Scuba-Fun Key Largo * FAQs

Dive Center

Key Largo, Florida

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

GENERAL

Do you also organize accommodations and other activities?

Are there beaches in Key Largo?

Which clothes should I bring?

Do you offer babysitting?

How high are the sales tax and the hotel tax?

How much should I tip?

TRAVEL

Do you book flights and rental cars?

We will happily find the perfect package of accommodation, diving and other activities for you. You can find some examples here. Unfortunately, we can't book flights and rental cars for you, since we are "only" a dive center, not a travel agency.

Where exactly is Key Largo?

Key Largo is the first island of the Keys, about halfways between Miami and Key West. The drive from Miami to Key Largo is about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Key Largo is the best place to dive from in the Keys, as we have Pennekamp State Park here (beautiful reefs) and 4 excellent wrecks.

Do we need a rental car?

Since there is virtually no public transportation in the Florida Keys, we highly recommend renting a car for your stay here. This will make you independent and lets you explore the islands and our attractions on your own schedule.

Do you have offers for groups?

Key Largo is the ideal place to take your group, be it for diving or all the other activities the Florida Keys have to offer. Especially if you have a mixed group (divers and non-divers). We have a great variety of beautiful dive sites including wonderful reefs and great wrecks, we take snorkelers on our dive boats, and we offer so many activities on the water and on land that everybody will be happy! We will help the group leader organize everything and make sure the trip is a success. More information here.

DIVING

What are the reefs and wrecks like?

The reef system of the Florida Keys is the third largest living reef system in the world. The best dive sites can be reached from Key Largo. The reefs here are very well conserved (National Sanctuary) and mostly shallow (15 to 45 feet), ideal for leisurely relaxed diving. We often see large nurse sharks, reef sharks, huge eagle rays, large turtles, Goliath Groupers, Barracudas, and many colorful fishes of all kinds. The wrecks (Spiegel Grove, Duane, Bibb) are deeper dives (80-129 feet), and are sensational dive sites, as they have been prepared and secured for diving. We keep coming back from tours to the wrecks with speechless guests...Here is a description of our dive sites

When is the best time of year to go diving in Key Largo?

The best time of year to go diving in Key Largo is year-round. Underwater visibility depends on the distance of the Gulf Stream and the strength of the wind, and both are not predictable and not seasonal.

Winter (December - February): sometimes windy and choppy, visibility mostly good to very good, water temperature 20-22 C, 69-76 F

Spring (March - April): less windy, sometimes choppy, visibility mostly good to very good, water temperature 24-26 C, 75-79 F

Summer (May - September): rarely windy, mostly calm seas, hurricane season starts mid-June, visibility mostly good to very good, water temperature 27-33 C, 83-87 F

Fall (October - November): rarely windy, mostly calm seas, hurricane season until mid-November, visibility mostly good to very good, water temperature 27-30 C, 76-82 F

Click here for our highs and lows in the Keys.

What time do the dive boats go out?

The dive boats leave twice per day, once in the morning and once in the afternooon (with 2 dives each). The wreck dives are mostly in the morning, as they are always deep dives.

Checkin for the am trip 8:00 (boat leaves 8:30, returns approx.. 12:30)

Checkin for the pm trip 12:30 (boat leaves 1pm, returns approx.. 5pm)

Click here for our dive schedule.

Do you do night dives?

We generally schedule night dives on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The booat goes out to the reef before sunset, and as the sun goes down the divers get into the water. Night dives are a one-tank dive trip.

Click here for our dive schedule.

Are the dives guided?

Here in the Florida Keys there is always a Divemaster on board for your safety, but we do not provide free guides. At a very low price, you can book a dive guide (instructor or divemaster) who will take care of you from the minute you set foot on one of our diveboats. Our groups are limited to a maximum of 5 divers, so you can be sure you are getting all the attention you deserve. Our guides are very experienced and safety-oriented professionals who know our reefs and wrecks well. They are happy to show you the nicest spots underwater, and make sure you are safe and comfortable.

How much is diving ?

Unguided diving on the reef is US$ 80 per person ($85 on a wreck trip), including boat ride, 2 dives, tanks and weights (excluding rental gear). Guided dives are US$ 35 extra per person. Full rental equipment is $39 per day.

For our complete price list click here.

How can I book, and how can I pay for the diving or package?

At our dive shop, we work a little differently when it comes to dive packages. You can just dive as much as you like and pay at the end, and we give you the best package price for the dives you actually did.

At the time of booking we will put a $ 50 hold per person on your credit card ($100 for packages). We will only use that hold if you do not show up and do not notify us. Our cancellation policy is 7 days for classes and packages (14 days for private classes), 4 days for guided dives, and 2 days for dives. If you cancel before the policy, we void the hold. You can find our scure booking form here. Upon arrival, you can pay by cash, check or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover).

Can non-divers and snorkelers go out on the diveboats too?

If the conditions allow it, we will be happy to take non-divers ("bubblewatchers") or snorkelers who would like to accompany divers. For pure snorkeling tours, the snorkel boat is more suitable. Please note that sometimes we may discourage non-divers from going out with us due to weather conditions and surf. This is solely for the safety of the non-divers.

How can I avoid getting seasick?

We sell non-drowsy seasick medication in our dive shop. Hints on how to avoid seasickness can be found in our infosheet "Etiquette for the boat diver". If you take the medication the night before, you will feel much better on the boat!

What if I haven't been diving in a long time?

If you haven't been diving for 1-2 or more years, we recommend you take a Refresher course. This includes a morning in the pool and rehearsing all the exercises for safety and comfort plus some theoretical basics, and then 2 boat dives in the afternoon with an instructor. After that you will feel safe and relaxed again, and will be able to enjoy your diving adventures here in full. Details on the Refresher Kurs

What does an "Advanced Open Water Course" give me?

The "Advanced Open Water Course" includes some advanced diving theory (no exams) and 5 different dives. Mandatory dives are a deep dive and a navigation dive, and you can pick the remaining three dives from: wreck dive, night dive, boat dive, search & recovery dive, fish id dive, underwater photography, Nitrox dive ($12 extra for Nitrox), peak performance buoyancy dive and several other options. All these dives are with an instructor and lots of fun, so this course is a great alternative to just taking guided dives, and you get a lot of additional experience in different diving situations. You also get a really good book and your certification as an "Advanced Open Water Diver", which means you can then go to 100 feet instead of just 60 feet as an Open Water Diver. More info on the Advanced Open Water course.

What paperwork do I need to go diving?

To go diving with us, you should bring all your diving certifications, and if possible your log book. We do not require a medical statement from your doctor if you can answer all the questions on the PADI Medical Statement with NO. If this is not possible, please bring a medical statement from your doctor that you are fit to dive.

Which wetsuit should I bring?

If you do not own a wetsuit, we'll be happy to supply you with a rental. In the summer, you don't really need a wetsuit - a shorty is more than enough. In the spring and fall we dive in 3mm, in the winter we use 5mm. Click here for our high and low water temperatures in the Keys.

What about scuba rental gear?

We will take care of all your rental gear needs! If you bring your own equipment or parts of it, we will make sure you are completely equipped. Our rental gear is new, very well maintained and reliable. We also have weight-integrated BCDs if you prefer to dive without a weight belt. In all of our entry-level classes, our state-of-the-art rental equipment is already included in the course price. On the wrecks, we highly recommend a safety sausage, and you can rent one from us or buy one at a great price! Back to top

I’m bringing my own equipment and my regulator is DIN. Do you have INT-Adapters?

We rent and sell INT adapters at very competitive prices at our dive center. On the wrecks, we highly recommend a safety sausage, and you can rent one from us or buy one at a great price! Back to top

Can I dive NITROX?

We will be happy to provide you with NITROX (30-32%). Here we mainly dive Nitrox on the deep wrecks. A Nitrox tank is $12. If you are interested in taking a Nitrox course, you can find details here.

GENERAL

Do you also organize accommodations and other activities?

We will be happy to book your hotel room, efficiency or vacation rental for you, and we know all about the local attractions, and will happily organize those for you. You can just come here, lean back and enjoy your vacation! We also offer vacation packages with diving and other activities. Here are some of our hotels und here are some activities and attractions we can help you enjoy.

Are there beaches in Key Largo?

The Florida Keys are limestone islands, the sandy beaches are all artificial. In Key Largo there are a few beaches in Pennekamp State Park and some resorts have their own beaches, other than that you have to travel south quite a bit, for example to Bahia Honda. Most of our hotels in Key Largo have their own sandy beach.

Which clothes should I bring?

Here in the Florida Keys the style is very casual, even in better restaurants you will hardly find anything else than shorts and t-shirts. A sweater or jacket is recommended, however, as locals love their airconditioners... A rain jacket is also a good idea, in case it gets rainy when you are out on a boat. Other than that, it is sufficient to bring a few t-shirts and shorts; also you can buy anything here that you may have forgotten at home. "Topless" is not a big hit in the USA!

Do you offer babysitting?

Babysitting for kids aged 1 to 10 is no problem. There is a daycare near the the diveshop here that is open Mondays through Fridays from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm (perfect for am as well as pm dive trips). They will take great care of your child and only charge $ 30 per day and child. The child must bring his own lunch, everything else is provided. Please book 1 to 2 days in advance. Credit cards are not accepted.

How high are the sales tax and the hotel tax?

Prices in the USA are always net, without sales tax. The sales tax in Monroe County Florida is 7.5%. Hotels have an additional room tax of 5%, Hotel tax is thus a total of 12.5%.

How much should I tip?

If you are happy with the service, everybody appreciates a tip.

The crews on the dive boats main income is tips, so $5 to $10 per person and trip is a good start. The crew divides the tip amongst themselves. Instructors and guides do not participate in the crews' tips, so please tip them separately, about 10 to 20% of the course price ot the guiding fee.

Do you rent underwater cameras?

You can rent one of our excellent digital underwater cameras for only $ 40 per trip (2 dives). The price includes a DVD with your pictures and movies. Our cameras are Sealife DC-1000 with 2,7" LCD display, underwater housings rated for 200 feet, 4 Gigabyte memory, 10 megapixels, 4 underwater modes, underwater video mode, 5x optical and 5x digital zoom Details here.