Advanced Open Water Diver Instruction

Five dives to get your AOW card. After diving for years with his Open Water Certification, todays diver quickly realized the advantages of doing the Advanced Open Water Course.

In a word, CONFIDENCE! After the required deep and navigation dives, he chose wreck, fish ID, and photography dives as his electives.

He was already an avid fan of underwater photography, so that and the fish ID dives were a natural fit, and who wouldn't want to take advantage of all the wrecks we have here in the Florida Keys?  On the deep dive he was equally impressed with the compression and color scheme toys at depth. And the successful navigation dive is required for obvious reasons: my blood pressure and their confidence!

Seems you can accomplish a lot in just five dives...with the right instructor (pictured above).

Double-dipping the Spiegel Grove

Sometimes once just isn't enough.  That was definitely the case this last weekend on the Spiegel Grove.  The conditions seemed to just scream, "DIVE ME AGAIN".  So we did, again and again.  It seemed everybody wanted to double up on the Grove.  The seas were 1-3 feet with a light current, so the hour surface interval didn't seem to bother anybody.  The viz wasn't the greatest, but hey, we still got to double-dip the Spiegel Grove.  For those of you who have been there, you know what I'm talking about.

This week has started with beautiful diving conditions everywhere.  The wind is around 10 knots, 1-2 feet (or less) on the seas, no current and 50+ feet of viz, and the forecast looks good for the rest of the week.

What are you doing reading this blog, we should be double-dipping the Spiegel Grove or another of your favorite spots!

One Wreck of a Week: The Spiegel Grove, The Benwood, The Bibb, and The Duane

50th birthday's spent diving, wreck specialty dives and hanging out with barracudas on the line during your safety stop, all add up to one heck of a week. 

The success of the artificial reef program here in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was evident this week to the divers doing their wreck specialty class.  The conditions were varied, but the visibility and current were both cooperating to make the dives well worth the trip. 

The wind and seas have picked up the last couple days to make it a no go for dive trips, but will be subsiding this week.  That should give the Goliath Grouper on the Spiegel Grove some time to miss us and be more willing to show his face later in the week.

And remember, free t-shirts for diving on your birthday.  Hooded sweatshirts for milestones...if you're a follower of this blog!

Happy Anniversary BlueWater Divers!!!

Time flies, I can't believe it's been three years since we took over at BlueWater Divers of Key Largo. We must be having fun.

I remember our first anniversary was the day of the explosion in the gulf that caused the oil spill. Hopefully, the leather anniversary will be less eventful. 

I want to thank everybody that has been involved in the success of our first three years and am looking forward to more anniversaries.

Also, I should thank the three dolphins that showed up to pay tribute during our sunset celebration cruise with some friends.

Key Largo diving perfecta gives way to Islamorada Bay Jam

The past few days have been perfect diving conditions in Key Largo.  The wind, seas, current, and visibility have all joined together in unison to spoil our divers.  But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, even if temporary.

This mornings divers were met with stronger winds, rougher seas and less visibility.  The wind and seas started to pick up during their first dive and we decided to error on the side of caution and come in early.  Based on the chatter on the marine radio, most of the others followed.  Those that stayed to "rough it out" were met with a passing storm and wind gusts around 30 kts.  One boat even called TowBoatUS to come get some seasick passengers and bring them to shore...serious?

I'm not the weatherman, but the "man" is predicting for the wind and seas to not be so perfecta tomorrow as well.  Maybe that will help the turnout at the annual Bay Jam at Founders Park in Islamorada.  I believe it's the 18th year they have been doing this, and all for a good cause.

Hope to see you there and out on the water...next week!

A Hat Trick diving on Molasses Reef Key Largo

In hockey it's a hat trick, in horse racing it's a trifecta, today diving on Molasses Reef off Key Largo was a perfecta!

I tried to explain to the first-time-from-a-boat divers how rare these conditions are. No wind, no seas, no current, and 80-100 feet of visibility. They took advantage of the pool-like conditions and had water temp readings of 78 degrees. They couldn't believe all the life and activity down there compared to the quarry at home. Already asking about tomorrows destination.

Hopefully, simular conditions...everybody likes to be spoiled once in a while.

Perfecta!

Easter Monday, A Day To Rejoice!..and enjoy chocolate.

After a holiday weekend of diving and snorkeling in 2-3 foot seas with 40 feet of visibility, the wind and seas have come down to barely a trickle and the viz has almost doubled.

This weekends group from New Jersey and the left coast of Florida were groovin on all they saw:  Goliath Groupers, Moray Eels, huge Southern Stingrays, Nurse Sharks, and turtles.  They also loved having Christi as their guide to point out all the good stuff and get them safely back to our boat.  They kept bragging her up and the fact that these were the best dives they've had.

However, I think it may have had something to do with the Easter basket full of chocolates that was awaiting them on the boat. 



Gophers, Badgers, Eagles and Panthers: Hockey Talk on a Key Largo dive blog?

As the late-great Badger Bob Johnson would say, "It's a great day for hockey!"

I don't know if he invisioned the NCAA College Hockey Frozen Four being played in Tampa.  Or the Florida Panthers playing for a regular-season division title in the NHL.  But that's exactly what is happening, and on the same day.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are back in the Frozen Four to play the #1 rated Boston College Eagles in a classic East vs West matchup.  The winner advances to the championship game Saturday.  The Eagles are heavily favored on paper, but as you know, the game is played on the ice.  Hopefully, another trip to the championship under coach Lucia for Minnesota's Pride on Ice.

The  Florida Panthers, who have two draft picks (Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau) playing on the same line for the Gophers, are playing tonight for their first divisional title in franchise history.  With two games remaining in the regular season, they need at least one point (an overtime loss) to clinch the division and advance to the playoffs.  Tonight in Washington would be the perfect time and place, since the Capitals have won the division the last four years. 

The reef report today had south winds at 15 kts, 2-3 ft seas, a light current and 60 ft of viz.  Combining a great day diving in Key Largo with tonights action on the ice, it's easy to see that "It's a great day for hockey!"

The Georgia Aquarium, dolphins and the aquarium on Molasses Reef

What a beautiful day!  The Georgia Aquarium staff was once again well represented on the BlueWater Diver.  On the way to Molasses Reef we were treated to an early morning dolphin show as they were jumping out of the water, playing with each other, and cruising in our wake...all for no additional charge.

The #4 mooring ball on Molasses Reef is often refered to as the aquarium, and it was obvious why. The wind was around five knots with flat seas, 70 feet of visibility, and 77 degrees for water temp. There was a light to moderate current, but with the talent we had on board, didn't cause any problems.

Georgia peaches, Miami dolphins, and the Molasses Reef aquarium, what a great combination of conditions brought together while diving in Key Largo, and as they've said before "you gotta love a natural aquarium!"

Indian Valley Scuba sees the Spiegel Grove as never before on April Fools Day!

They have dived the Spiegel Grove approximately 100 times, according to their group leader, and never seen conditions so good.  The wind was barely blowing, making the seas look like "Lake Atlantic".  With her camera, we took a picture of her and Christi on the back of our boat and you could barely tell where the sea met the sky in the background (I'll need her to send it to me so I can share).  The current on the surface was light to moderate, but once at depth was not a problem.  Visibility was 80-100 feet and you could see the ship from the surface, making everybody comment on the Spiegel now being a snorkel site.

And to Indian Valley Scuba, diving (or snorkeling) the Spiegel Grove is no April Fools!