Summer Diving in Key Largo 2011

 Hello Bloggers! Last August due to a confluence of personal events, I left my home, Key Largo, of nearly 18 years and for an undeterminable amount of time and shifted my operations to the high plains state of South Dakota. Knowing I would not be too heavily engaged in either scuba instruction or UW photography during the winter months of 2011/2012 while there (here) I 'saved' blog topics knowing I would have time then (now) to blog. I saved three topics: the first about diving in Key Largo in my later months while still there, the second topic is about the 'high plains' and the third is about my dive trip to Roatan in February 2012 which was well in the works by May of 2011.

Today on the high plains we are experiencing our first blizzard-like weather of the winter (mercifully it has been a mild winter up until now) and in my mind a great time to blog about the first of these three topics. And as predicted, I have the time. Here goes!

I have always loved diving in Key Largo during the months of July and August. Mainly because it is swimsuit or swimtrunk weather. No need for neoprene, much less dry suits. I can put on just my swim trunks and scuba and go diving. Water temp in the mid to upper 80s and seas are typically flat calm. No surge, little or no currents and great vis to see and photograph the sites! Perfect in my view. I have also, regardless of the time of year, loved to dive with people I have dove with before. Such as former students either classing or diving with me again as their guide, and long-time enough customers to have also become friends with. Any dive professional can appreciate why.

By late June of 2011 I knew I was leaving Key Largo. I stayed until mid August because of the diving and the bookings with the above-mentioned that ran into August. It was well worth staying on for! Included in this blog are pictures of those diving conditions, those, affectionately referred to as 'my guyz', that I met and or dove with and pics of things we saw or did during and after our times diving together. My thanx to Ali, Steve I, (legends)Spence and Neal, Professor Matt and his 'kids', Steve M and Steve W, CJ, 'the Ryans' and Alan and Anne B!!

I also thank the owners, boat crews and staff of the following dive charter companies: Ocean Divers, Scuba-Do, Pleasure Diver, Blue Water Divers and (new to me) Rainbow Reef Dive Center (Suzette and staff pictured). All of whom took great care of me and 'my guyz'!! Thank you so much, you are all great.

Here is a 'roll of 24+1': 

Hope you enjoyed the post.  Stay tuned if you can and catch my next blog about the high plains.  Coming soon I hope! 

with Aloha, lg

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