HMS Minnow/Holiday Inn Key Largo Resort, Feb, 2004,by Steven Altchuler, MN, USA . Report 936. |
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No photos available at this time | |||
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Accommodations | Food | ||
Service and Attitude | Environmental Sensitivity | N/A | |
Dive Operation | Shore Diving | ||
Snorkeling | N/A | ||
Overall Rating |
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Value for $$ | N/A | ||
Beginners | |||
Advanced | |||
Comments |
HMS Minnow: The HMS Minnow is a 25' boat - holds up to six divers. Jeff tailors the dives to your preferences. I was diving with my younger daughter (Jr Open Water), so we dove shallow reefs and the Benwood, a shallow wreck. Jeff planned great dives, increasing in difficulty. There's no dive master in the water with you, but Jeff gives excellent briefings, with charts, to help you plan the dive. Jeff leaves the marina earlier than most other boats, so he's able to get to the dive sites you want. The boat is comfortable. He carries first aid supplies, as well as oxygen, marine radio, and cellular telephone. With a quick email, he had nitrox waiting for me for the dive. Jeff does not intrude, but clearly observes the divers and assesses their skills. He had a rinse tank waiting on the pier. The only drawback is HMS Minnow has no head. The HMS Minnow website is <[hmsminnow.com link];, and his email is <hmsminnow@msn.com>. Jeff and I easily arranged our trip via e-mail. Summary: I would easily dive with the HMS Minnow again. It's excellent if you want personalized diving, with the opportunity to do the dives you want. However, if you would prefer a divemaster in the water to show you the sites, I would recommend another operator. Key Largo Holiday Inn: I'll merely list the facts: o) Conveniently located to the HMS Minnow. o) Check-in was simple and accurate o) At dinner, our three entrees at the hotel restaurant came at three different times o) The room had a sleeper sofa in it. It was made, with the sheets covering the packing plastic which the mattress was left in. o) We were locked INTO our room. When we went to get ice at bedtime, the door would not open. It took over one-half hour before they could unlock it from outside, and then another one-half hour before it was fixed enough that the door could be open and shut from inside the room. However, no one at night could reprogram the lock and they did not call in anyone who could reprogram the lock. As a result, one of us needed to stay in the room at all times until the next morning. This meant we could not have breakfast together. (If we hadn't tried to get the ice, we would have discovered all this as we tried to leave for our dive the next morning.) o) At checkout, I was billed for a meal that someone else had. It took them ten minutes to verify the charge was not mine. o) The hotel website links to "Visit Our Other Hotels and Resorts" -- The Marriott Key Largo, The Ramada Key Largo, The Marina Del Mar, The Travelodge and Suites. |
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Reporter and Travel |
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Dive Experience | 501-1000 dives | ||
Where else diving | US, Pacific, Carribean, Asia | ||
Closest Airport | Getting There | ||
Dive Conditions |
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Weather | sunny | Seas | calm, choppy |
Water Temp | 73-73°F / 23-23°C | Wetsuit Thickness | 3 |
Water Visibility | 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M | ||
Dive Policy |
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Dive own profile | yes | ||
Enforced diving restrictions | Return to boat with 500 psi | ||
Liveaboard? | no | Nitrox Available? | N/A |
What I Saw |
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Sharks | 1 or 2 | Mantas | None |
Dolphins | None | Whale Sharks | None |
Turtles | None | Whales | None |
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best): |
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Corals | Tropical Fish | ||
Small Critters | Large Fish | ||
Large Pelagics | |||
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Subject Matter | N/A | Boat Facilities | N/A |
Overall rating for UWP's | N/A | Shore Facilities | N/A |
UW Photo Comments | [None] |
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