oooh, the Keys

[--tom--]

I'm leaving tomorrow for your part of the country and right now I'm worthless at work. All I can think about is vacation.

I've never been to Florida and I'm really looking forward to it! :dazzler1:

 

[Puck]

I am headed down there next month, and am already shopping for new gear, and researching dive sites. Keep us posted and give us a complete report on your return. I am anxious to hear the good and bad both above and below the surface.

Have a safe and eventful trip.

 

[Orlando Eric]

A tip to Divers visiting Florida. Bring your local Yellow Pages with you on the trip. This is very handy to call back to the frozen 20' visability area and pick services that you will need after diving 80+ plus 80 degree plus waters. A moving, packing, realitor, a divorce attorney, a kennel that will ship you your dog, a thirft store that will pick up and put on consignment your winter coats, plaid shirts and golashes.

The time you save calling 411 you can spend diving and staring at bikini's on the surface interval.

There is a standing rule though! For every diver that moves to FLorida you have to force TWO non-diving New Yorkers to move out. It is a little program I put together to help make FLorida a better place.

Eric

 

[murphdivers286]

There is a standing rule though! For every diver that moves to FLorida you have to force TWO non-diving New Yorkers to move out. It is a little program I put together to help make FLorida a better place.

I was never consulted on this. How dare you start a program with out letting me know.

 

[wstein]

I like that plan, when did this go into effect and can we make it retro active?

Paul

 

[cjames]

I dove in Key West last week. We dove a couple of wrecks and several shallow reefs. So, first of all, call me a noob for not paying attention to what the water temperature was...NOOB...ok, now that we have that out of the way....CRAP IT WAS COLD. I mean its warm compared to California or NE, but I had the expectation that it would be Cozumel warm (aka no thermal protection needed). So that was easily fixed with a 3+ mil. The real thing that struck me was how much damage the hurricanes had done to the reef. The whole time down there, I saw very little live staghorn or branching coral. A lot of the encrusting corals also show signs of necrosis.

Is this the case throughout all of the keys? Are there better spots to dive?

 

[StSomewhere]

Key Largo to dive, and maybe party a little.
Key West to party, and maybe dive a little.

 

[wstein]

Key Largo to dive, and maybe party a little.
Key West to party, and maybe dive a little.

I agree, Key Largo for serious diving and and Key West for serious partying.

 

[astrl]

There is a standing rule though! For every diver that moves to FLorida you have to force TWO non-diving New Yorkers to move out. It is a little program I put together to help make FLorida a better place.

I'm still working on it.

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

I dove in Key West last week. We dove a couple of wrecks and several shallow reefs. So, first of all, call me a noob for not paying attention to what the water temperature was...NOOB...ok, now that we have that out of the way....CRAP IT WAS COLD. I mean its warm compared to California or NE, but I had the expectation that it would be Cozumel warm (aka no thermal protection needed). So that was easily fixed with a 3+ mil. The real thing that struck me was how much damage the hurricanes had done to the reef. The whole time down there, I saw very little live staghorn or branching coral. A lot of the encrusting corals also show signs of necrosis.

Is this the case throughout all of the keys? Are there better spots to dive?

That's not hurricane damage! It's more likely due to untreated sewage being pumped off the island for years. The Florida Keys were unscathed (physically) by the storms of '04. The reef at Looe Key and Key Largo is in much better shape.

That being said... coral reefs all over the world are suffering rapid decline. While scientists cannot agree upon a single cause, most believe that a combination of coastal development and population growth, freshwater runoff, untreated sewage, global warming, and loss of biodiversity all play a part.