New to Scuba Board. Key West questions

[smoofrob]

Hey Yall!!! Okay so I hope I'm in the right place for questions on diving locations in Key West. I will be headed to Key West the first of March for ten days. I live in Orange beach and we will be headed down via inter coastal. This will be my second trip by boat and my fathers 4th. We always stay at A&B Marina. Since we have our own boat, we won't require a dive charter. I figure we will have three days of diving with probably two dives a day. I'm looking for some can't miss self guided dive locations and coordinates if possible. I would love to dive the Speigal Grove also. Any specific etiquette we should know before we hunt for a mooring on this wreck???? Any help would be great. We googled some dive spots the first year we went and was kinda disappointed. Joe's Tug was all but gone. Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.

 

[tomfcrist]

Speigel, looe, adolphus Busch, vandy, tortugas, and assorted deep reefs.

 

[Capt Gary]

Here's a pic of where the balls are on the Spiegel Grove. Not sure if you can see it that well but the first ball back from the bow on the port side is the best one to
get if you can. it would be the third ball back from ocean side of the wreck.

Hope this helps




Good Diving,

 

[Yogi6407]

The Vandenberg is nice. Lat 25 25'18" Lon 80 34'21" Uss Spiegel Grove is also a good dive Lat 25 4'0" Lon 80 18'39" These are the only 2 that I have been on.

 

[smoofrob]

Thank you Capt. I know it's first come first serve but is there any specific unwritten etiquette when trying to grab a mooring? I know there will be charter boats on a wreck this big and it's their lively hood so, I don't want to be a jerk but I also don't want to be bullied around, which has happened before on the Oriskany. Thank you so much for your time!

---------- Post added December 31st, 2012 at 11:32 AM ----------

Thank yall so much for your help and the coordinates. I'm ready to get back to the keys!

 

[Capt Gary]

Thank you Capt. I know it's first come first serve but is there any specific unwritten etiquette when trying to grab a mooring? I know there will be charter boats on a wreck this big and it's their lively hood so, I don't want to be a jerk but I also don't want to be bullied around, which has happened before on the Oriskany. Thank you so much for your time!

---------- Post added December 31st, 2012 at 11:32 AM ----------

Thank yall so much for your help and the coordinates. I'm ready to get back to the keys!

Don't think that will happen down here, most everyone is fairly laid back. Just if you've done your dive please get off the mooring ball so someone else can use it. Also we will sometimes hot-drop down an occupied ball, if you OK with that and see a dive charter boat coming looking for a spot, just give them a shout on the radio and offer that options. You'll be much appreciated.

Anymore questions please feel free to give me a shout.

Good Diving,

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hi Capt Gary,

My wife and I Would like to dive some of the wrecks down there. We are used to palm beach/Ft Lauderdale diving which is usually drift diving for deeper wrecks. In any sort of current situation, we prefer a hot drop and drift into the wreck, and then a drifting ascent/safety stop, deploying our SMB at the beginning of the safety stop. Much nicer than struggling up and down a line in a current. Do you operate dives that way?

Perhaps a little off topic, but though I would ask.

Thanks

 

[Capt Gary]

Hi Capt Gary,

My wife and I Would like to dive some of the wrecks down there. We are used to palm beach/Ft Lauderdale diving which is usually drift diving for deeper wrecks. In any sort of current situation, we prefer a hot drop and drift into the wreck, and then a drifting ascent/safety stop, deploying our SMB at the beginning of the safety stop. Much nicer than struggling up and down a line in a current. Do you operate dives that way?

Perhaps a little off topic, but though I would ask.

Thanks

Great question but unfortunately we don't operate like that down here. Two things come to mind.
1. Would be kinda dangerous to do it that way with the amount of boat traffic we have around the wrecks. Sometimes there can be 30 to 40 divers in the water and 4 to 6 boats around.
2. There are a number of days we don't get the amount of current like you would in Palm Beach/Ft Lauderdale. The Gulf Stream doesn't come as close as it does up there so navigating the line is not that hard.

Good Diving,

 

[Wookie]

Smoofroob, the difference of the Keys moorings and the Oriskany is that the Oriskany moorings are privately maintained by the folks that use them, and the Keys wrecks are maintained by the Sanctuary (except the t-bolt). Everyone is pretty laid back here, use a painter to tie to the pennant line so you don't tear up the mooring, and mornings are the busiest, afternoons are the slowest for day boats. If you stop at Tortugas on your way, don't forget to call the Sanctuary office for a no-cost permit for the Tortugas North Ecological Reserve. The fines are quite stunning if you don't have one..... Don't have your MSD valve open anywhere in Sanctuary waters (which are quite extensive) even outside of 3 miles. If you don't know the Sanctuary boundaries, get a map. That fine is quite extensive too, and they will board and look at you.

 

[smoofrob]

Thank you so much for all your help! Etiquette is something that's important and I don't want to be that guy. Thank you for the info on Tortugas also. I've always wanted to go but we've never had the time. Maybe this year!