Which Florida key is best for scuba diving?
In general, the diving in the keys is best in Key Largo and gets worse as you move south down to Key West. There aren’t a ton of dive ops or good diving in Key West, aside from the Vandenburg. The island is accessible via the Overseas Highway, which offers stunning views of the surrounding waters. Key Largo is known for its marine life and is often referred to as the ‘Diving Capital of the World.The diving and snorkeling around Key West are still exceptional. However, it has slightly less diversity than Key Largo due to lesser protection from fishing. The only downside to snorkeling or diving in the Florida Keys is that there is very little to see from the shore.Comparing Scuba Diving & Snorkeling: Key West vs Key Largo 🤿 Key Largo is the diving capital of the world and its protected waters allow for an abundance of marine life. Key West offers great diving and snorkeling but its waters are less protected, meaning slightly less biodiversity.Discover Key Largo: The Dive Capital of the World. The third-largest living coral barrier reef in the world and the only one in the U. S. Florida Keys stretch across 2,900 nautical miles from Key Largo to Key West.
What is the scuba 1/3 rule?
The Rule of Thirds is a guideline used by scuba divers to manage their air supply effectively throughout a dive. It involves mentally dividing one’s breathing gas supply into three equal parts. One-third for the outward journey, one-third for the return journey, and one-third as a reserve or emergency supply. In technical diving, the 1/3 Rule ensures divers have enough gas for the descent, return, and emergencies. It divides the total gas supply into three parts: one-third for the descent and exploration, one-third for the return, and one-third as a reserve, enhancing safety in challenging environments.The rule suggests that the depth of the dive (in feet) and the time spent underwater (in minutes) should not exceed a combined total of 120. The goal of this rule is to keep divers within a range where they can avoid serious risks such as nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness.A safety stop, usually done for three minutes at about five meters or fifteen feet, gives your body that extra time to release nitrogen absorbed during your dive. This simple pause helps reduce the risk of decompression sickness and allows your body to adjust gently before surfacing.
What are the two golden rules when scuba diving?
Never hold air in your lungs as it may result in rupturing them from too much gas. The chances are even more during an ascent. Don’t go alone for a dive and take someone with you. You may encounter bad situations underwater that can be fixed by your buddy. A person with heart trouble, a current cold or congestion or who has epilepsy, asthma, a serious medical problem, or who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, should not dive.Before a dive (including the night before), it’s best not to drink heavily, use recreational drugs, or even gorge on heavy, greasy foods.
What is the 120 rule in scuba diving?
Here’s how it works: Your max depth (in feet) + your bottom time (in minutes) should be less than or equal to 120. That’s it. So if you plan to dive to 60 feet, the rule says you shouldn’t stay down longer than 60 minutes. It’s mainly for recreational divers using air, not Nitrox or other fancy gas mixes. Here’s how it works: Your max depth (in feet) + your bottom time (in minutes) should be less than or equal to 120. That’s it. So if you plan to dive to 60 feet, the rule says you shouldn’t stay down longer than 60 minutes.Because excess nitrogen remains dissolved in the body tissues for at least 12 hours after each dive, repeated dives within 1 day are more likely to cause decompression sickness than a single dive.
Where in Florida has the best scuba diving?
The best diving in Florida for sea life is the Jupiter and West Palm Beach areas. You don’t have the hard coral structures like you see in Key Largo, but the reefs are healthier with a greater abundance of life. I typically go out with Jupiter Dive Center or Pura Vida Divers, the diving will be drift. The Florida Keys are home to more sharks than any other area in the world. Here’s a list of the sharks you can see with Keys Shark Diving. Keys Shark Diving is the best way to see sharks up close and personal in the Florida Keys.