Diving in the 
Florida Keys

June 5-9, 2003

Join us for a fabulous trip to the Florida Keys.  We will explore the underwater reefs of the keys with the top charter operation in Florida onboard their fleet of large, comfortable custom dive boats.  Daily 2-tank, 2-location dive charters depart at 8:30 am and 1:00 pm. in the Atlantic Ocean in the center of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It is located just 50 minutes from Miami International Airport.

Three custom 42-foot diesel V-hull vessels are used for the daily reef trips. Although the boats are U.S. Coast Guard certified for 40 divers, only a maximum of 25 are ever booked. The range of available dive options covers sites from the far northern end of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, such as Carysfort Reef, all the way to Molasses Reef and the Bibb and Duane to the south. Because our dive charter is near the north end of the island, the boats visit The Elbow quite frequently. The Elbow is so named because it juts farther seaward than most reefs. This has made it a magnet for shipwrecks.

 While most dives off Key Largo are on reefs 25 to 40 feet deep, shipwrecks such as the U.S. Coast Guard cutters Bibb and Duane (maximum depth 130 and 120 feet respectively) make the enhanced safe bottom time of Nitrox I or II quite an advantage. Key Largo is actually a perfect environment for Nitrox because there are no deep vertical walls where it might be possible to exceed the depth limit for the specific mix being used.  

It's Official! The Spiegel Grove, the world's largest artificial reef, is open for diving! It's taken eight years, with more obstacles and money spent than anyone could imagine, but finally a retired Navy ship intentionally sunk as an artificial reef, is opened to sport divers off the Florida Keys. The Spiegel Grove gained international notoriety after it sank upside-down hours ahead of schedule in May 2002, sending 40 workers onboard scrambling for safety. It left the ship's bow sticking up out of the water for three weeks before a Resolve Marine Group salvage crew rolled it onto its side and finished sinking it in June.

Prices are as follows*:

*Add a fee of $110 per person to this package if this will be a certification trip for ocean diving.  This fee covers rental scuba gear, c-card, and instructor fees.


• Main Category •