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.AUTHOR S PICK - Rainbow Reef Dive Center,MM 84.9 BS at Tropical Reef Resort, 305-664-4600,800-457-4354, www.rainbowreef.us, is a full-servicePADI Five-Star Gold Palm Resort facility, offering les-sons, referrals, guided dives, full gear rental and sales,Nitrox certification and lodging, as well as bike, canoeand Sunfish rentals.Their dive trips are in small boatswith no more than six divers.They offer drift, wall andnight dives as well as two-tank trips twice a day.Atwo-tank dive with tanks and weights is $56.RainbowReef has a reputation as one of the better dive operatorsin the area.Tilden s Scuba Center, MM 51 OS, Hawk s Cay,305-289-4931, www.tildensscubacenter.com.Tilden shas a shop in Marathon and another one where theirboats dock at Hawk s Cay Resort Marina.They are afull-service operation with complete PADI trainingcourses, including Nitrox certification.Their fleet in-cludes both six-pack and larger boats holding as manyas 16 divers.I found them to be professional and knowl-edgeable.The training I observed was very well run these people try hard to do things right.Each trip hasboth a captain and Divemaster.Destinations range fromthe patch reefs directly offshore from Duck Key todeeper dives on the outer reefs and the Thunderboltwreck.Their boats are well set up and roomy.A basictrip (a good choice for beginners and the less experi-enced) with two tanks and weights is $59; snorkelers On Water 111can go along for $30.If you want a more advanced dive,ask to be included in a more experienced group.SnorkelingAs in most of the Keys, the best snorkeling is on the reefs a fewmiles offshore.Still, there are plenty of interesting things to seein the shallow waters around Key Largo and the nearby UpperKeys.Most snorkel trip operators take customers to both thenearby and more offshore reefs.Make sure you go on a trip thatcaters specifically to snorkelers, since dive trips usually go muchdeeper than you need.OUTFITTERSKeys Diver Snorkel Tours, MM 100 BS (next toWendy s), Key Largo, 305-451-1177, 888-289-2402,www.keysdiver.com, offers three daily snorkel-onlytours to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park andKey Largo National Marine Sanctuary.They visit theChrist statue and other popular spots.All equipment isprovided, including dry snorkels, masks, fins, safetyvests and instruction.Sundiver Snorkel Tours, MM 103, Key Largo,305-451-2220, 800-654-7369, www.snorkelingisfun.com, goes to all the hot spots: John Pennekamp CoralReef State Park, the Christ statue and some of the moreinteresting inner reefs.They run three trips a day andprovide everything you need.Call for departure times.Caribbean Watersports, MM 97 BS, Key Largo, at theSheraton Beach Resort, 305-852-4707, www.carib-beanwatersports.com, has a snorkeling-only trip goodfor beginners and more advanced snorkelers.You areguaranteed to spend the whole time in shallow watersuitable for snorkeling, rather than diving.Upper Keys 112 AdventuresSHORE-ACCESSIBLE SNORKELING SPOTSUnless you re staying in a hotel with water frontage, it shard to find an interesting snorkeling spot without aboat.Harry Harris County Park, MM 93 OS,305-852-7161, has a small beach suitable forbeginning snorkelers.The water is shallow.Parkamenities include restrooms and showers.Sunset CruisesHorizon Catamaran Sail Cruise, MM60 OS, Duck Key,305-743-7000, ext.3555, $30 per person.The nightly trips on a40-foot catamaran include refreshments and champagne.If youdon t have your own boat, this is a good way to see the area from alittle ways offshore at the very best time of the day.Captain Sterling s Champagne Sunset Cruises, DolphinCove MM 102, Key Largo, 888-224-6044, offers nightly cruisesand wedding specials aboard a 30-passenger boat.Nautilimo, MM 80.5 BS, Islamorada, 305-942-3793, www.nautilimo.com.Captain Joe Fox has taken a stretch limo andmade it seaworthy.The combination boat/car, which can bedriven on the road and floated over the flats, is an amusing wayto arrive at waterside events.It s a real hoot.Two-hour sunsetcruises aboard the unique Nautilimo start at $75.WatersportsThe popularity of windsurfing seems to be declining in favor ofkite boarding.And the trade winds and flat water in the Keysmake good conditions for both.EQUIPMENT RENTALSRobbie s, MM 77.5 BS, Islamorada, 305-664-9814,877-664- 8498, www.robbies.com, robbies@gate.net.Robbie s has been around for more than 20 years and isa good place to find a simple, cheap boat rental.Theyalso rent kayaks and personal watercraft for trips out toIndian Key and Lignum Vitae Key.Over the years, tar-pon have learned they can get a handout from Robbie sdock and literally hundreds of the silver sides weighing In the Air 113up to 100 lbs mill about the dock waiting for tourists tofeed them.There is a $1 charge just to walk out on thedock and witness this; $2 gets you a small pail of fishscraps to feed them.Bump & Jump, MM 81.5 OS Islamorada, 305-664-9404, www.floridakeyswindsurfing.com.Bump & Jumphas rental equipment for catamaran sailing, windsurf-ing and the more popular kite boarding.They offer com-plete instruction, and even deliver to your hotel.Checktheir web site for specials but don t look there to find outwhere they actually are.Pelican Cove Resort, MM 84.5, OS, Islamorada,305-664-4435, 800-445-4690, www.pcove.com, rentsevery conceivable type of watersports gear and they arejust onshore from the famous sand bar where youngfolks from all over the world congregate in bathing at-tire to flirt and socialize.In the AirIf you have the guts, flying an ultra-light is probably thevery best way to enjoy a leisurely view of the reefs andflats.OUTFITTERFlying Fish Flight School, Windley Key in the Coco-nut Cove Marina, 305-664-4055, seagliders@yahoo.com, offers ultra-light flying lessons in Quicksilver craftwith floats for water landings.For $55, you can get ashort introductory flight.If you want to go the fullcourse and become a licensed ultra-light pilot, you willneed 10 hours of lessons, which runs about $1,000.Upper Keys 114 Where to StayWhere to StayRatings & PricesAll the room prices in this book are for two people stay-ing in a double room during high season.Taxes andmeals are not included unless so mentioned.Hotels andlodges marked Author s Choice are my personal favorites, offer-ing top quality lodging and services but, more importantly, some-thing of particular interest or charm.ACCOMMODATIONS PRICE CHART$.Under $100$$.$100-200$$$.$200-300$$$$.Over $300Hotels & ResortsAmy Slate s Amoray Dive Center & Resort, MMHOTEL104.2 BS, Key Largo, 305-451-3595, 800-426-6729, fax305-453-9516, www.amoray.com, amoraydive@aol.com,$$$.If you re looking for an underwater wedding or honeymoon,Amy Slate can arrange it all for you.The unusual name camefrom the Miami Herald.It cleverly headlined That s Amoray todescribe one of the resort s undersea weddings that was crashedby a huge moray eel.The hotel has a variety of pleasant roomsfrom simple singles to luxurious villas, some with great viewsof Florida Bay.Many rooms have a dock at the back door so youcan step directly from your room onto a dive boat.Amy Slate s isan all-inclusive dive center.Anchorage Resort & Yacht Club, MM 107
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