WORLD DIVING VS KEY LARGO
Visibility: 50 ft | Water Temp.: 75F | Current: None
Owen
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
During the past several monthes I have traveled to several different continents to pursue diving adventures, and to enjoy the various cultures of the world. I have been to Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, and Thailand. Although each location had it’s unique scuba diving strongpoints, overall, I prefer Key Largo. Considering average visibility, currents, water temperature, surface conditions, and marine life, I believe Key Largo rates as one of the best locations in the world. In particular, the overall volume of marine life, and the numerous, varying species, is Key Largo’s greatest strongpoint. The fact that most of this marine life can be found in less than 40 feet of water makes it a particularly great place for recreational scuba divers. I have just returned from Pattaya, Thailand, where I was completing my PADI IDC Staff Instructor training. While there I had occassion to converse with divers from Zimbabwie, Australia, England, New Zealand, and the United States. Many of them couldn’t believe my description of the marine life one observes during one dive in Key Largo. Yesterday I completed my first two dives in Key Largo since I left for Thailand over a month ago. It was great to be back. I observed Eagle Rays, sharks, turtles, a Green Moray Eel, a Golden Tail Moray Eel, and numerous, large Barricudas. The visibility was about 50 – 60 feet. These dives re-affirmed my beliefs. I will continue to dive the world with great enthusiasm, and with a sense of adventure and discovery. I will continue to immerse myself in foreign cultures which contribute to the enrichment of my life. But my travel these past few monthes has taught me that I SHOULD NOT take diving here in Key Largo for granted. I hope you enjoy the photos from yesterday’s dives.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
To Owen and everyone reading this:
I’ll second Owen’s findings. I know it sounds self serving because we are in the Keys at a dive shop, but I feel we are saying this as objectively as we can. I have not been everywhere, but in all the places I’ve been, each has it’s own attractive characteristics that make you want to dive there, and they are wonderful for that/those reasons. I still have yet to find a place with more critters than the Keys. I think the best way to look at the Keys is that it might not specialize in any one thing (i.e. Galapagos and schools of Hammerheads, Belize and the visibility etc..) but we have a great variety of everything you want to see all in once place. More fish (and types of fish) than most any place I’ve been, world class wrecks, shallow sites for long dives and great pictures, deeper sites you can drift, and even a few walls. In other places where you’d see something extraordinary such as schools of hundreds of hammerheads (which doesn’t exactly happen every day by the way) you would be hard pressed to find a wreck at all, let alone in the class of the Spiegel Grove or Duane.. Some places around the world you have to dive at 80 feet to see anything.. I’ll take the Keys and a 30 foot dive any day.. Why? Well for one, you can stay down for an hour with no problem. The color is also better in shallow water, and as I’ve come to realize, 20-40 feet is where the multitudes of fish live, they don’t hang out in the deep, and then even if you are good on air, you are limited by bottom time.
Like I said, I tried to keep it objective, but maybe the best way to explain it is this: if I thought there was a better place to live and work at a dive shop, I’d be there, not here!
Owen: Thanks for reminding me why I love the Keys and stop to appreciate it once again!
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:49 am
Congrats Owen on passing your IDC staff.Hope all is good in the Keys.
See you in Sharm
March 20th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Thanks Ewout. D.J. and I are looking forward to a return trip to Sharm!!! Go South Africa Rugby!!! POF.