Florida diving

Hello

I'm planning a trip to Florida in June/July and consider to squeeze a day or two of diving into the schedule.

I'm thinking somewhere in the keys, which is best Key West or Key Largo. I know that they have the Vanderberg close to Key West but is there something else?

All suggestions and advice are more than welcome

if you like muck-diving for macro then the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach is nice, you can only really dive it at slack tide though. Key Largo has a lot to offer. Both French and Molasses reefs are very fishy. If you're into wrecks, just down he road from Key Largo is Tavernier and the Florida Keys Dive Center usually heads out to the Spiegal Grove. Reef Photo and Video is in the Fort Lauderdale area. I've always maintained that the West coast from Jupiter to Fort Lauderdale always has some nice diving but you're not in a protected marine park and the reefs start at about 70ft. Anyway, if the weather's nice, you should have a good time no matter where you choose to dive. Some dives I've always wanted to check out are some of the inland dives. There's a drift dive through a river with 200ft vis that I thought would be awesome.

Some dives I've always wanted to check out are some of the inland dives. There's a drift dive through a river with 200ft vis that I thought would be awesome.

Rainbow River?

Bob

if you like muck-diving for macro then the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach is nice, you can only really dive it at slack tide though. Key Largo has a lot to offer. Both French and Molasses reefs are very fishy. If you're into wrecks, just down he road from Key Largo is Tavernier and the Florida Keys Dive Center usually heads out to the Spiegal Grove. Reef Photo and Video is in the Fort Lauderdale area. I've always maintained that the West coast from Jupiter to Fort Lauderdale always has some nice diving but you're not in a protected marine park and the reefs start at about 70ft. Anyway, if the weather's nice, you should have a good time no matter where you choose to dive. Some dives I've always wanted to check out are some of the inland dives. There's a drift dive through a river with 200ft vis that I thought would be awesome.

Thanks! I love muck so Blue Heron bridge sounds like a good spot....

Anybody dived the Vandenberg? Is it worth visiting or should you go somewhere else?

Hello

 

I'm planning a trip to Florida in June/July and consider to squeeze a day or two of diving into the schedule.

 

I'm thinking somewhere in the keys, which is best Key West or Key Largo. I know that they have the Vanderberg close to Key West but is there something else?

 

All suggestions and advice are more than welcome

Looekey South of the 7 mile bridge in Marathon has a very healthy reef. I also like Marathon dive sites given there are smaller crowds in the water(they also have the Thunderbolt). In Key Largo the Spiegel Grove/Duane/Bibb all are nice wrecks. If you get a boat to take you to Biscayne National Park(no operator as far as I know goes there now) may give you the opportunity to dive locations with little or no crowds. North Carysfort may be one of the least dived reefs North of Key Largo.

Mollases reef is coming back. Last time I dove that I really liked it. As for the Vanderberg, haven't tried that yet.

The Keys offer so many options....

Thanks! I love muck so Blue Heron bridge sounds like a good spot....

 

Anybody dived the Vandenberg? Is it worth visiting or should you go somewhere else?

Vandenberg is a fun dive. Conditions are highly variable. Current can be non-existent or snorting. Viz can range from 20ft to 100ft+. Not sure I'd make the trip all the way down there just to do it, but there are some decent reefs that are good if viz is good. But the real upside is that you are in Key West when you are done with the dive.