Key West Diving?

[BullinOhio]

I have heard it is not that good. However, I found Key West quite boring last time there and cannot think of anything else to do there next week except chase chickens. The prices to dive are very reasonable (maybe because it stinks). Any advice from CCr's on diving in Key West, or would chasing chickens around be better?

 

Anyone ever eat a Key West chicken?

[Capt_BJ]

You heard right - KW will never be ranked as a dive destination in my opinion. You can get wet, but it isn't prime time. However, if you are going to be there for days vs hours u can get to decent diving by heading up the Keys a bit Looe Key being the closest 'recommended' site.

 

http://www.fla-keys.com/diving/

 

or even a trip out to Fort Jefferson on Dry Tortuga ....

 

 

http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/dry_tortugas.html

[JOE I]

Key West diving is not Cozumel or Cayman but it sure beats the local lake here in SC.Joe's Tug is a decent dive.I would not make a trip to Key West just for diving but if you are there for a day on a ship I would give it a try. When we were there in December we did not dock until 3 so I could not arrange diving.We toured the Pirate Soul and Mel Fisher museums and both are very interesting.I think divers,pirates, and treasure hunters have alot in common!!!!!!!I have nerer chased the chickens there but I have been chased by some "Fruits".

[scubaran]

I have heard it is not that good. However, I found Key West quite boring last time there and cannot think of anything else to do there next week except chase chickens. The prices to dive are very reasonable (maybe because it stinks). Any advice from CCr's on diving in Key West, or would chasing chickens around be better?

 

Anyone ever eat a Key West chicken?

 

Hi,

 

I dive in KW quite often (went in January for a week). I recommend that if you want to dive that you go with Southpoint divers (their boat is at the Hyatt just a couple of blocks from Mallory Square). I've gotten two certifications through them as well. They have a large boat with few divers and the captain and crew are great. In the morning they do the wreck, Cayman Salvager, which is in 90ft. of water with lots of life then a reef to off gas. KW isn't the best in reefs but there are a lot of fish and other creatures in the water (though for the life of me I don't know what the plant eaters eat). The problem with KW is if the winds blow out of the south, the sand beds off shore really cloud up the water and you'll go from 60 ft vis to 5 ft vis. However, the fish are normally in large numbers and the Keys have lots of nurse sharks that hang out under the ledges during the day. In addition, on my last trip I swam with a 5ft. loggerhead turtle for about 10 minutes. I've recently uploaded a bunch of underwater pictures on my site http://www.randallgamby.com (look for the "new" pictures and the turtle in my turtle gallery). Plus you can see a picture of their boat on the second page of my "divers" gallery. I personally like KW since I dive and my wife likes to shop so both of us get to do our favorite activites.

 

Hope this helped and write back if you have any other questions,

Randall

 

P.S. Just don't dive with Captain's Corner divers. I used to dive with them but they've gotten bad on safety (to the point I had to report them to PADI for unsafe practices).

[BullinOhio]

Thanks for the suggestion scubaran. I think I can make their 8:30 dive. looks like the chickens are safe from me. Anything but Duval Street! Cannot post pics since my camara flooded, but will follow up next week with how it goes.

 

Thanks,

 

BullinOhio

[scubaran]

Thanks for the suggestion scubaran. I think I can make their 8:30 dive. looks like the chickens are safe from me. Anything but Duval Street! Cannot post pics since my camara flooded, but will follow up next week with how it goes.

 

Thanks,

 

BullinOhio

 

Hi,

 

Dave at the dive shop is very helpful and please take their number. If you end up running late, just a quick call and normally they'll wait for you (the shop number goes to whoever's on "Cell phone" duty that day usually between 7am-10pm). As far as another's post on Joe's tug. I'm sad to announce that it was flattened during hurricane Wilma and is no longer a dive site. I also agree with the Mel Fischer museum. If you like underwater, you'll like the museum on the wreck of the Atocha (I wear a coin from the wreck for good luck when I dive). Gold, silver, canons, etc. what's not to love. :O) Also many people don't know about Fort Zachary Taylor and it's beach. It's a "locals" place just off the Truman Annex (6-10 blocks from the cruise docks) where you can walk through a civil war era fort and swim in a protected cove for a small price.

 

Let me know if I can be of any more help,

Randall

[BullinOhio]

Well, not too much to tell but I promised a report. Was up a little late the night before with extracurriculars and did not make the dive trip. The reports were that the water temp was pretty cold anyway. Cayman two days before was a little cool so I would have been freezing in KW. We had to do an alternate location on the SE side of Cayman since the water was too rough to tender to Georgetown. The SE side had some pretty cool reef less than 60'. Not that many fish though. Mel Fishers in KW was fun though. It is a good thing I forgot my wallet on the ship when I was in Mel Fishers gift shop! If I am in KW again in the middle of summer, I will definately take your advice. Thanks.

[scubaran]

Well, not too much to tell but I promised a report. Was up a little late the night before with extracurriculars and did not make the dive trip. The reports were that the water temp was pretty cold anyway. Cayman two days before was a little cool so I would have been freezing in KW. We had to do an alternate location on the SE side of Cayman since the water was too rough to tender to Georgetown. The SE side had some pretty cool reef less than 60'. Not that many fish though. Mel Fishers in KW was fun though. It is a good thing I forgot my wallet on the ship when I was in Mel Fishers gift shop! If I am in KW again in the middle of summer, I will definately take your advice. Thanks.

 

Hi,

 

Yep, KW is great in summer as well (water temps in the 80s). As far as Mel's know what you mean. I wear my Atocha coin on a chain any time I go diving (figure it's good luck, won't get lost twice in 400 years). BTW, I got mine 8 years ago, it's appreciated something like 400%. :)

 

Randall

[BullinOhio]

Totally unrelated to the original post, BUT... I wonder what hurricane season will be like this year. I was really suprised at how cool the water was around Grand Cayman. Was diving last summer off the Yucatan Peninsula (Playa Del Carmen) the day before the first hurricane of the season hit them (not Wilma, the first one) and it was like diving in a hot tub. Never sweat in my mask like that before. Computer registered 92 degrees. Seems like the water temps are fluctuating to more extremes.