Half Day Scuba Diving Trip in the Florida Keys
Overview
Come join us SCUBA diving some of the most beautiful reefs within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Pennekamp State Park. We have many different reefs to explore: Molasses, Elbow, French Reef and the famous Christ of the Abyss on Dry Rocks. These protected areas offer an opportunity to see turtles, spotted eagle rays, moray eels and a variety of different fish. These special reefs are part of the 3rd largest living reef system in the world and the ONLY living coral reef in the US. We stop at two different sites on the reef. The sites are chosen by the captain based on the day's sea conditions. We cannot guarantee any specific sites.
IMPORTANT: You MUST be SCUBA certified with recent dive experience for this activity. If you have not been diving in more than one year, you may be required to hire a guide at an additional charge. If you have not been diving in over two years, you will be required to take a refresher course. Single divers may be required to hire a guide.
IMPORTANT: You MUST be SCUBA certified with recent dive experience for this activity. If you have not been diving in more than one year, you may be required to hire a guide at an additional charge. If you have not been diving in over two years, you will be required to take a refresher course. Single divers may be required to hire a guide.
Inclusions
- Bottled water - Refillable Paper Cups
What to expect
Itinerary
Certified Divers come explore the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park! Our boat is a 45' Corinthian catamaran especially suited for diving. We make two different stops on the third largest barrier reef in the world - the ONLY barrier reef in the USA!
You must be SCUBA certified to participate in this excursion. Not certified? Call us to discuss options to get under the water.
IMPORTANT: Please contact us if it has been one year or greater since your last dive as you may be required to hire a guide or participate in a refresher course. Failure may result in an inability to join the trip.
We will do our best to buddy up single divers, but this cannot be guaranteed. If you book as a single diver, you understand that you may be required to hire a guide at an additional fee if no buddy is available.
Dive excursions include one two-tank dive trip (two different dive sites). Each trip is approximately 3.5 - 4 hours in total length. Tanks and weights included. SCUBA equipment and an in-water guide/divemaster are NOT included but can be hired at an additional cost. Please contact us for pricing and to reserve equipment or a guide, if needed.
Stop At:
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Waters Surrounding the Florida Keys, FL 33040
Certified Divers come explore the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park! Our boat is a 45' Corinthian catamaran especially suited for diving. We make two different stops on the third largest barrier reef in the world - the ONLY barrier reef in the USA!
You must be SCUBA certified to participate in this excursion. Not certified? Call us to discuss options to get under the water.
IMPORTANT: Please contact us if it has been one year or greater since your last dive as you may be required to hire a guide or participate in a refresher course. Failure may result in an inability to join the trip.
We will do our best to buddy up single divers, but this cannot be guaranteed. If you book as a single diver, you understand that you may be required to hire a guide at an additional fee if no buddy is available.
Dive excursions include one two-tank dive trip (two different dive sites). Each trip is approximately 3.5 - 4 hours in total length. Tanks and weights included. SCUBA equipment and an in-water guide/divemaster are NOT included but can be hired at an additional cost. Please contact us for pricing and to reserve equipment or a guide, if needed.
Stop At:
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Waters Surrounding the Florida Keys, FL 33040
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
txsunshine33
November 2021
Had a great scuba trip today with Captain John, First Mate Mike, and dive guide Krissy! I was a little anxious because I hadn’t dove in 1.5 years. They were all very friendly and helpful and made for a great time! Definitely recommend!
Had a great scuba trip today with Captain John, First Mate Mike, and dive guide Krissy! I was a little anxious because I hadn’t dove in 1.5 years. They were all very friendly and helpful and made for a great time! Definitely recommend!avm1175
August 2021
We had a 1:1 guide with our son, who has Asbergers. Kelly was absolutely amazing. Katie, the captain has a great sense of humor. It was a fantastic trip. We are going again tomorrow and are super excited! The whole experience was amazing. Diving off a pontoon boat was much easier than a speed b...
We had a 1:1 guide with our son, who has Asbergers. Kelly was absolutely amazing. Katie, the captain has a great sense of humor. It was a fantastic trip. We are going again tomorrow and are super excited! The whole experience was amazing. Diving off a pontoon boat was much easier than a speed boat.sgfoley
December 2021
We had an absolutely great experience. This was our first scuba trip after being certified. The crew was great to work with and as we new divers they were extremely helpful and patient. We actually went two days in a row and both our guides (Gia & Murphy) were fantastic. All 4 sites we went to we...
