Diving Florida Keys

Diving Florida Keys: Still the best scuba diving around?

Many people over the years have been scuba diving Florida Keys but for someone who has only been to Orlando and doesn’t know The Keys that well could struggle to choose the best place to go and stay.

Key Largo is known as the ‘Scuba Diving Capital of the World’ and is world famous for its protected reefs and surrounding area. In fact the John Pennekamp State Park was the first underwater preserve throughout the whole of the United States and has resulted in an area of outstanding beauty.

The park became very popular and as a result has been heavily visited by scuba divers from all over the world.

There is a great variety of diving sites and many of them can be visited by snorkelers. Take Christ of the Abyss for example. This amazing statue of Christ was donated by Egidi Cressi in 1962 to the Underwater Society of America, the statue was sunk on its concrete base in just 22 feet of water on the seaward side of the reef and stands 9 foot tall reaching up to the surface from the seabed and can easily be seen from the surface.

For the more experience diving Florida Keys wouldn’t be complete without a scuba diving trip out to the USS Spiegel Grove. Scuba diving this wreck is an experience. Impossible to dive in just one day this wreck was the largest wreck ever sunk deliberately and is still an exciting dive today.

When people consider diving Florida Keys they don’t often think of Islamorada and Marathon as scuba diving resorts. More famous for their game fishing and game fishing competitions both Islamorada and Marathon also provide some good diving sites such as Sombrero Reef or how about the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory.

The Aquarius Laboratory is attached to a base plate that positions the underwater habitat about 12 feet off the sandy bottom. This means that the working depth of those inside the laboratory is about 50 feet deep.

Scientists live in Aquarius during ten-day missions using saturation diving to study and explore the coastal ocean and reefs.

So if you want more than just a scuba diving trip and want to take part in some serious game fishing then Islamorada or Marathon may be for you.

Of course diving Florida Keys must include a trip to Key West. This colonial town is probably more popular now than Key Largo because it has so much to offer. It may be the furthest south of all The Keys but this is one scuba diving trip that is worth it.

There are plenty of scuba diving sites around Key West and there are also plenty of dive sites that are suitable for just snorkeling.

Coral reefs are in abundance and there are plenty to explore within the clear waters. Some of the reefs throughout The Keys are fortunate to be close to The Gulf Stream. This current of water flows from the south up along the eastern coast of Florida before moving out to the east into the Atlantic Ocean.

The current brings with it nutrients which supports the marine life on these reefs and provides a cleansing effect which helps keep the reefs in good condition so there are plenty of reefs to explore in Key West and other parts of The Keys.

Key West has the one advantage if you are considering diving Florida Keys. The nightlife after a day scuba diving is incredible. The whole town comes to life with streets full of jugglers, musicians and other forms of entertainment.

Key West is well known for its entertainment so if you want the best of both worlds, excellent scuba diving and great entertainment of an evening then the scuba diving trip down to Key West may very well be worth it!