Anyone see any reason not to purchase one of these to use when we are down there?
http://www.hobiecat.com/mirage/mirage-tandem-island/
Very excited as we've decided to leave Monday instead of later in the week. Thanks everyone for your input it will make this trip even better than our first.
Ron thank you for sharing those pics of the Dry Tortugas that is now at the top of our list.
The trimaran looks like fun. And it works well as an alternative activity. That is, when there is no wind it's the best time to snorkel and sailing is pointless. When it is windy it's the best time to sail and snorkeling is crappy because visibility is a problem!
And if you go to the Dry Tortugas, be prepared to relax on a long boat ride each way. And I hope you get the kind of really calm water we had!
I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip.
Thank you so much for this awesome, fun, informative thread.
I'm just tagging along.
Looks like I have a new spot to visit on my next drive!
I'm in Tampa Bay, and miss my annual keys trips.
I think we may before this "season" starts.
What's a cost effective bungalow or motel for a night by this Bahia Honda ?
There are a variety of places to stay in the area. We like Marathon because it's close and there are all the amenities, restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores, dive shops, other sites to visit. But there are cool places elsewhere. We stayed at a B&B on Big Pine Key called the Binnacle. It has serious pluses and minuses. They have a very... cute... quaint... unusual... room called the 'crow's nest' which we liked. But if it's hot outside, the A/C in that room isn't close to good enough. But it has a half inside, half outside shower stall that looks out over the beach and ocean! But their beach seems to always have a ton of seaweed in the water (like right from shore out 50 feet into the water).
If you are looking for inexpensive places to stay, my recommendations would be:
Blackfin Resort & Marina
Kingsail
Sea Dell
They are all about the same price (inexpensive as prices in the Keys go). And you need to pay attention to the time of year (or ask the motel). If it's lobster season, power boat race week, mini lobster season, or some other big event, prices go up. They also go up late Fall thru early Spring which is the snowbird season. But late Spring and all of the Fall are our favorite times because the water is warm enough, the weather is good (less afternoon thunderstorms and less risk of hurricanes) and less people!
All 3 motels are mom & pop type places, not chains like Holiday Inn. I think all 3 have their own websites so you can see them in photos. They are all a bit 'homey' meaning the rooms are clean and comfortable, but the amenities may be a bit older. They all have nice pools. Blackfin and Kingsail have docks for boats, I think only Blackfin has a boat ramp on the property and is the only one with a tiny 'beach' and a swimming area. We stay at the Blackfin and use an efficiency. They are a bit away from the other rooms, quieter, and closer to the swimming area and cost a bit more. We always swim/snorkel out the 100 yards to the small island just out from the mouth of the marina. It's not spectacular snorkeling, but if you look around you can see lobsters, juvenile tropical fish, feather dusters, anemones and sponges. We make that our first 'in the water' event of our visit to see how warm the water is so we know how to suit up for the next days more serious (much longer) snorkel.
If you have any questions, please ask. My wife and I love snorkeling the shallows near shore and we'd like to make your experience as much fun as possible, so I'm happy to offer any advise I can. Between her photos and my collecting, we always have fun. And if the weather is bad (windy) and snorkeling visibility is bad, there are lots of other sites to see.
Here is a marked up Google Earth map of the Blackfin Resort and the little snorkel island:
