Dive Review of
Conch Republic Divers/Blue Fin / Key Lantern Inn in
The Continental USA/Islamorada

Bonaire, Cozumel, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos, Belize, Fiji, Aruba,
Saba

Dive Conditions

Back on board with 500 psi, no-deco diving, buddy diving encouraged  

[None]  

Overall Rating

This was my 3rd trip to the Keys, and the best one by far.  I intended to
try out both Key Divers and Conch Republic Divers on this trip.  I dove a
couple of days with Key Divers and really don't have anything but good
things to say about their operation other than I think they are geared a
little more for less-experienced divers.  Strict dive time limits at Key
Divers caused me to finish out my time with Conch Republic.  I found Conch
Republic's operation to be professional, friendly and well suited to
experienced divers.  I did both morning and afternoon dives each day and
only re-visited a dive site on request.  Most days I was on the Republic
VII, which is a very nice sized dive boat.  One AM I was on the Aquatic
Diver because the Republic VII had been chartered by a group.  I ended up
with that group in the PM, because all them did not want to dive in the
PM.

Although much of the coral is not in good condition, there are significant
areas where the coral is very healty and the marine life is also very
abundant.  Overall I was very pleased with the diving and will plan to
return maybe once every two years or so.  

I was particularly impressed with CRD's professionalism when we had a
couple of divers get separated from the boat while diving the Eagle.  One
the divers had been snagged by a fish hook and got tangled up in some line.
 Her buddy helped to free her from the mess, but in the meantime he fed the
fish through his regulator.  So - it didn't take them long to get
disoriented in the 30'-40' vis and soon they had lost sight of the wreck. 
Per the dive briefing that was repeated every AM and PM, they made a safe
ascent and were able to signel the boat that they were OK.  Of course the
boat had to wait on the mooring for the other divers to surface, but they
did through out a small orange mooring ball connected to a very long spool
of line.  The ball drifted more or less the same direction as the lost
divers and we had no trouble locating them and getting them back on board,
a bit tired, but otherwise with another experience to tell their buddies
about!  The main takeaway from this was CRD's skillful handling of the
situation. 

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