Dive Review of
HMS Minnow/Ocean Point Suites in
The Continental USA/Key Largo, Florida Keys

[Unspecified]

Dive Conditions

Back on the boat with 500 PSI  

[None]  

Overall Rating

The HMS Minnow is a “six pack” operation owned by Jeff Jarvis and his wife
Betty and is docked at the Key Largo Holiday Inn.  Jeff is the captain and
Betty serves as the First Mate, so this is definitely an owner operated
business.  If you are looking for a small dive boat, offering personalized
service, you should try HMS Minnow.  Jeff gives you thorough briefings and
answers any and all questions you might have.  Jeff does not put a dive
master in the water with you; he treats you like responsible, adult divers
and lets you do your own thing.  Jeff’s only dive profile restriction is
that you be back on the boat with 500 psi.  For an additional cost, Jeff
will supply a local guide or instructor if you make prior arrangements with
him.  This was my third dive trip on the HMS Minnow.  As has been their
past practice, Jeff and Betty went out of their way to make this an
exceptional trip.  Seas were rough the first two days, Jeff made many radio
calls and physically checked conditions at several locations in an attempt
to find the best dive locations given the poor weather.  The seas were just
as rough the second day.  After the first two dives on the second day Jeff
could see we were beat and even though we had reserved his boat for the
afternoon, he suggested we cancel and recuperate for tomorrows diving when
the weather was forecasted to improve.  We eagerly agreed and he did not
charge us for the cancellation even though he had turned people away in
order to accommodate our reservation.  When we returned to the dock from
the second morning’s diving, I observed two people approach Jeff and ask
him if he had any openings for the afternoon.  Even though his boat was
available, and several other dive boats docked in the same area were
actively signing up divers for that afternoon, Jeff told these people that
the conditions were too bad to do any quality diving.  He could have easily
taken them out and profited from their misery.  By monitoring conditions
and being flexible, Jeff was able to put us on the USS Spiegel Grove, twice
with no current, 90’ of vis, and not another dive boat in sight.  When one
person in our group had a high pressure hose fail, Jeff helped out by
loaning him his personal reg. set.  I will definitely return to dive with
the HMS Minnow again.  You can contact Jeff at www.hmsminnow.com, or
(800)366-9301, or (305)451-7834. 

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