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Scuba Forum / General / January 2004Florida Keys Planning
I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle diving with her old man. My plan is to run her through the PADI short course, and then head south to the Keys, teach her to dive, and not give my money to Disney or NASA. I'd like to get in the water with some manatees, and see some tropical stuff. Any advice on where to go, and who to talk to? Reputable shops or instructors in the Jax area? Anything in the Keys that I shouldn't miss? Thanks! -- Submergo ergo sum > I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my > eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle When are you headed this way? Kimber > > I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my > > eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle > > When are you headed this way? Probably April. Depends on when the fed gets around to sending me my tax money back. -J > Probably April. Depends on when the fed gets around to sending me my tax > money back. Keep us updated. A dive trip is planned for spring sometime and well overdue. Kimber  SignatureCharacter cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Helen Keller > Keep us updated. A dive trip is planned for spring sometime and well > overdue. Indeed! Where are you planning to head to? I don't know Florida waters for squat, and have no idea where to go, or what to do. I'm likely to get robbed by the shop monkeys and get dumped in a premium mud puddle as anything. -J > > Keep us updated. A dive trip is planned for spring sometime and well > > overdue. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to do. I'm likely to get robbed by the shop monkeys and get dumped in a > premium mud puddle as anything. Hook up with Jim Wyatt. http://www.reef-divers.com/ > Hook up with Jim Wyatt. > http://www.reef-divers.com/ Heh -- I talked with Jerome today and told him that if he met us down there that we would definitely be doing some dives with Jim! (-: Kimber SignatureWe would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified. Aesop > Hook up with Jim Wyatt. > > http://www.reef-divers.com/ That's what I've been hearing a bunch of. I'm going to be towing a brand new 14 year old OW diver, though. I figure we'll work something out. I think if we can get in the water with some manatees at Crystal River, she'll freak. -J > I'm going to be towing a brand new 14 year old OW diver, though. I figure > we'll work something out. I think if we can get in the water with some > manatees at Crystal River, she'll freak. The time to see manatees in the rivers, including Crystal River, is now. They're only reliably there when the ocean and/or gulf waters are colder than the rivers. Lee > The time to see manatees in the rivers, including Crystal River, is now. > They're only reliably there when the ocean and/or gulf waters are colder > than the rivers. That's what I've heard. How reliable are they at other times of the year? If we go in April, will we be looking for the one remaining sea cow, or are our odds better than average? -- Submergo ergo sum > Hook up with Jim Wyatt. > > http://www.reef-divers.com/ > > I'd second that! "Jerome's Sock Puppet" <jerome_oneil@yahoo.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: : My plan is to run her through the PADI short :course, and then head south to the Keys, teach her to dive, and not give my :money to Disney or NASA. Isn't it great that there are certification agencies good enough to offer courses like that? If you are going in April, you might be too late for the manatees. Dan Bracuk If at first you don't succeed, you run the risk of failure. The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/ > "Jerome's Sock Puppet" <jerome_oneil@yahoo.com> pounded away at his > keyboard resulting in: [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Isn't it great that there are certification agencies good enough to > offer courses like that? It's not like they are going to teach her to dive or anything. Given our selection of equaly shitty OW courses, what is left as a market diferentiator? > If you are going in April, you might be too late for the manatees. So I've heard. Apparently they are there in the spring, just not in the big herds (schools? pods?) that you get in the winter. Even if they aren't there, we can still dive Boynton and the Keys. -- Submergo ergo sum > I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my > eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle > diving with her old man. My plan is to run her through the PADI short > course, and then head south to the Keys, teach her to dive, and not give my > money to Disney or NASA. John Pennecamp state park (key largo) runs a dive boat that caters to snorkelers and divers both, they typically do the more shallow reefs which would be great for new divers. Their rates are much better than the regulars in key largo and you can still see some pretty good stuff. They also knock off 10% if you happen to be camping there. Can vouch for that, as a UK diver on holiday in the Keys in 1999 had a very few memorable dives. The dive boat did everything for us, all we had to do was 'step in', only 15mins between dives. First dive 45 mins 30ft, 2nd dive 50mins 30ft. Remember diving a small wooden wreck, just the shell really and a black tip reef shark swam right accross me vision right to left. At one point it looked like it might come towards me .... very scary moment but MAGIC! As a cold water diver I was only wearing swimming shorts, which was a problem upon surfacing from the 2nd dive amongst 100's of small fist sized) lightly stinging jelly fish. Was diving early September. Have fun. Ray. >I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my >eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Thanks! > Can vouch for that, as a UK diver on holiday in the Keys in 1999 had a > very few memorable dives. > The dive boat did everything for us, all we had to do was 'step in', > only 15mins between dives. First dive 45 mins 30ft, 2nd dive 50mins > 30ft. It's tough to find the best diving the Keys have to offer when you're on holiday. Many of the best sites have no names are are not frequented by the cattle boats. > >I'm getting ready for the annual spring Jacksonville treck to play with my > >eldest child. She's reached a stage where she's mature enough to handle > >diving with her old man. My plan is to run her through the PADI short > >course, and then head south to the Keys, teach her to dive, and not give my > >money to Disney or NASA. > >I'd like to get in the water with some manatees, and see some tropical > >stuff. Any advice on where to go, and who to talk to? Reputable shops or > >instructors in the Jax area? Anything in the Keys that I shouldn't miss? When in Crystal River, we stay at the Best Western and rent a boat from them. That gives us the option of spending as much time as we like at one or more of the areas where the manatees tend to congregate. If you have time while in the area, arrange a drift dive along the Rainbow River. Unlike the areas favored by manatees, the water is crystal clear and there's enough to see to make it interesting. It can be snorkeled as easily as it can be dove, but having a new diver with you, I suggest doing it on scuba. Max depth is only about 30 feet. If you get far enough into the Keys to reach Islmorada, do not miss a stop at Robbies. Pay the fee and buy a bucket of bait to hand feet the tarpon there. It's about the only must do thing I can come up with for that part of the Keys. If you get to Key West, take the Conch Train tour. It's touristy as hell, but you'll see and learn a lot about the area. Lee |
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