trip to FL/Keys for advanced open water cert.

[ningfeng]

Hey guys,

I am planning a trip to FL, maybe in Keys(supposedly the best dive site in FL), for Advanced Open Water Certificate, around Feb.1st to 15th. Then, get ICE diver cert. back in MN's winter.

my goal is:

* certificate within several days, like 3 or 4 days for 5 dives assuming good weather. This is the priority.
* some nice pictures of colorful coral, fish, reef, wreck, etc.

But where should I go?

The 2 major factors are: daily winds/wave height and dive site water visibility in winter, if there are enought colors underwater.

Here I have some information about FL Keys:

The warm climate of the Florida Keys is one of the great attractions of the area. The region is officially located just north of the Tropic of Cancer, and so geographically speaking it is a "subtropical" region rather than a tropical region. However, the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, an oceanic current pushing warm, clear water from the Caribbean, combined with balmy trade winds, make this an island paradise that rarely gets cooler than 60 degrees.

Actually the Keys seem to have two distinct seasons. The winter, if it can really be considered as such, lasts from November through March and is characterized by average daytime highs of 80 degrees and maybe 72 degrees at night. The cold fronts that bring subzero temperatures to the northern United States have a subtler effect on the Keys. Occasionally, a sweater or jacket might be needed as the evening lows drop to 50 degrees and 60 degrees during the day.

For scuba divers, the wind is far more a factor than the cold. The water temperature in the winter ranges from 70 to 78 degrees, so a bit of neoprene can resolve any discomfort in that regard. But since the coral reefs are shallow, typically 25 to 35 feet where most of the diving happens, a heavy wind can make the diving uncomfortable. A 30 knot wind blowing from the southeast can churn 6 foot seas out on the reef, creating significant surge on the bottom, decreased visibility due to sand and particulate matter held in suspension, and making getting back on the boat challenging. Then again, some days in the winter can be slick calm with 100-foot visibility. Either can occur over the course of two weeks. The best advise is to dive when the weather is right, and enjoy the topside beauty and other attractions of the Florida Keys when the seas are too bumpy.

The summer is the season local watersports enthusiasts embrace. In the months of May through October, the days are longer, so we have more time to do what we love best, dive the Florida Keys. We may be more tied to the comfort of our air conditioners on non-dive days as the outside temperature approaches 90 degrees, but on the ocean the seas are typically calm and the water temperature ranges from the low to mid-80s. With generally milder winds and waves, the water clarity is typically quite good. If winter visibility ranges from 30 to 50 feet on average, in the summer 50 to 80 feet is a reasonable expectation. Days of 100-foot plus visibility do happen, but they are more likely to be experienced on an outer fringing reef in proximity to the flow of the Gulf Stream, or perhaps on one of the deeper shipwrecks. The Patch Reefs on the inside do not gain as much benefit from the clear waters carried with this massive oceanic current, but on an incoming tide with a slight onshore wind, the Gulf Stream can influence most of the Keys dive portfolio.

I also have some weather statistics about the Big Pine Key, FL, shown in the attached image file.

After reading some replies here, it seems that some days the weather is bad, but no very often in winter, FL Keys.

So my question is, where should I go, Keys or any other place to finish my training within as less days as possible, also, if available, good visibility for nice pictures? Many thanks! : :

If Keys is good to go, how about this dive shop in Key largo:

RAINBOW REEF DIVE CENTER


It has some good deal about stay and dive. You might be interested.

some web sites/links:

official FL Keys site:


lots of information, like dive sites, maps, dive shops, etc

another link of dive sites in keys:



some other links about keys:

[dbarlow]

Hi

my goals are simmilar during my trip to the keys we will be there during the same time, I am comming in on the 10 and flying home on the 14. maby we could hook up for a couple of dives. email me or pm me and we can talk.

Doug

[ningfeng]

Doug,

I just booked the flight, leaving on Feb.6, and returning on 16th. Which dive shop are you going with? Basically I will go with Rainbow Reef, at least for the certificate. In the earlier talk with them, I get a good deal. But I need a confirm on this.


Ningfeng