Advice on Key West op's and dive sites

[ChrisC]

I'll be heading down to Key West at the end of the month with the family for a couple of days. My son and I will be diving the two days we're there. I'd really appreciate advice on which op to use and which sites we should try. One of the 2 days my wife and other son would like to snorkel, so a reef dive/snorkel combo would be ideal.

[papawhisky]

I was in the Keys last July and August. While in Key West I dove with Subtropic Dive Center. My impression is that they were fairly typical, nothing great, but OK. A practice there that surprised me was that dives were limited to 50 minutes. They wanted everyone back on the boat in 50 minutes, not when your air was gone. I heard that was done by other operators in Key West as well. The boat rides to the dive sites were pretty long--45 minutes was pretty typical.
Not sure about good snorkeling. We didn't try that.
Don't want to be a buzz killer, but I found the diving at Looe Reef was better than Key West, and diving at Key Largo was best of all.

Hope that helps.

[TxScubaBear]

Thanks for the tips- we're hoping to make it down that way this year as well....but she doesn't dive so I guess I'll have to enjoy for the both of us!

[scubasamurai]

if you can do key largo, you might have better chance for snorkling and diving. i used ocean divers and a couple of afternoon trips we hit the reefs and so did the snorklers . might be worth the drive if you want to do both

[ChrisC]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll check the distance/time from Key Largo on the way down to see if a drive up is feasible while we are down there. We are a couple of weeks early for the Vandenberg 50 minutes and back on the boat is way too rushed! If we dive at Key West instead of further up I'll make sure to check out the boat times. Thanks again!

[NoTime58]

Originally Posted by ChrisC

I'll be heading down to Key West at the end of the month with the family for a couple of days. My son and I will be diving the two days we're there. I'd really appreciate advice on which op to use and which sites we should try. One of the 2 days my wife and other son would like to snorkel, so a reef dive/snorkel combo would be ideal.

My wife and I used Subtropic dive center back in February. Not a bad operation. They typically do two wreck dives in the morning and reef dives in the afternoon. They'll change up the schedule to meet divers requests. You can check them out at Subtropic Dive Center Key West . Mike is the shop manager, and if you need instruction of any kind, (specialty diving) Jack is a great instructor. My wife took her AOW while we were there, and I took wreck diver. All in all it was a petty good trip. I'd use them again if we venture down that way, but Pensacola and Panama City are closer to me.

[mike_s]

Subtropic is good. I'd use them again. but they had one of their boats sink recently. So they are only down to one boat.

so just ask when you book what size boat you'll be on and how many other divers will be on it. Then decide. Just a suggestion.

Hopefully they'll get their boat replaced soon.

[cleansweep13]

I dove with silent world dive shop. Great price on package dives.