Shore diving in & around Key Largo

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

I'm going to be in Key Largo for a week at the end of March and am planning on a couple of days of "boat dives", but was wondering if there is any shore diving in the area ?

We will be driving and space will be tight so if there isn't (shore diving) I won't bother to bring my tanks (I prefer to rent tanks when boat diving anyway)

Thanks in advance!
SSSSteve

 

[Garrobo]

Most shore property in the Keys is privately owned. What few beaches there are are man-made since it is all coral and you'd probably have to be a customer of a hotel to use a beach if you found one. There are also laws about what minimum distance from the shore in which you are allowed to dive.

 

[herbdb]

There is really nothing. You can dive Jules Underwater, a lagoon off of a canal. You can dive the lagoon at the state park. These are both shallow and have no reef structures. Jules is always an option and used by a lot of instructors when conditions on the reef are too bad for new divers. It is pretty murky and if you have to go there they rent tanks.

Pray for good weather. I cancelled my last trip, because the forecast was for high winds. We were only going for the diving and it is better to pay change fees on the tickets if the diving will be poor or nonexistant.

 

[Capt Gary]

I'm going to be in Key Largo for a week at the end of March and am planning on a couple of days of "boat dives", but was wondering if there is any shore diving in the area ?

We will be driving and space will be tight so if there isn't (shore diving) I won't bother to bring my tanks (I prefer to rent tanks when boat diving anyway)

Thanks in advance!
SSSSteve

Hey Steve,

Leave the tanks at home. The few reefs that are a mile or so off shore you won't be able to get to as the beaches in front of them are private property. In any case the good reefs start around 3 miles off shore and nothing but turtle grass out to them. A boat is really the only way to get to them.

We'll be in Chicago this weekend for Our World Underwater....please stop by and say hi.

Good Diving,

 

[jimw]

The info above is accurate, but I would take tanks as you might want an almost free dive at the Pennekamp park beach. Jules will cost'ya. If the winds suck, you may well want to dive those places. Also, consider diving the springs in northern FL on the way--a great place to rinse the gear in fresh water!! Having your own tank will save a few bucks and if you haven't been to OWU, go.........

 

[cruiser]

You can dive the lagoon at the state park.

Where is this located? I've never been there and so am not familiar with the area at all

 

[sportxlh]

The info above is accurate, but I would take tanks as you might want an almost free dive at the Pennekamp park beach. .........

Jimw: can you actually dive from the beach in the park... I thought it was a snorkel only site. If you can dive, is their anything interesting to see??

 

[yarik83]

I am having a hard time understanding where one could dive at pennecamp. Off parking lot we have the marina (no diving), from marina out go the channel things where people kayak and its shallow. On the other side we have a little beach and then across the bridge there is another parking lot with about 3 feet of water and mangroves.

I have same exact dilemma. I go to the keys couple times per year and I myself dive but also have a hookah setup for the family. Mom gets seasick so I have been exploring beach dives/shore dives/lagoon dives/gulf side dives/dives on ocean side. Unfortunately there is virtually nothing at all worth looking at. Even down the coast at places like Bahia Honda park there is nothing to see. Boat rentals cost an arm and a leg. Last time we spent over $400 and weather was rough so there was nothing worth enjoying. Based on shore dives I tried myself there is nothing but green goo to look at. Occasional solidified dead reef walls with 3 fishies swimming about. Unfortunately anything worth watching is 1-3 miles out to sea as everything is about waist deep.

Now I have seen people dive under bridges but usually a bit ways from the island. I do not know if its worth swimming for a mile to see 1 coral reef patch.
Having said all of that.. there are reefs that are closer to shore than 8 mile out ones (ie malasses). Have a look at the attached maps. Mind that you cant swim to those as they are still a few miles out. Hens and chickens reef off plantation key is closest I think. There is a reef patch right before it.

 

[herbdb]

My understanding is the shore diving at the state park is from the beach area. I have never tried it.

The following was posted by NETDOC on another thread. Shoot him a PM for more info.

"While I missed the manatee at Jules and have dove there often, I was completely impressed with shore diving at Pennekamp. Lots of lobster, a huge red drum, blue crabs, rock crabs, hermit crabs, a plethora of blennies, a few species I had never seen before (juvies???) and the cutest 6 inch hogfish you have ever seen. I really liked the fact that I had a nice beach to get in and out of, there was silt to keep students on their toes (off the bottom, that is) and a number of species of fish and critters to oogle at. Nope, it's not the same as diving on a reef, but it IS a great place to get skills down pat."

 

[The Chairman]

No need to shoot me a PM. It's the swimming area and it was FUN! No, it's not nearly as pristine as the reefs, but there were a few surprises. The cannon (10+) were a nice touch and they are in shallow water near the outside edge.