We had an absolutely great experience. This was our first scuba trip after being certified. The crew was great to work with and as we new divers they were extremely helpful and patient. We actually went two days in a row and both our guides (Gia & Murphy) were fantastic. All 4 sites we went to were amazing and varied. I would highly recommend them.ebendinsky
December 2021
Just went snorkeling the last 2 days with a friend while our husbands went scuba diving. Fantastic experience as the crew was very informative and helpful. We greatly enjoyed all the fish and coral we were able to see. Our husbands were doing their first dives since being certified and Gia was am...
Just went snorkeling the last 2 days with a friend while our husbands went scuba diving. Fantastic experience as the crew was very informative and helpful. We greatly enjoyed all the fish and coral we were able to see. Our husbands were doing their first dives since being certified and Gia was amazing - very confident and helped them become comfortable very quickly - gave them very helpful advice. Murphy was their guide on the second day and he was excellent also. Would definitely recommend using this company.tlectual
November 2021
Updated from 3 to 2 stars (see VERDICT below) For Discovery Scuba Course & Dive THE GOOD: - The start time: Pirates cove had an 8:30am start time, and they even said a 9am start time would be fine. So we really appreciated this and their flexibility. - The staff and our instructor: were all ve...
Updated from 3 to 2 stars (see VERDICT below) For Discovery Scuba Course & Dive THE GOOD: - The start time: Pirates cove had an 8:30am start time, and they even said a 9am start time would be fine. So we really appreciated this and their flexibility. - The staff and our instructor: were all very friendly, funny, safe, and professional. Our scuba instructor Mike Cutler was a true pro, incredibly knowledgeable, and explained everything in great detail. He also was attentive during the dive, and made sure that I had a safe and exciting experience. - The gear and equipment: all seemed to be updated. - The dives: were great! I got to see some amazing fishies, aMike helped me play with a delicate tiny arrow crab. - The boat crew: took good care of my wife while we were diving (more on this to come) AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: - Their Pool: Pirates-cove is located within the Marriot resort, so the pool onsite is whats used for scuba training. But this pool's max depth is only 4 ft deep, so while you can effectively get trained on most scuba tasks, one very important one that can't be practiced is equalizing the pressure in yours ears, due to its shallow depth. You need at least a 7-10 ft pool to practice this, a 4 foot pool just doesn't allow for it, so then you are forced to deal with it for the first time out at sea (which might be a nerve-wracking for some). - Instructional gap: all instructions pertaining to the dive, descending/ascending the rope, and getting back into the boat are covered in great detail. But one major piece that was missed (that contributed to my wife not making it with us into our dive at the last minute) was to cover what to expect after we jump into the water, and how to deal with the choppy waves while attempting to hold onto the line and swim to the buoy that would take us down to the ocean floor. Mike (our instructor) had my wife jump in first, and the strong current immediately took her underneath the boat (which caused her to panic). She was able to swim out and then eventually grab the line, but then immediately after that the waves were violently crashing up against her face and body (which caused her to go into a full panic attack). At that point she couldn't breath enough oxygen through her regulator (respirator) fast enough to keep up with her hyper-ventilating heart rate, so naturally she was trying to gasp for real air which was causing her to also take in sea water, which made her feel like she was drowning. So she clenched up in fear for her life, & lost all perspective of what was happening. And while this was happening our instructor kept yelling at her to open her eyes and come to him (he was at the buoy 20 ft away. When she felt she could no longer go on, she gave the signal to abort, and then Mike instructed her to swim back around to the ladder to re-board the boat. Myself and Mike proceeded to go down and do the dive without her. During both dives she sat in the boat, which eventually also gave her sea sickness, and vomited multiple times. My dives on the other hand went smoothly, and the experience for me was incredible (aside from the fact of not being able to share it w/ my wife). But in their defense of this point, that day we went was very windy , so the waves were choppy (and I am not counting that as a negative towards this review at all), but still feel if proper preparation on what to expect was given in terms of this, and my wife was given a little more patience and compassionate care (call it hand-holding if you'd like) rather than yelling at her to simply complete a task, I feel like she would had made it over that hump and made it down below with us for her dive. The dive sites: maybe the choppy waters were to blame, but our 1st reef didn't have much to look at. The 2nd stop we went to (Banana Reef) was great. It had a lot more interesting rock formations and sea life swimming around. - Zero discount consideration for my wife: I understand that in the end it was my wife's decision to abort both of her dives, but I still feel like maybe a slight adjustment could have been given towards the tank fees, since she never used them. But when I asked, we were told that because she went on the boat, we would still have to pay full price for her boat ride. So we basically had to pay for a boat ride that had her get traumatized and then endure sea sickness for a few hours. THE VERDICT: Updated due to manager response: was that sternness was required for safety, which is ridiculous and defensive. You are stern to children who don't listen, or in the case of our instructor (who is ex-military) you are stern with young soldiers...NOT a 43 year old woman who is having a panic attack in the middle of the ocean - this only amplified, not diffuse, the crisis. I also just read in another prior Yelp review (Bree K. 11/15/20) that this same exact situation occurred to them. To the manager: please consider being more empathetic (rather than stern) when a new diver has a panic attack.ashleypF4078GO
November 2021
I took a few days after the experience I’m about to discuss to reflect on whether to write this review. I don’t write negative reviews. However, I am also an outdoorsy person who regularly engages in dangerous outdoor sports and activities (backcountry skiing, packrafting, mountain biking, rock c...
