Top 10 MUST DO Keys dives....

[kdove]

Hi,
Posting in this forum so all of you lucky enough to have been at ITK, hopefully, will chime in too.
We are going to be diving with Conch Republic in November for 6 days. I was told that we can request dive sites- first come first serve kind of thing. So, we want to book NOW!
Other than the Spiegel Grove (hope to do 2-3 times), what is NOT TO BE MISSED!!??
We like it all..... shallows, deep, drift, wreck, wall, night, putzing around.... just being underwater.
Help us make a list!
Thanks in advance.
Karin

p.s. if this should be in the regional forum...please move it

 

[Thalassamania]

The Thunderbolt wreck off Marathon is high on my list.

The Diving Museum is great, but not a dive.

Jule's Undersea Lodge is expensive, the diving is not great, but living underwater is an experience that you'll talk about the rest of your life.

 

[hlsooner]

If you are doing the Spiegel, then you are comfortable going deep. My second favorite wreck in the Keys is the Eagle. Conch Republic has taken me there several times. It's been down a while and it is always covered in life. I also highly recommend the sister ships Duane and Bibb. The Duane is sitting upright. The Bibb is resting on it's side.

 

[Teamcasa]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

moved to Florida Conch...

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[brucetrinity]

Secret Garden .... about 20 ft. depth reef. Tons of fish including rays, moray, sharks and even a small pod of dolphin came by!

 

[Capt Gary]

Well I'll make some suggestions.

Conch Wall, Snapper Ledge, DavieCrocker, Spiegel Grove, Duane, Eagle, Secret Garden, Pickles Reef, Amy's Reef at night just to name a few.

See you in November.

Good Diving,

 

[mike_s]

1. USCG Cutter Duane
2. USS Spiegel Grove
3. USCG Cutter Bibb
4. the Benwood
5. The Eagle
6. The Adolpholus Busch
7. Molasses Reef
8. French Reef
9. Thunderbolt
10. Christ of the Abyss. (tourist snorkle location, but still a neat dive. large coral formations also. shallow).

 

[scubaguy655]

If you are diving with Conch Republic, my personal favorite is drift diving Conch Wall.
If conditions (read vis) are right, I also like Hens and Chickens as a shallow site.

The following are other favorite sites for me in no particular order:

Eagle
Duane
Spiegel Grove
Benwood
Molasses Reef
French Reef - My preference is the deep side
North North Dry Rocks ( A bit far for CRD perhaps)

 

[nereas]

If you have a few days available, google "tortugas scuba" and then catch the boat out of Key West to the Dry Tortugas.

 

[John_B]

I finally was able to dive Carysfort Reef earlier this month. Quite a treat, since its too far north for basically everyone but except the Garden Cove marina boats (Silent World, possibly Capt Slate?) to do as a half-day dive trip. The coral there is in remarkable condition... Otherwise I agree with all of the above. The Grove is just an amazing dive, words don't do it justice, its just so massive...

Since you didn't say Key Largo only, if I'm down near Key West the shallow reefs at Looe Key (off Big Pine Key) are also in fantastic shape and the vis is almost always better than the reefs the KW boats will take you to.