Looking for Recommendations for Key Largo dive op

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Jeff88

Contributor
Messages
87
Reaction score
3
Location
Cincinnati, OH
# of dives
100 - 199
Since our spring and fall dive trips were cancled due to the 'Rona we are thinking of going to Key Largo for a week near the end of October. There will be a group of 4 of experienced divers (all of us have 125+ dives, Nitrox cert). We are what I call spoiled divers now from diving off Ambergris Caye, Belize for 15 years now. We only touch our gear to suit up on the boat once we drop if off on the dock. Very use to drift diving. I know that is not what we will find in the Keys. But looking for dive op with smaller size boats so we aren't on a cattle boat with 16+ divers. I have done some internet searching, but it seems the smaller boat ops only due charters from what I have found so far. Any recommendations?
 
You almost described Quiescence. And you may have already found them.

Small boats, near valet service but you will be asked to set up your gear the first time and verify operation before the boat leaves the dock. But yes, they are a "full boat" charter for now. $450 for half a day.

Home | Quiescence Diving Services, Inc.
 
Qui and Horizon
 
Horizon. Easy to get double dips on the Spiegel or Duane if conditions are good. None of this "wreck first dive, 25' reef second dive" stuff.
 
Horizon. Easy to get double dips on the Spiegel or Duane if conditions are good. None of this "wreck first dive, 25' reef second dive" stuff.
That is good to know. As someone who has not been there, but am planning to go, do you like the double dips on the wrecks because you just like wrecks, or are there a lot more creatures to see around the wrecks than on the reefs there?

For me, while I'm fine diving wrecks if there are lots of creatures, I could really care less about the ship itself -- so if there are more neat creatures on the 25' reef dive that might be fine for me.
 
That is good to know. As someone who has not been there, but am planning to go, do you like the double dips on the wrecks because you just like wrecks, or are there a lot more creatures to see around the wrecks than on the reefs there?

For me, while I'm fine diving wrecks if there are lots of creatures, I could really care less about the ship itself -- so if there are more neat creatures on the 25' reef dive that might be fine for me.

I personally liked the double dip. It's a long ride out there, and the Spiegel is a huge wreck, and even 2 dives is barely enough to see even the perimeter of it.

Last time we did it, we found a 300lb+ Goliath grouper just floating in the amphibious garage.
 
For me, while I'm fine diving wrecks if there are lots of creatures, I could really care less about the ship itself -- so if there are more neat creatures on the 25' reef dive that might be fine for me.

This is a tough call any given day. Both the wrecks and the reefs will have a lot of fish and critters around. If you don't care about the ship, the reefs will give the better bottom time. There is definitely the possibility for different critters at depth, i.e. the goliath grouper Lewis88 mentioned. I love me a goliath, no doubt. But I think that the nurse sharks and the spotted eagle rays of the reefs get a slight edge from me. Heck, I'm an addict. I'd happily go back to the Spiegel as well. That is a big ship.
 
For me, while I'm fine diving wrecks if there are lots of creatures, I could really care less about the ship itself -- so if there are more neat creatures on the 25' reef dive that might be fine for me.
Ah! You have a good point. For those that like deep diving and wreck diving, the Spiegel is a great exploration. Here's 55 sec of my son searching for the elusive "Snoopy" mascot plate welded into the deck.

But you're right. Deep dives are short dives. If fish are your thing, there are great dives off French Reef, Elbow Reef or a night dive off the Benwood wreck (just ship bones, really) in shallow water. There's Cary's Fort Ledges (not visited by many other shops) and the Fingers. Lots of fish life! There's a Goliath Grouper that hangs out at the fourth or fifth Finger lately.

I mentioned the other only because the SG is a bucket list item for some divers (tho' I think the Vandenberg off Key West is better), and for folks that like wrecks, only getting one shot in a day is a bogus "safety" move made by many shops.
 
That is good to know. As someone who has not been there, but am planning to go, do you like the double dips on the wrecks because you just like wrecks, or are there a lot more creatures to see around the wrecks than on the reefs there?

For me, while I'm fine diving wrecks if there are lots of creatures, I could really care less about the ship itself -- so if there are more neat creatures on the 25' reef dive that might be fine for me.

In the case of the day that I dove the Spiegel Grove....there was a bunch of Barracuda. Many dozen...if not hundreds of them. That plus the size of the ship just made for an awesome dive.

Dive two, in my case, was on a shallow reef (I went on a cattle boat). Don’t get me wrong...the reef was nice and there were plenty of colorful fish, but it was a “meh” experience compared to the previous dive.

If I were to go back, I’d want to go on a six pack and dive on the Spiegel Grove twice.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

Back
Top Bottom