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Dive Review of Julier in
The Continental USA/Florida Keys

Julier, Nov, 2010,

by Adam Hartnett, MA, US (Reviewer Reviewer 3 reports). Report 5829.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was my second time on the Juliet and third liveaboard trip overall. I had previously had been on USVI and BVI trip on the sailboat in December 2008. I lucked out on this trip due to the fact that I was one of only 4 passengers (12 max) so I had my own cabin.

The itinerary allows you to board in Key West (Westin Hotel Marina) and sail up to Miami for the week and dive the various reefs and wrecks of the Florida Keys. The following week's charter was going in reverse.

The Good:
-Boat was in excellent shape.
-All crew members (Captain Rudy, Kat, Emily, Alicia, and Chef Johnny) were attentive and enthusiastic.
-32% Nitrox is available but crew were able to give us 29, 30 for some deeper dives.
-Food was excellent and plentiful.

The Bad (which isn't too bad - more precautionary):

-This trip was advertised as a wreck trip and it should be made clear that its really not for inexperienced divers, especially if conditions are not ideal.
-The cabins could be perceived as tight especially if you are a single traveler bunking with someone you do not know.
-This may not be a good itinerary in peak season in the Florida Keys due to size of boat and dealing with potentially crowded dive sites.



The Diving

21 dives. 5 of which were night dives. The following wrecks were done: Cayman Salvager (twice) Vandenburg (twice), Thunderbolt, Benwood, Duane, Eagle, Spiegel Grove

Diving Highlights:
-9' manta seen during safety stop on Vandenburg
-Huge Goliath Groupers on most wrecks
-7' wide stingray in the sand on the Thunderbolt,
-7-8' Great Hammerhead being followed by 15 barracuda + a huge school of Eagle Rays in 15' of water on Looe Key Reef
-Huge Moray on the Benwood.
-The coral is in better shape than my visit to Key Largo in 2005
-The invasive Lionfish were unfortunately present on many dives.

Visibility was decent with some odd occurrences. The vis on the Thunderbolt was a bit spotty (20-30') but the dives on the Cayman Salvager and Vandenburg had 80 foot visibility.

Overall, it was a great dive trip and I am looking forward to do a Bimini or Turks and Caicos run on the Juliet in the next couple of years.
Websites Julier   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Hawaii (Big Island), USVI's, BVI's, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Florida Keys, South Florida, Massachusetts, Isle of Shoals (NH), Bonaire, Aruba
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas calm, choppy, surge
Water Temp 74-78°F / 23-26°C Wetsuit Thickness 2
Water Visibility 30-80 Ft/ 9-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Buddy Diving, No Decompression, Max depth was 130 or MOD depending on Nitrox Blend.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments I use a simple point and shoot Canon so I do not require much. The boat does dedicate a rinse barrel for camera gear. There is plenty of room to work on camera gear on the boat.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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