Looking for info. on diving in Key Largo

[MikeW0311]

Thanks for the information and help. We recently returned from our trip to the keys and I wanted to thank everyone who make suggestions. We had a great time and good diving from Key Largo, Big Pine Key and Key West and the dive shops we worked with were all good with little exception. I would highly recommend that anyone who has not tried this area to do so. Thanks again.
Mike

 

[aquasport]

Who did you dive with in key largo? Im going in sept and diving with blue water.

 

[MikeW0311]

In Key Largo we dove with Ocean Dwellers. They did a good job, they have a large boat, but it is very uncrowded during the week, the weekend are usually full and we went south. They are very professional. We would use them again. We only went to "shallow" reefs, but that seems to be where the action is. Other a 65' wreck dive in Key West, Key Largo was our favorite site.

Best wishes.

 

[Reeflover]

Aquasport, you'll like diving with Bluewater Divers. The crew is great, friendly, knowledgable and they really try to cater to what the divers want. Definately not a cattle boat.



Reeflover

 

[Townsend]

I would recommend not giving your business to bluewater divers.

I booked with them over this past weekend based on posts on this board and subject. My wife and I were the only clients schedule for the day.

The day prior to my trip I did a check on the location and the boat, the crew was sitting around and completely ignored someone who was obviously interested. No biggie there.

The next morning we arrived for our dive. The boat was in pieces and clearly not going anywhere. Only the mechanic was on site.

No call to tell me the dive was cancelled. No effort to rebook me with another operator. And a lie and stories about messages that were never left.

I will never dive with them. I will never recommend that anyone trust their lives to an organization that is unprofessional and untruthful.

There are lots and lots of choices in largo. Wait until you get there and talk to a number of shops. You'll know who to dive with.

Good Luck!
-Townsend

 

[Charlie99]

Townsend once bubbled...
I would recommend not giving your business to bluewater divers.

I booked with them over this past weekend based on posts on this board and subject. My wife and I were the only clients schedule for the day.

The day prior to my trip I did a check on the location and the boat, the crew was sitting around and completely ignored someone who was obviously interested. No biggie there.

The next morning we arrived for our dive. The boat was in pieces and clearly not going anywhere. Only the mechanic was on site.

No call to tell me the dive was cancelled. No effort to rebook me with another operator. And a lie and stories about messages that were never left.

I will never dive with them. I will never recommend that anyone trust their lives to an organization that is unprofessional and untruthful.

There are lots and lots of choices in largo. Wait until you get there and talk to a number of shops. You'll know who to dive with.

Cancellations are a hazard of going off season. Silent World canceled out on me last Wednesday, but handled it in a much more professional manner.

Ric had already warned me that I was the only diver signed up for Tues and Wed after Labor day. Monday night he called and told me that 2 more divers had signed up and to go directly to the dock for Tuesday's dive. Tuesday night he left a message asking me to go to the shop instead. He called around, booked me onto Atlantis, and charged me just the $45 multi-day package rate he had already quoted rather than having me pay Atlantis their $65 single day rate.

Nice 12/14 passenger boats. Good attitudes. Takes care of his customers, even if it means sending them elsewhere.

Silent World.


A couple days before I had the same sort of experience with Splashdown Divers up in Boynton Beach. A couple that was supposed to go out on Little Deeper erroneously signed onto the manifest at Splashdown. They figured out their error only as they saw the Little Deeper boat depart from further down the marina. Since the couple had already paid Little Deeper, she called them on VHF and got them to return. Unfortunately, that put Splashdown's customer count down to 3 and she canceled. But first she arranged a spot for us on Little Deeper, and hustled around getting nitrox down to the other boat for us.

Sometimes an operation's professionalism is best displayed when things aren't going quite to plan.

 

[divad]

They're solid like that.

 

[BlueWaterDiver]

To Everyone:

Hi folks, I have been a troller on the boards for quite a while but this is my first post. My partner and I own and operate BlueWater Divers in Key Largo and would like to say thank you to all our wonderful customers that frequent these boards.

To Townsend:

First off I wish you had given me a contact number besides the Westin so I could apologize in person, but since this is my only option I will explain the events of the past weekend here.

In almost 2 years of operation we had our first breakdown friday afternoon at 3pm, we were outbound on a 3 tank twi-night dive when the injector pump failed.

I wish you had approached the crew when you came the docks that evening, they would have briefed you on the situation and options. They were quite busy trying to find a replacement boat or trip to get our afternoon customers on and dealing with the diesel repair folks to assess the potential for quick repair. They are they best crew in Key Largo in my opinion and are usually very helpful, it was a stressful afternoon with much to do and I apologize you weren't approached. We tend not to hard sell people browsing at the marina, they are on vacation after all.

It was very late when the mechanic determined the boat could not be fixed without a new injector pump. I called some other dive ops and began working out some options for you and our saturday afternoon customers. It seemed too late (10pm ish) to call your room at this time, my mistake I apologize I should have left a message at the front desk.

I did call twice saturday morning, 7:30 am there was no answer at your room. At 7:40 I tried again, left a voicemail at your room extension and also asked Trevor (Westin Concierge) to inform you to call us if he saw you. I then waited for you to arrive at our boat until 8:15am. I had arranged some options (limited due to the miserable weather) to offer you but you did not arrive at 8am as we discussed when you reserved. At 8:15 I left to find options for our afternoon divers (it was raining hard and I assumed you chose not to dive due to weather).

When I saw this post I called the mechanic and confirmed he did talk to you at 8:30am. Again I apologize I was not there but 8:30 is our departure time and you could not have been signed in and boarded at that point even if we had been going.

Before assuming we are unprofessional you may want to actually talk to someone on staff here. Feel free to call me if you would like, you have our number.

Most importantly we wish the weather had been better for your trip, and we hope you found an opportunity to get in some decent diving. Sorry again for the mis-communication.

Cary Wien
BlueWater Divers of Key Largo
http://www.bluewaterdiver.net

 

[scubafool]

Not that I have any other experiences down there to compare with, but I agree with RicanDiver, Scuba Do was pretty darn good.Tony & Lori run a really nice operation, small enough to make you feel welcome, but still professional. Tell 'em HI from one of Jim's bunch.

 

[Scuba Duffer]

My wife and I had the pleasure of Diving Blue Water with Brent and Cary. We would never consider anyone else - they are top notch.