Dive Review of Rainbowreef/Ramada Inn in
The Continental USA/Islamorada, Florida Keys

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Rainbowreef/Ramada Inn, Jul, 2008, by Jon, MD, USA ( Reviewer 4 reports). Report 4289.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is my third annual trip to the keys. I must say I love it. Good weather, good food, diving is above par and destination is still in USA. This is my second year with Rainbowreef dive center. They have a location in Key Largo and Islamorada. DJ runs a good business and nice website (rainbowreef.us). One of the only shops in town that provide a guide free of charge. Guide allows my group to concentrate on photos not navigation. Capt. Dan was a good host. We had a group of six and had chartered our own boat (Tropical Explorer) for 6 dives. Islamorda diving is all shallow. If you hit 40 feet you brought a shovel. Shallow dives allowed for bottom times to exceed 1hr. Capt. Dan and DM were cool since it was our own boat. Saw more sharks, eels, and turtles then ever before. We also saw twin squids, twin Ramora, sea spiders, scorpian fish, giant grouper, sting rays, southern sting rays, barcuda, and all the small reef fish you can name. My group saw more then six or seven nurse sharks, a reef shark, and a bull shark. Green and spotted eels and hawksbill turtles. One juveinle turtle let us photo him for more then 5 minutes. Sites included Hamerhead, Davis, Patch A, The Aquarium. Bigfoot, Camile/Rocky2, and Hens and Chickens. WE stayed at the Ramada Inn in Key Largo (set uo through Rainbowreef). Typical hotel with ok free continental breakfast. Pool and hot tub at the Holiday Inn (next door) are nice and available to Ramada guests. Company is laid back and sponsors an internship program. Air fills were 3000 psi most of the time. Boat offers bottled water and cookies during SI. Boat is equipted with O2, life jackets, marine radio, and coast guard approved. Cell Phones work from dive site as well. Food in the area is great not overpriced. Try Hobos and Chilly Willies- good sandwiches and wings. I prefer the summer months as opposed to the winter months in reference to diving. Can easily get blown out in the winter months. Vis. averaged 50-60 feet but on Hens and Chicken dropped to about 20 feet. Hens would be a really cool dive if it would have been better vis.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Bermuda, Morehead City, NC., Bahamas, Mexico, Ft. Lauderdale.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp	84-86°F / 29-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	1hr time limit, 500psi, no wet suit needed in summer months.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Boat provided a camera bucket, no dry table or recharging station. Understandable- day charter.

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Dive Review of Rainbowreef/Ramada Inn in The Continental USA/Islamorada, Florida Keys

Rainbowreef/Ramada Inn, Jul, 2008,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Rainbowreef/Ramada Inn in
The Continental USA/Islamorada, Florida Keys