Diving in Key West

[scubamommy!]

Hi , just booked a cruise to Key West in the Spring. We have heard that one might find a better deal for scuba diving NOT through booking on the cruise. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[G.C]

We use the Captains Corner Dive shop on Green Street. They are a short walk from the downtown cruise pier.

[scubamommy!]

Thank you! We will give them a call!

[Podie]

I have used Captains Corner for years and they are a good operation but I will warn you the boat is often quite crowded - and when I went with them in July the reefs were really beat up and most of the coral was dead.

Nothing like it used to be!

[Capt_BJ]

I will warn you the boat is often quite crowded

 

hmmmm .... isn't this the reason the ship's excursion is usually poo-poo'd?

 

and when I went with them in July the reefs were really beat up

 

this was my impression of Key West diving last time I tried it .. 15 years ago. I still dive, I just don't go to sites close to Key West . . .

 

******

you can get to good diving from Key West but it is farther out now and working this into a ship stop measured in hours is a problem; and is often not for the once every two years diver (aka DEEP bordering on or ARE tech-dives like Vand').

[G.C]

I have always booked direct and never been mixed with the ships excursion. The boat has always had 10+ divers each time they are not a small operator. Last year I was there was on their weekly Vandenburg dive. You must at minimum AOW for this dive. You dive half the wreck on the first dive and swap ends and dive the other half on your second dive. For me this is by far the best dive in town. Key West would not be on my dive list other than as a cruise port stop. There are lots of operators in town your time in port, which pier your ship uses and your skill level all need to be considered.