Key Largo Suggestions

I will be visiting Key Largo overnight at the end of May.
My son & I want to dive the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. We were thinking of
an afternoon 2x tank trip on one of the two, then another 2x tank trip the
next morning on the other, before having to return to the Boynton Beach
area. There are so many day trip operators in the area its very hard to
figure out who to book with. I dove with "ItsAdive" about 10 years ago, and
was quite satisfied, but they seem to be a little overpriced, and I was
interested in trying someone new. We will have all of our own equipment
with us, including tanks etc.

Any thoughts suggestions would be appreciated.

"Tanks!"

<> Rick <>

Rick,

I would have to say Quiescence is probably one of the oldest and reliable
outfits in Largo, and may be your top chaice for the fact that they take six
max. Personally haven't used them in years, but still see them highly
recommended in this NG, doubting they have lost any respectability. Try
them at:

http://www.keylargodiving.com/

My kids certification dives were done last year through Island Ventures and
they appeared to run a good dive operation, but a much bigger boat. They
are at:

http://www.islandventure.com/#

The two are also about a stones throw apart.

They have all gone up considerably in ten years; I remember $30 for a boat
fee. With tanks and weights, they all seem to run $70-75 for a two tank
dive that includes tanks and weights. With fills costing $5 and tank rental
$8, we haven't bothered hauling the tanks in years for the $6/pp we would
save on a two tank dive.

George


"Diver Rick" <bumper308@nospam_hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e6Qee.18571$VL3.790373@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
>I will be visiting Key Largo overnight at the end of May.
> My son & I want to dive the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. We were thinking
> of
> an afternoon 2x tank trip on one of the two, then another 2x tank trip the
> next morning on the other, before having to return to the Boynton Beach
> area. There are so many day trip operators in the area its very hard to
> figure out who to book with. I dove with "ItsAdive" about 10 years ago,
> and
> was quite satisfied, but they seem to be a little overpriced, and I was
> interested in trying someone new. We will have all of our own equipment
> with us, including tanks etc.
>
> Any thoughts suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> "Tanks!"
>
> <> Rick <>
>
>

Okay, Okay.............it's KEY Largo, but I haven't seen Largo, Florida
(near Tampa) on any top dive destinations lately.

I wonder how many people know that Marathon is not a key, but a city?
Answer at bottom of post.


"George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:O7Vee.3336$w15.866@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> Rick,
>
> I would have to say Quiescence is probably one of the oldest and reliable
> outfits in Largo, and may be your top chaice

and that would be "choice" while I'm at it; usually run spell check cause I
kant spel wirth a dam.


for the fact that they take six
> max. Personally haven't used them in years, but still see them highly
> recommended in this NG, doubting they have lost any respectability. Try
> them at:
>
> http://www.keylargodiving.com/
>
> My kids certification dives were done last year through Island Ventures
> and they appeared to run a good dive operation, but a much bigger boat.
> They are at:
>
> http://www.islandventure.com/#
>
> The two are also about a stones throw apart.
>
> They have all gone up considerably in ten years; I remember $30 for a
> boat fee. With tanks and weights, they all seem to run $70-75 for a two
> tank dive that includes tanks and weights. With fills costing $5 and tank
> rental $8, we haven't bothered hauling the tanks in years for the $6/pp we
> would save on a two tank dive.
>
> George
>
>
> "Diver Rick" <bumper308@nospam_hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:e6Qee.18571$VL3.790373@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
>>I will be visiting Key Largo overnight at the end of May.
>> My son & I want to dive the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. We were thinking
>> of
>> an afternoon 2x tank trip on one of the two, then another 2x tank trip
>> the
>> next morning on the other, before having to return to the Boynton Beach
>> area. There are so many day trip operators in the area its very hard to
>> figure out who to book with. I dove with "ItsAdive" about 10 years ago,
>> and
>> was quite satisfied, but they seem to be a little overpriced, and I was
>> interested in trying someone new. We will have all of our own equipment
>> with us, including tanks etc.
>>
>> Any thoughts suggestions would be appreciated.
>>
>> "Tanks!"
>>
>> <> Rick <>
>>
>>
>
>

The answer is: Marathon is a city located on Vaca Key.

In article <9XVee.2559$IO.2038@tornado.tampabay.rr.com>,
gprice3@cfl.rr.com (George Price) wrote:

> Marathon is a city located on Vaca Key.

Marathon is actually in Greece........well the original is

Dave Morgan @ Work in the UK
Take out the "goes diving" bit....
Trip photos on line at www.morg.co.uk

I would recommend "Silent World" , with whom I dived twice (2x10 dives) and
have always
been happy with:

http://www.silentworldkeylargo.com/index.html

As regards your dives, note that 2 dives on the Spiegel is a minimum...
there is so much to see. If you are certified, it may be a good idea to use
Nitrox on the Spiegel (max depth is 40 meters, so you can use a 32% mix).
No info about the Duane...yet!

