Miami Recommendations

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

"Ken" wrote

>> Anybody any recommendations of good dive companies to contact? What will
>> the water temp/vis be like?

When I responded to the previous message, I didn't mention visibility. Down
here, you give it a try and take what you get, particularly on the shallower
sites. The better operators will find the best visibility, but everything
is highly dependent on the size of the seas and how long the wind has been
blowing. Depending on conditions, visibility can range from next to nothing
to 100 feet or more. In most of the area, 30-40 feet is pretty reliable and
good visibility is pretty common during the summer months. Winter is less
reliable.

> I dived off Key Largo with Sea Dwellers in July a couple or three years
> ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at whose jetty Sea Dwellers park their
> boat. Both easily findable on the www. Service at both hotel and dive op
> excellent, they even do a combined package.
>
> HOWEVER Sea Dweller's have this idea of "two tank dives" in either the
> morning or the afternoon. Not twinsets, you don your spun-aly 10L cylinder
> and jump in. You're in the water before 10am, have a miniscule surface
> interval (my personal minimum best was set here, at 21mins) and then jump
> in for a second. Back at the jetty before 12:30, boat sets off again for
> the afternoon's diving at 2pm, back around 5pm. This means all dives are
> very shallow. The max depth I managed over 6 dives was 10.7m - that's
> where the bottom was, no walls. On once occasion I came across a couple of
> snorkellers at the bottom (then 6m), my only advantage being I didn't have
> to come up for air as often. Very un-challenging.

Most of the local operators run scheduled dives similar to what you
experienced. While there are exceptions, an 8:00 AM departure and back to
the dock by noon is not unusual. Depths of no more than 10 or 11 meters are
not common. You seem to have hooked up with a boat catering to beginners or
one that actually combines snorkelers with divers. Thanks for the
information. I don't know Sea Dwellers and, based on your experience, I
won't get to know them.

Depending on the operator you chose and what you are interested in, dives
usually range from about 60 feet to around 130, give or take. Most of the
wrecks considered suitable for recreational diving are sitting on sand at
about 110 feet. They tend to be high profile, putting the upper portions
well within novice territory. Until you are known, most operators ask that
you do not do decompression dives. They generally expect you back on the
surface about an hour after the start of the first dive. The duration of
second dives normally depend on what is selected, but is usually no more
than an hour. Challanging dives are available, but are not the norm. You
want challanging, you have to ask for it, preferably in advance.

> I asked about the much-trumpeted Spiegel Grove on more than one occasion
> and there always seemed to be a good reason for them not to go. I think
> it's to do with rapid turnaround of masses of divers.

I think you're probably right. Next time pick somebody else. Spencer
Slate's Atlantis Divers go there. So does Silent World. I imagine, but can
not confirm, that Quiesence does too.

> Water temp 31ºC, wore a T-shirt just to prevent BCD from chaffing. Viz
> excellent at 40+m. A great place to go if you've just done your OW in
> Stoney or Capernwray.

Glad you liked it.

Lee

<derrizanile@hotmail.com> wrote

> Hi Lee. Is there any good diving further north around Cape Canaveral
> and surrounding areas that you know of?

Probably, but the furthest north I've dove is Fort Pierce, still quite a bit
south of Cape Canaveral, and that was a long time ago. Of operators I know
well enough to recommend, the furthest north is Jim Abernethy's Scuba
Adventures. He's in West Palm Beach. http://www.scuba-adventures.com/ .
Jim runs several boats. As I recall, they tend to be larger boats, taking
more divers per trip, but he generally handles divers better than most who
run large coats. The last time I went out with him, one of his boats was
out of service. He combined an open water class with a group of experienced
divers without inconvenience to either group. He dropped the experienced
divers something interesting enough for them, then moved to drop and pick up
the students before returning for the experienced divers. It sounds risky,
but it worked quite well.

Lee

<derrizanile@hotmail.com> wrote

> Hi Lee. Is there any good diving further north around Cape Canaveral
> and surrounding areas that you know of?

Probably, but the furthest north I've dove is Fort Pierce, still quite a bit
south of Cape Canaveral, and that was a long time ago. Of operators I know
well enough to recommend, the furthest north is Jim Abernethy's Scuba
Adventures. He's in West Palm Beach. http://www.scuba-adventures.com/ .
Jim runs several boats. As I recall, they tend to be larger boats, taking
more divers per trip, but he generally handles divers better than most who
run large coats. The last time I went out with him, one of his boats was
out of service. He combined an open water class with a group of experienced
divers without inconvenience to either group. He dropped the experienced
divers something interesting enough for them, then moved to drop and pick up
the students before returning for the experienced divers. It sounds risky,
but it worked quite well.

Lee

<derrizanile@hotmail.com> wrote

> Hi Lee. Is there any good diving further north around Cape Canaveral
> and surrounding areas that you know of?

Probably, but the furthest north I've dove is Fort Pierce, still quite a bit
south of Cape Canaveral, and that was a long time ago. Of operators I know
well enough to recommend, the furthest north is Jim Abernethy's Scuba
Adventures. He's in West Palm Beach. http://www.scuba-adventures.com/ .
Jim runs several boats. As I recall, they tend to be larger boats, taking
more divers per trip, but he generally handles divers better than most who
run large coats. The last time I went out with him, one of his boats was
out of service. He combined an open water class with a group of experienced
divers without inconvenience to either group. He dropped the experienced
divers something interesting enough for them, then moved to drop and pick up
the students before returning for the experienced divers. It sounds risky,
but it worked quite well.

Lee

<derrizanile@hotmail.com> wrote

> Hi Lee. Is there any good diving further north around Cape Canaveral
> and surrounding areas that you know of?

Probably, but the furthest north I've dove is Fort Pierce, still quite a bit
south of Cape Canaveral, and that was a long time ago. Of operators I know
well enough to recommend, the furthest north is Jim Abernethy's Scuba
Adventures. He's in West Palm Beach. http://www.scuba-adventures.com/ .
Jim runs several boats. As I recall, they tend to be larger boats, taking
more divers per trip, but he generally handles divers better than most who
run large coats. The last time I went out with him, one of his boats was
out of service. He combined an open water class with a group of experienced
divers without inconvenience to either group. He dropped the experienced
divers something interesting enough for them, then moved to drop and pick up
the students before returning for the experienced divers. It sounds risky,
but it worked quite well.

Lee