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#335
Keywest Dive Charter
MatherA - 2/11/2014 3:59 PM
Category: Travel
Replies: 14

Going to Key West in April and I can’t decide on a charter for Key West. My husband is a BSAC dive master but here in the US they don’t accept BSAC. So we are both PADI OW. Each operation in Key West charges extra for a guide (which is fine) but a couple places will make me purchase 2......2!!!!! One for him and one for me. Can anyone recommend a good, honest, fun dive charter? I don’t want a cattle boat where I am diving with 15+ people or snorklers....
#21136
LatitudeAdjustment - 2/12/2014 7:36 AM
Who told you they don’t take BSAC? Probably the same 18 year old KW DM who told me "snorkelers are not certified to use weights" when I put one on my camera while snorkeling with my kids. The Captain over ruled him.

Unfortunetly a lot of KW operators take both snorkelers and divers on the same boat because the sites are shallow :(

If you haven’t made hotel reservations yet you might want to look at spreeexpeditions.com/ that is a budget liveaboard I’ve used a few times that sails out of Stock Island in Key West. If you add up, lodging, meals and dives staying on the boat is le$$ and Franks boat safety breifing is worth the price of admission :) Plus I’m sure Mel and Frank will accept BSAC.
#335
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MatherA - 2/12/2014 7:54 AM
A couple different people stated they won’t take BSAC because it is not considered US training. I wish I got the gentleman’s name but he was very rude to me. I didn’t really fight with them, I just said ok and decided I wouldn’t dive with them....

After I wrote this forum, I did some more research on the dive sites and I understand why snorklers come. A lot of the reefs are very shallow! Which is fine. I am interested in diving the Vandenberg, so I know I have to hire a guide for that for myself. I refuse to buy two seeing how my husband is a dive master. The guide is an extra $100 a piece.

Thanks for the info on the liveaboard, next time we head out I am sure we will do that. No place in the Keys goes to the Tortugas for a day trip.
#21136
LatitudeAdjustment - 2/12/2014 8:30 AM
From MatherA: Thanks for the info on the liveaboard, next time we head out I am sure we will do that. No place in the Keys goes to the Tortugas for a day trip.

Check the Spree,s itinerary, they usually stop at the Vandenberg on the Tortugas trips.
#334
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Vectornut - 2/13/2014 6:24 PM
I visit Key West a few times a year and always dive with Captains Corner. They seem to be one of the more accommodating of the shops in KW. If you are up for a dive, Key Largo up on the north part of the keys offers much better diving with better shops. Hope this helps.
#334
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Vectornut - 2/13/2014 6:25 PM
Ugh, typing from my phone is horrible. Meant if you’re up for a DRIVE :)
#335
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MatherA - 2/17/2014 7:45 AM
Thanks #79. We are in KW for a week and KL for a week and have found an awesome dive shop up in KL. I am having a hard time in KW because everyone is out for money and is actually quit rude to me. I have found two that I am trying to narrow down. Island Time Charter & Finz. Both do private charters and both accept BSAC.
#57
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marmar - 2/23/2014 11:46 AM
Thanks to all for input. We are staying in a timeshare in KW. Disappointing to here diving in KW isn’t all that great. I would love to dive in KL but a couple hours away!! We like smaller groups to dive with(NO SNORKLERS) just saying... Has anyone heard about Marathon diving?? and would that be closer than KL?? Help!! maybe next time we will think about the liveaboard in KL.. Thanks if anyone can help me out there!! Marmar
#803
Hawkeye54 - 6/25/2014 2:00 PM
Any dive center that doesn’t recognize BSAC, or any other certification from a reputable organization is either trying to upsell you training courses you don’t need, or has received and is following bad advice from their attorney or insurance broker. I’d just skip that operator as there are plenty of others who will gladly accept your business. :)

You really can’t go wrong with any operators in the Keys as long as the prices and schedules fit your budget. At least, I haven’t had anything I’d call a bad experience yet although Dive Key West did "require" me to wear a snorkel when I didn’t want to and dropped us on a pretty boring section of reef.
#803
Hawkeye54 - 6/25/2014 2:02 PM
Any dive center that doesn’t recognize BSAC, or any other certification from a reputable organization is either trying to upsell training courses you don’t need, or has received and is following bad advice from their attorney or insurance broker. I’d just skip that operator as there are plenty of others who will gladly accept your business. :)

