Shoredive the Keys....

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Shoredive the Keys

Or how to have a family diver and non-diver fun time in the keys....

Everyone goes to the Keys. It is a great place to get away from the Hectic paces of life, and to have the chance to get wet in some great water with abundant sea life, nice visibility, and WARM (this from a guy who knows the cold waters of Lakes Michigan, Erie, Ontario, and Superior {note to myself.... got to get wet in Huron someday...}).

A group of friends and I did some dives in the Keys a few years ago, in the Big Pine area, and while the girls went to the Dry Tortugas on a day trip, Bob and I decided to go and try the end of Lobster Season.

We were looking for a nice shore dive, and after some asking around, found out about this place called the Horseshoe.

I have tried to find out some history about this structure, as it appears to have been totally manmade, but I have as yet been unable to gather that info. (Any sources are welcome.)

Just above Big Pine Key, as you can see from the map here, lies Spanish Harbor Keys. You can see the structure on the map, juting from the Key as a horseshoe shape, and easily visible from the bridges leading in from both ends of the Key.

Map of Spanish Harbor Key, showing the Horseshoe Formation jutting from the shore.

The Mile Marker 35 signs lie right up the hill from the parking lot for this area. In fact, the road visible behind the foliage is the road into the lot.

The Mile Marker 35 signs are just above the parking Lot

The Switchback into the parking area. As you can see, not an over-used dive site. Nice and comfortable.....

The Parking Lot and the road in from the US1

So Once you have parked, and taken in the great smell of the salt air, you are ready to dive....

The walk to the horseshoe itself is the only drawback to this site. I paced it off at about 90 yards or so, from the end of the lot. (NOTE: Try to park nicely. Sometimes people park thinking they are going to be the only ones in, and make it a little harder for the rest of the world to get in here and enjoy the place.) Many people bring little wagons or carts for carrying the tanks and gear down to the water. (I personally suggest setting up the gear at the car, and then just throwing it on for the walk.)

The Walk to the Horseshoe, about 90 Yards....

Once you get to the Base of the Horseshoe, you will see a great expanse of area, and even on days that the seas are a little rough outside the formation, the inside remains quite calm. (A great place, and often used, for training and refreshers.)

Plenty of room to sprawl out the gear, the blankets, the chairs, the grills, the coolers, and whatever it takes to enjoy a day of fun and water. Fishing is great on the outside of the Horseshoe, especially at the mouth of the formation.

A view to the west leg of the horseshoe

Those are people out at the end of the east side of the horseshoe in the picture below.....

I'd estimate that the legs are on the order of 150+ yards long each......

The view to the east leg of the horseshoe

So, I guess it is time for the divemasters briefing about the site......

The initial area slopes gradually for a bit, allowing you to water-don your gear nicely. Then a ledge drop off takes place, and you are in to the swim. On the south wall from center, I like to head to the right, and start in the circle.

Lots of Lobsters (Spiny and Reef)(some even legal size), Crabs of all sizes (Memorial Day I spotted one that was about 10" across on the body), fish of all varieties (Angels, Snook, Pampano, Baracuda, Grunts, Hogfish, Redfish, Triggerfish, and much more.....), and on more than one occassion I have seen Spotted Morays in the crevices.

So, the base of the ledges runs the circle, at an average depth of 20fsw, sometimes dipping to 30fsw, up to 16 fsw at the northwest corner. Once you get away from the base of the ledge, the bottom turns to a mucky, but that is a good signal to head towards the wall...

The circle is a one tank dive, and not at too fast a pace..... Nice also, is the fact that no matter where you are, you can walk out of the water, and back to the start... (In case you lose track of air while chasing a lobster...)

So once you have come around to almost where you started at, the front wall at the southwest corner holds some large cavernous holes. (No cave or cavern diving here though, as you'd be lucky to fit a diver inside of there without gear, and just because of size, not opening. So they are more like pockets....) LOTS of lobsters hide in here, and the last dive there was a huge Grey Angel hiding with them. (about 24" or better)

Center of the whole horseshoe gets to about 45 fsw, with an old ambulance slowly sinking into the nevermore. Hiding place for lots of lobsters, and fish swimming about. Worth a look once in a while, but watch the stir-up on the way out.

Visibilities there have been anywheres from 20 to 70 feet, depending on the weather and tides.... (The photos above were at an extreme high tide).

You also get to educate people as you go, as there are occasionally snorkelers and curious onlookers about.

So it isn't the Duane, but then again who can climb out of the water at the Duane and have a fresh grilled steak or hot-dog, relax on a lounge chair, and sun for a while before doing it again. So it isn't French reef, but you can keep the kids with you without listening to them feed the fish and moan "When do we get back?".

So yes Virginia, there is shore diving in the Keys.