving) in the downtown area can be a challenge, and frankly I wasn't totally at ease with the parking spot we found on a poorly lit side street. However, the car was still there and undamaged when we returned.
We recluctantly checked out of our room the next morning. After having breakfast at the Waffle House, we began the long drive home.
Prices are high in Key West, especially at restaurants and motels, and we found the service in most of the restaurants to be poor. We had most of our meals at McDonald's (it faces the water, and is a great place to watch the sunsets) and Waffle House. In our opinion, the $1 ice cream cone at McDonald's is one of the best values around. Next time, we plan to go to the Albertson's store, buy some fruit and other healthy snacks and have them available in our motel room.
Prices for regular unleaded gas ranged from $2.04 per gallon in the Upper Keys to $2.39 in the Lower Keys.
The Photos:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/37695
These dives were made with Dive Key West (800.426.0707). I was very satisfied with the diving and their service in general, and plan to do more business with Dive Key West in the future.
Concerning the actual dives, I hardly know where to begin. This was my first time diving in salt water, and it was quite an experience. I made 1 wreck dive (Joe's Tug) and 5 reef dives. We dived on Western Sambo, Middle Sambo, 10 Fathom Ledge, 9 Ft. Stake and Number 1 Reef. Viz ranged from 30 - 40 ft., except at Joe's Tug where it was about 60 ft.
The maxiumum depths ranged from 18 ft. at one of the reefs to 66 ft. at Joe's Tug. The lengths of the dives ranged from 25.5 minutes to 60.5 minutes. The water temp was about 84 degrees. The wreck dive had the most azure and spectacular blue water that I've ever seen. While making my descent on the mooring line, a group of large barracuda swam by me.
When all the diving was done, I'd seen one 5 ft. shark, a sea turtle, several small moray eels, a scorpion fish, a few large lobsters, many barracuda and more species of tropical fish than I could keep track of.
In addition, after diving over 60 minutes on one AL80 tank, I feel that I have lost my newbie "ASD" (Air Sucking Dog) status. These dives really left me hungry for more.
The Trip:
We drove to Key West from northeast Georgia (a 2 day drive) and arrived on the evening of June 6. We checked into our room at the Days Inn. We were impressed with the large, comfortable, nicely decorated and air-conditioned room. We booked our stay at Days Inn through Dive Key West. The cost of the room (including taxes) was $87 per day for the two of us. There was a $30 deposit to get our room phone activated, which I paid. There is a very nice pool on the premises, along with a 24-hour Waffle House. The motel also has coffee available in the lobby all the time, and they have breakfast bars, granola bars and Pop-Tarts available each morning. We had no problems or surprises concerning the motel. We enjoyed our stay there very much and plan to return to the Days Inn on our next trip to Key West.
The next morning, I drove about 6 blocks to Dive Key West. Only one other diver had signed up for the trip, and he hadn't dived in over 4 years. He was told that he couldn't dive until he'd taken a refresher course, and the morning trip was canceled. Megan (one of the Dive Masters) tried to schedule me with one of the other dive operators on the island, but couldn't. In the end, they agreed to refund my payment for the morning's 2 dives and I returned to the motel room for some much needed rest.
I made two dives that afternoon, and returned the next day for four additional dives. This was my first time diving in salt water, and I was truly awed by what I saw and experienced. Megan, boat captain Eric and Dive Master John really made the trips enjoyable. Bottled water, pretzels and fruit snacks were served on the boat. The dive boat (the Easy Diver) has a roof, in addition to a bathroom and shower. The cost of my dives was $241.00 (before the refund mentioned above). This included $177.00 for a 2-day "Dive Pass" which was good for 8 dives. I also paid $64.00 for 8 tank rentals, air fills and weights.
My life-partner Carol doesn't dive. She spent part of the first day at one of the local beaches, and then walked back to our room. She was bothered a great deal by the heat and humidity, which neither of us was accustomed to. The next day, she purchased an all day pass on the (air conditioned) Bone Island Shuttle for $8, and she regretted that she had not purchased a pass on the previous day as well. The shuttle goes all around the island, including the Duvall Street area where there are many shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars.
On our last night on the island, we went souvenir shopping and we also stopped by the Two Friends Bar, where there is nightly Karaoke. I had an O'Douls and Carol had a Margarita. We each sang a couple of songs before heading back to our car. Finding a parking space (and driving) in the downtown area can be a challenge, and frankly I wasn't totally at ease with the parking spot we found on a poorly lit side street. However, the car was still there and undamaged when we returned.
We recluctantly checked out of our room the next morning. After having breakfast at the Waffle House, we began the long drive home.
Prices are high in Key West, especially at restaurants and motels, and we found the service in most of the restaurants to be poor. We had most of our meals at McDonald's (it faces the water, and is a great place to watch the sunsets) and Waffle House. In our opinion, the $1 ice cream cone at McDonald's is one of the best values around. Next time, we plan to go to the Albertson's store, buy some fruit and other healthy snacks and have them available in our motel room.
Prices for regular unleaded gas ranged from $2.04 per gallon in the Upper Keys to $2.39 in the Lower Keys.
The Photos:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/37695
