I'd appreciate any suggestions of where to go in the Upper Keys for scuba diving. I'm a new diver and will be with a friend getting her open water certification; a patient instructor and good guide is preferred. We'll be there the first week in Oct. Please also share any recommendations for accommodations. Thanks!

Thare are many great sites in Key Largo and really beautiful as well as OK for new divers.

Thanks Jan. Any suggestions for dive shops to use?

Carrie,

Here are a few sites fo ya!

http://www.morningstarcharters.com

http://www.hmsminnow.com/

here are the operators we have used in the largo area....

amy slates: fairly large pontoon/catamaran type boat. went to the usual reefs (mollases, davis, newfound etc..)

fla. keys dive center: boat is average size...a little tight for gearing-up. we did a morning dive which was not too crowded. there were a LOT of people waiting for the afternoon dive when we returned. we scheduled a night dive with them this past Saturday but they pawned us off on the upper keys dive center..

upper keys dive ctr: the boat had several "alarms" on the way out and we had to stop while they did something w/ the engines. they dropped us at someplace called "spankys reef". the capt. made it out to be some type of little known gem but we only say a couple of shrimp. the boat was average size but very slow. also, my wife went through 5 of their rental regulators before finding one that didn't leak. this was a night dive so crowding wasn't a problem

wreck divers: a small boat out of Jules Verne underwater research park/marina. we did our wreck diving certification off this boat although they probably do reefs also. again this is a small boat and very tight for gearing-up.

most of these guys go out to the mollases reef areas......this is a great reef but it can get very crowded and is in danger of being "loved to death"

So amy slates is probably the best of the bunch. its a dive resort so there might be some type of dive/hotel package deal. the only negative is they are on the gulf side so it takes a little longer to get out to the reefs.

NOT Looe Key Divers. They are money hungry and won't take you diving if a few snorkelers cancel. Ruined my day...

I dove with SilentWorld. I think they are pretty small but great. They were very intuned to the group and made changes as necessary and accommodated our requests

I always dive with "It's A Dive" at the Marriott hotel on Key Largo. Ryan and/or Lori are two instructors who I would recommend you ask for. P.S. I do not work for them. Diver Down!

I'd suggest John Pennekamp State Park. It is well known for magnificent coral reef formations. I went to Key Largo for one day last May and we (mom and me) took a glass bottom boat out to reefs and were fascinated by all the barricuda, some small sharks and brightly colored fish.

Don't use an operator called Dive Nuts. They forgot two divers earlier this year and left them stranded. Luckily, the couple was rescued.