Key Largo SCUBA
Key Largo SCUBA is Great for Underwater Photography
Among the things I like about Key Largo SCUBA diving is its diversity of diving opportunities. In fact,
they don't call Key Largo the SCUBA Diving Capital of the World for nothing.
The Long, Long Reef
First of all, the Florida Keys is only place in the continental USA where you can dive on a living
coral barrier reef. Running anywhere from one to eight miles offshore on the Atlantic side, the
Florida Keys reef tract extends from Key Biscayne up near Miami all the way to the Dry Tortugas,
some 70 miles west of Key West. That's around 221 miles
Key Largo Has Something for Everybody
Whether you're a novice diver or a salty old pro, Key Largo has something for you.
Novice and "Rusty" Divers
New divers will especially appreciate the many shallow reefs and the several shallow wrecks
(including the Benwood at about 40 feet and the City of Washington at about 25) of
Key Largo's waters. A shallow reef or wreck dive is a great place to practice newly
acquired skills in a relatively safe environment.
And, if you're a formerly experienced diver who hasn't "gotten wet" in a long while, a shallow dive can be a good
chance to re-orient yourself to the open-water world of SCUBA.
Advanced Divers
If you're an advanced diver and have "the lust for deep rust," you're in luck. Key Largo offers quite a few
challenging wreck dives, including the now-famous Spiegel Grove, a 510-foot Navy ship scuttled in 2002. She sits
upright on the bottom at a depth of 134 feet, but her highest point is around 60 feet under the surface.
Besides the Spiegel Grove, there are the Bibb and the Duane, twin 327-foot Coast Guard Cutters, resting
on the bottom at 135 feet and 125 feet respectively. These were sunk in 1987 off Key Largo near Molasses Reef
to provide more artificial reefs.
Average Key Largo Water Temperatures
Average water temperatures (all temps in Fahrenheit) around Key Largo can vary from around 69 degrees in January,
79 degrees in April, 87 degrees in July, and 82 in October.
Ways to Go Diving in Key Largo
Take your own boat. Rent a boat. Or go on a commercial dive boat.
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