Item |
Key Largo
|
Islamorada
|
| The Reefs |
Most reefs here are of the spur and groove style. They are among the most prolific in the Keys. Almost all of the reefs here are Marine Sanctuaries with mooring balls. The reefs are large and have many distinct sites, each offering their own unique characteristics. |
There is quite a bit of diversity in the reefs in Islmorada. There are spur and grove with lower profile, but higher density. There are also patch reefs which act like underwater islands and numerous locations with long ledges stretching hundreds of feet. |
| The Resorts |
The Key Largo area seems to us to be more corporate and less mom-n-pop when it comes to the hotels and resorts. With hotels like Holiday Inn and Ramada, you can expect a certain level of service and a little less mystery. Nearly all of the hotels and resorts are either located on Marinas or on the Bay, as there are no ocean front properties. |
Many of the hotels and resorts are not owned by corporations, but by every day people or families. They create an atmosphere that is more mom-n-pop and less corporate. Another important note is that almost all resorts and hotels are either ocean front or bay front. Some of the most upscale luxurious resorts in the Florida Keys are located in Islamorada. |
| The Dive Sites |
Nearly every site we visit in Key Largo has a mooring ball that the boat ties up to. Drift diving is rare. Most are marine sanctuaries and the depths range from 20-60 feet. Many are shallow which allow for longer bottom times, and brighter colors. The wrecks of the Siege Grove, Duane, Bibb, Benwood and City of Washington are all in Key Largo. |
Since most dive sites in Islamorada do not have mooring balls that means that they are not well known sites that everyone can find. In some cases this results in healthier reefs and greater concentrations of fish. Drift diving is more frequent on several walls that are located in Islamorada. The wreck of the Eagle is located here. |
| No. of Visitors |
They don't call it the "Dive Capital of the World" for nothing. To be sure, each reef has 25 mooring balls for a reason. During "the season" you may find yourself waiting in line just to get a mooring ball, especially at the popular sites such as Molasses Reef and the Spiegel Grove. Key Largo certainly has great diving, but subsequently that creates more crowds, which demands bigger boats and a lot of divers at the reef. |
Islamorada is off the "beaten path" so to speak. It terms of number of visitors, dive shops and divers, it is the anti-Key Largo. There are almost no mooring balls, most reefs are only known to the dive shops, and most days we don't even see another dive boat as far as we can see. If you desire small boats and want to be 1 of a small group of divers with the reef all to yourself, Islamorada is probably for you. |
| The Dive Boats |
The Tropical Voyager is our largest vessel aimed at handling bigger groups. She will hold up to 25 divers. In contrast, The Topical Dream is our smallest vessel. A speedy little six pack that handles 6 divers, we use it to accommodate divers who like to avoid the crowds and also to make sure if we have diversity in case we have deep/wreck divers on the same days as some divers who are training or don't desire to dive deep. |
The Tropical Explorer is our 30 foot Island Hopper that accommodates up to 13 divers. She's fast and allows to hit some longer range sites such as Conch Wall or some secret Lower Matecubme key sites where there are no dive shops. The Tropical Daze is our trusty 30 foot dive boat. She's the one who started it all and she holds up to 12 divers. Though she's not that fast, who doesn't enjoy a boat ride?! |
| The Visibility and Weather |
Key Largo is closer to the Gulf stream than any other place in the keys. Sometimes it's just a few miles beyond the reef. The gentle flow and clear waters of the stream cause Spring, Summer and Fall visibility to average 60-80 feet with the "bad" days being 40-50 feet and the exceptional days being 100 and up. Water temperatures bottom out at about 70 degrees in the coldest winter months, are around 75-79 degrees in Spring and top out at about 86 degrees in the Summer and early Fall. |
In Islamorada, the Gulf stream is just a bit farther out, but it still close and has a great effect on Islamorada. The Spring, Summer and Fall visibilities are just about the same as Key Largo, lows of 40-50 and highs over 100 with the averages being 60-80. There is also no significant difference in the water temperature between the two locations. Maybe the only thing we've noticed is that when the weather is really nice, Islamorada is a little better, and when it's not so nice, the conditions in Key Largo seem a little better. |