I took a few days after the experience I’m about to discuss to reflect on whether to write this review. I don’t write negative reviews. However, I am also an outdoorsy person who regularly engages in dangerous outdoor sports and activities (backcountry skiing, packrafting, mountain biking, rock climbing etc.), often with a guide and even acting as a river guide myself sometimes, so I am posting this review in the hopes it will spark a discussion amongst the crew and staff and lead to improvements as well as warn any other potential divers of the risks I encountered on their boat with their crew. I had originally booked a two-tank dive with Tarpoon Lagoon in Miami Beach, with whom I have had many great dives and is a shop I highly recommend. The weather in Miami was going to be bad so TL took us on Pirate’s Cove’s charter. I used to live in Miami. I still come to south Florida often. I am an experienced diver. I have never, ever had a more aggressively hostile and unsafe scuba experience as I did with Pirate’s Cove. From the moment I walked in the door every employee other than an older woman with a blonde ponytail was terribly rude and dismissive. Once I got on the boat, their behavior was even worse. Rude, condescending, anxiety-inducing. No roll call after the first dive. I was so uncomfortable I didn’t go on the second dive. I made up a lie about not liking scuba in bad weather (which is a lie, I love it.) The truth is that between the crew’s behavior, the weather and my status as a solo diver I believed my safety was in jeopardy and could potentially be left at sea. I was correct. What happened next is the most terrifying scuba experience I have ever had. There were two Tarpoon Lagoon guides with my group. One guide was with one inexperienced diver. They got back right on time on the second dive. The other TL guide was with two inexperienced divers. I know the divers were inexperienced because I accompanied them on the first dive. He was a few minutes late getting back to the boat on the second dive. I imagine part of the issue during the second dive was that I was not with him to help “corral” the two inexperienced divers and believe someone may have lost their way toward the end of the dive; there were a few unidentified diver pop ups in the water as well as some private boats in the same area and visibility was very bad due to recent storms. (I don’t know the full story because I was too stunned to ask on the boat and drove away from the shop as fast as I could as soon as we hit land.) Regardless of the circumstances, conditions were not ideal. Before the first guide even arrived, however, the crew started screaming and yelling about how they “didn’t have f**king time for this s**t” and how there was another charter waiting (spoiler alert: we got back to the shop and there was not) and, most alarmingly, how they were going to start throwing weights at the guides if they were late. They were also yelling about having to complete “paperwork for the coast guard” if the divers were hurt or went missing. Their behavior only worsened the literal second the clock ticked past the slated return time, and astonishingly, even riled up the rest of the non-scuba passengers to get in on the action. Any guide worth their salt knows when weather conditions get bad you keep a positive attitude for the rest of the group, especially in a mixed-use charter where many of the passengers aren’t used to the type of rapid weather shifts Mother Nature brings. I was shocked. The crew was relentless. Diving can be a very dangerous sport, especially when the weather turns. The people on the boat are supposed to be looking out for your safety, not screaming and yelling about potential tardiness, threatening violence, and their most abhorrent behavior, riling up the rest of the tourists and snorkelers on the boat to be equally as angry at my TL guide and his two other experienced divers as they were. On the way back to the shop, the crew continued to talk amongst themselves, which is when I heard the real reason they were angry about my TL guide’s slight tardiness - they were going to go out and party/get drunk later and needed to go home to get ready before going back out to party. They talked about the types of alcohol they had leftover from Halloween and how much more they needed to get before the evening’s party. They also gossiped about their coworkers and other people with whom they had been out drinking - I heard all about a very dramatic night at Sharky’s, which I could have done without. I’ve never not tipped a dive boat in my life. I took the tip I had prepared for the crew and tipped my TL guide double. I was disgusted. My entire experience, other than the 45 minutes I was underwater on the first dive, was ruined. What a waste of $200 (I live in a mountainous state now so my gear dry-rotted long ago.) If you are a snorkeler or simple boat tourist who isn’t engaging in a dangerous sport, sure, take the charter and have fun. But if you’re an experienced diver looking for a safe, welcoming experience, especially if you’re going with a visiting shop - look elsewhere.