You really can’t go wrong with any operators in the Keys as long as the prices and schedules fit your budget. At least, I haven’t had anything I’d call a bad experience yet although Dive Key West did "require" me to wear a snorkel when I didn’t want to and dropped us on a pretty boring section of reef.
#335
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MatherA - 6/25/2014 2:26 PM
I did find ALOT of places trying to up-sell everything. Every place I contacted told me I had to hire 2 dive masters, one for each of us. So-I chartered my own small boat with a captain and dive master and spent a little extra. Tried to go to the Vandenberg, but in a 25ft skiff and 6-8ft seas, it just didn’t work out the way I had hoped. We should have known to go back in when we did not see one other boat out. But did manage to get over to the light house (which was by far the most boring reef I have EVER been to) and then went to Western Dry Rocks, which was the best dive I have ever done. I felt like I was in an aquarium at SeaWorld. Both my husband and I got seasick with how rough the ocean was. I did hear a lot of mixed reviews on Dive Key West.....I don’t think a lot of the cattle boats would have been so accommodating as chartering a private boat. All of our dives were canceled the rest of the 2 weeks due to wind & waves....so not as I intended, BUT a successful trip regardless.
#803
Hawkeye54 - 6/25/2014 2:43 PM
Sorry to hear that, but at least you got one good dive out of it!

(And yes, the Keys are VERY subject to wind & waves...I usually warn people to plan for at least 30% of their dives being diverted or cancelled. Out of three separate trips, that’s been my experience, anyway)

Which dive centers did you inquire with that yielded unfavorable offers, if you don’t mind my asking?
#335
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MatherA - 6/25/2014 2:47 PM
And that one dive was truly a memorable one. So, Adventure Watersports, Dive Key West & I can’t remember the name of the other one off the top of my head. I did contact Captain Corners but they never got back to me. They all wanted me to hire dive masters when my husband is a BSAC Dive master. I just felt like they thought I was stupid and could push me around. I don’t play that game and they don’t deserve my money if they are going to treat me that way. Which is why I did my own thing. Sail Fish Scuba in Key Largo was amazing, wish I got the chance to dive with them. But we are looking at buying a vacation home out there soon, so I am sure I will have a lot more memorable dives out there!
#803
Hawkeye54 - 6/25/2014 3:07 PM
Captains corner is pretty reliable and they have a big Newton that can get out when others won’t run. Their "office" is a kiosk at the dock so it’s not hard to imagine they missed your call. Lost Reef Adventures is also good. I am an Instructor and I felt too coddled the time I dove with Dive Key West so I can’t honestly recommend them.

Adventure Watersports I hear is the place to go for spearfishing and lobstering trips to Dry Tortugas, but again - I think they prefer private party bookings to mixed charters. In their defense...Key West does attract a lot of "vacation resort divers" who maybe haven’t had the best training or kept up on their skills since their first set of dives and I’m sure that’s the source of the speculation. (doesn’t make it right for them to belittle experienced divers, though) Plus - It’s expensive to operate there and their DMs need to earn more than just tips.

I may become your best friend if you do set up there! ;)
#335
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MatherA - 6/26/2014 8:19 AM
Captains Corner did not miss my call they just forgot to call me back. Which is fine, at that point I just came to the conclusion to go for the private charter. I did meet an instructor for Dive Key West who works at the bar at Hard Rock and he was pretty cool. He did say that if you get sea sick or don’t do a dive, you have to sit on the boat and wait for everyone else. As soon as the boat is out, it’s out and you will have to deal with the conditions. Which made me a little.....weary I guess. With the conditions being as awful as they were, I couldn’t sit there for 4 hours puking. I know big charters do that because it is expensive. I have a boat here in CA and it is not cheap to do anything lol. Everyone has to make a living! I will try Lost Reef the next time we go out there. They got good reviews everywhere.

You know, you are the 10th person to tell me that. LOL.