good shore dive in the keys? please help!

[mikeleebaker]

i want to shore dive in the keys. i want to spear while im there. where is a good legal spot? every time i find a good spot i find out later it's illegal for one reason or another. even in spots where locals have told me it was legal as they were spearing that very spot. i am no poacher, but i feel like im gonna get in trouble all the time now cause my mind is never at ease even when the locals advise me that im legal in that area.

dont get me wrong, i search for information on new found spots but i am easily confused by the wording on most resources.

if anyone can advise me with a good solidly legal shore dive with decent hunting i would be extremely appreciative!

thanks in advance for ANY help!!!

[mikeleebaker]

my most recent discovery was the old bridge in bahia honda. i was so happy to find a spot where it was apparently legal to shore dive and spear!

i have seen MANY fellow spearos shore diving that exact spot. but i heard recenlty that it isnt legal.

my spirits are low now as i was supposed to head down there tomorrow! now i have no idea where to go...

[# one]

yup. ive dove there in the past (off a boat)..., but the curent rips througth there so you would have to time the tides right. good luck. you wouldnt want to get swept into the gulf or out to the Atlantic.

There really aren't any good shore dives in the Keys.
Too shallow for long distances or actually illegal if you read all rules, laws and ordinances.
It is actually illegal to spearfish from land around any bridges or jettys in the Keys. The minimum distances in which you can spear from manmade structure precludes legally doing so. In many cases you will be ticketed by FWC.

[mikeleebaker]

so there is no shore diving in the keys? that is bullshit if true.

[LunkerBuster]

the isues are that above a certain point you must be three miles from anything, including small pieces of mangrove that are only visible at lowtide, add to that the fact that the reef is pretty far off of shore in the keys, esp the lower keys, and the northern keys is protected in pennycamp and the biscayne park and the everglades on the west.

I have heard of some decent stuff in islamorada from shore, but I would imagine there is a lot of guessing and snorkelling around to find any structure.
maybe a local wants to go diving with you? good luck with your trip

[mikeleebaker]

went down to bahia honda today. or just south of it. had a local tell me it was legal where i was so i jumped in with my girl. vis was okay at best. we didnt see anything worth shooting but had fun!

any more info from anyone? any conchs wanna show me a spot? ill buy dinner!

[njspearo]

ok ok ...let me clear things up since 90% percent of the info your getting is false
the 3 miles from land thing is only from largo to long key. once you cross the long key bridge your ok. but as keysdivers said there isnt much since it is so shallow untill you get out far.
but you do have bridges and rock piles on sides of bridges.
now if the bridge has a fishing pier, meaning it has a separate walk way running parallel to the bridge to fish from, you need to be 100 yards from it. same goes for any beach, but there is no spearing too be done near any beach anyway.
so that is the official low down, and yes the old bahia honda bridge is fair game and legal, i have dove it a handfull of times but the ripping currents and lack of fish and viz has made me not care about diving it.
since i am a cool guy i will tell you about one shore spot where you can get 25 foot depths and some fish.
if your already down that way by the bahia honda bridge than your right next to a good spot. its a dug out quarry on the gulf side on west summerland key(the first key you hit after getting off of the bahia honda bridge. right after you get off the bridge headed south bound make a right into a parking lot. bam
try this spot.

[njspearo]

ps if your gonna be around next week. give me a call i live in marathon. or come by capt hooks, also in marathon.

215 589 0855

cal

[mikeleebaker]

Cal, you are the man! thank you for clearing this issue up for me and for sharing the location! i sincerely appreciate it!

i will be sure to hit you up if i can make it down next week!

[njspearo]

by next week i meant to say this upcoming week. i am up on the mainland till tommorow. but ill be around from this monday on

[Swimsuit]

thanks for jumping in on the misinformation cal. ditto everything he said. another sometimes fishy (& lobstery) spot is off long & duck key bridges. however, you do have to contend with the distance from the fishing pier at those sites.

[mikeleebaker]

understood, sounds good cal!

thanks swimsuit! where do you get in the water around those bridges? off the rocks a ways down from the piers i assume?

[Swimsuit]

not sure. i haven't tried it. jeff used to go out there once in a while & i knew kids at work who did.

[jtbspear]

ive been to that quary its actualy really cool lost a snorkel there if you find it let me know lol