Key Largo recommendation please ?

I am thinking on my way back from Galapagos, I can stop by Key Largo for a few days.

Where should I stay, who should I dive with ? Please recommend, I suppose I should not miss Spigel or get certifiy serious cave diving, etc ??

Please advise and thank you !

Thanks!

Dominic

I've stayed at Marina Del Mar and dived with Ocean Divers on two occasions. I booked rooms through Hotels.com and saved a bundle.

A few of the sites I've enjoyed:

Snapper Ledge

Molasses

Benwood

North Dry Rocks

North North Dry Rocks

City of Washington

Enjoy...

The florida keys dive center takes daily trips to the Speigal Grove. They're in Tavernier which is 10 minutes South of Key Largo. Florida City is about 30 minutes drive from Key Largo and has a ton of hotels that should get you a decent rate. IMO, if you've never been to John Pennekamp State Park (just before Key Largo) it is well worth a stop. They have a dive shop, pretty much a cattle operation, but the boats are huge with plenty of space and they usually visit the good local sites like Molasses, French, Benwood, Christ of the Abyss, etc. Not to be missed in Key Largo is Stephen Frink who sets up shop there. I don't know where you're at in your photography skills but he will usually have something going on. If you stay in Florida City, you also have the option of diving a little North in Fort Lauderdale. I found the biodiversity there a little bit better and your chances of seeing larger fish and animals might be better. However, viz is not nearly as good as the keys on average.

I have would recommend Ocean Divers. They have a presetermined dive schedule. You can get on their web site and see exactly where you would be going. If you want wreck dives, you'll have to do the AM trip. Most shop does a wreck followed by a shallow reef dive. The afternoon trip typicall will have snorkeler, so both dives are shallow reef dives.

If you want some good photo shoots, diffinately check out Benwood wreck. Shallow wreck, wreck life and lots of fish.

I have been to Florida Keys Dive Center. They routinely change their dive schedule at the last minute. I went last august and phoned them telling them that I was a wreck diver. They told me no problems. I dove 1 wreck during 5 days. apparently it was lobster season so they were taking people out to reefs to get lobster, altought, there was less that 10 people on the boat for lobster with a total number of divers between 30-40.

Kirk

Great info guys ! I just book myself at the Travel Loge in FL city and send a request to Ocean Diver !