> > "Diver Rick" <bumper308@nospam_hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:e6Qee.18571$VL3.790373@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
> > >I will be visiting Key Largo overnight at the end of May.
> > > My son & I want to dive the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. We were
> thinking
> > > of
> > > an afternoon 2x tank trip on one of the two, then another 2x tank trip
> the
> > > next morning on the other, before having to return to the Boynton
Beach
> > > area. There are so many day trip operators in the area its very hard
to
> > > figure out who to book with. I dove with "ItsAdive" about 10 years
ago,
> > > and
> > > was quite satisfied, but they seem to be a little overpriced, and I
was
> > > interested in trying someone new. We will have all of our own
equipment
> > > with us, including tanks etc.
> > >
> > > Any thoughts suggestions would be appreciated.
> > >
> > > "Tanks!"
> > >
> > > <> Rick <>
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

My family and friends ALWAYS utilize Capt Brian Berry with Island
Ventures Mile MNarker 104: http://www.islandventure.com/

His crew is THE BEST for wreck diving for sure! We have done 5 trips
over the past 2 years with Brian. Tell him PAt COok from Tampa said
Hi!

-Pat

On Fri, 6 May 2005 16:05:19 -0400, "Diver Rick"
<bumper308@nospam_hotmail.com> wrote:

>I will be visiting Key Largo overnight at the end of May.
>My son & I want to dive the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. We were thinking of
>an afternoon 2x tank trip on one of the two, then another 2x tank trip the
>next morning on the other, before having to return to the Boynton Beach
>area. There are so many day trip operators in the area its very hard to
>figure out who to book with. I dove with "ItsAdive" about 10 years ago, and
>was quite satisfied, but they seem to be a little overpriced, and I was
>interested in trying someone new. We will have all of our own equipment
>with us, including tanks etc.
>
>Any thoughts suggestions would be appreciated.
>
>"Tanks!"
>
><> Rick <>
>

<morgand@cix.compulink.co.uk> wrote in message
news:kOydnYHm-PjIEeHfRVnytA@pipex.net...
> In article <9XVee.2559$IO.2038@tornado.tampabay.rr.com>,
> gprice3@cfl.rr.com (George Price) wrote:
>
>> Marathon is a city located on Vaca Key.
>
> Marathon is actually in Greece........well the original is
>

It's just that I have never in my 23 years in Florida heard anyone refer to
Marathon as Vaca Key.


> Dave Morgan @ Work in the UK
> Take out the "goes diving" bit....
> Trip photos on line at www.morg.co.uk

"George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:O7Vee.3336$w15.866@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> Rick,
>
> I would have to say Quiescence is probably one of the oldest and reliable
> outfits in Largo, and may be your top chaice for the fact that they take
> six max.

I don't think they dive the deeper wrecks twice in a row either in the
morning or in the afternoon. They almost always follow Duane.Bibb,SP with a
second dive at a shallow reef. I don't think any of the other
old-timers...Ocean Divers, Slate etc do either

If I am not mistaken the OP was looking to double up the wrecks in the
afternoon and then again the next morning.

"Daniel Arrepas" <arrepas.daniel@butler-rosebury.com> wrote:

>
>"George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
>news:9XVee.2559$IO.2038@tornado.tampabay.rr.com.. .
>
>> The answer is: Marathon is a city located on Vaca Key.
>
>I don't think it important to differentiate Key Vaca from Marathon, because
>there is no part of Key Vaca that isn't part of Marathon, But since there
>are parts of Marathon (Boot key, Hog Key, Night Key, East and West Sisters
>etc.) that aren't Key Vaca.....calling the whole area "Marathon", makes good
>sense.
>
Marathon was named by Flagler's work crews. They said that building
the railroad was 'a marathon'. They were working 7 days a week and
long hours to get finished before he died - which they did.

I did know that Marathon was really on several keys including Vaca
Key, and also that Boot Key is considered part of Marathon, as is Boot
Key Harbor. The fact that most of the surrounding area gets their
mail through the Marathon PO though doesn't mean that those places
aren't separate and distinct places.

>When I was younger and could drink all night and throwup through my
>regulator in the morning, I lived in Marathon for a while......can anyone
>tell me if the Idle Hour is still open?
>
I don't remember ever seeing it.

grandma Rosalie

"Daniel Arrepas" <arrepas.daniel@butler-rosebury.com> wrote:

>
>"Rosalie B." <gmbeasley@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>news:darq71tqlisqhq6el1rovqjgo9p6emrmqu@4ax.com.. .
>
>> Marathon was named by Flagler's work crews. They said that building
>> the railroad was 'a marathon'. They were working 7 days a week and
>> long hours to get finished before he died - which they did.
>
>I'm sorry, I don't understand why you posted this.

Because someone (you?) posted a completely irrelevant comment about
there not being a Marathon Key.
>
>> I did know that Marathon was really on several keys including Vaca
>> Key, and also that Boot Key is considered part of Marathon, as is Boot
>> Key Harbor. The fact that most of the surrounding area gets their
>> mail through the Marathon PO though doesn't mean that those places
>> aren't separate and distinct places.
>
>That's a response to a comment never made. The City of Marathon is located
>on more than Key Vaca, That someone, somewhere else would want to call
>other keys and islands that aren't within the city limits "Marathon, because
>their mail clears thru the marathon PO is not of any immediate pertinence to
>my statement.
>
It is common for people to call Hog Key and Key Colony Beach and other
nearby places Marathon.

>>>can anyone
>>>tell me if the Idle Hour is still open?
>
>> I don't remember ever seeing it.
>
>About 18 people have e-mailed me to say...yep, it's still there, never
>closed, still on AIA.
>
A1A isn't in Marathon. There is an Idle Hour in Deerfield Beach on
A1A though.


grandma Rosalie