Dive Duck Key FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Shane asked :scuba Q:I will be there the 2nd week of May and am looking to go diving. What are the depths of your dive trip (shallow reefs or deeper)? Also if I bring a speargun do you have a boat that goes spearfishing?
A:Hey Shane, Alot of our diving is around 30', we do have reefs that go as deep as 100', and our wreck dive sits in 120'. And yes, bring your gun! Joe
Not Sure asked :is Dive Duck Key open to the public Q:do i have to be a guest of the resort to take a diving lesson?
A:Yes, although we are located on the beautiful property of Hawks Cay Resort, we are most certainly open to the public for all diving retail, lessons and services. Please, don't hesitate to call us if you have any further questions or would like to make a reservation. Thank You, Wendy
Rob asked :snorkeling on or around Duck Cay Q:I'm thinking of bringing my wife down and dropping our 26 foot regal cruiser to stay a few days on the water. We're looking to rent a slip and take day trips for snorkeling and exploring the blue waters!! Any recommendations on a slip with utility hookups for evenings and if there are other Cay's that might be worth a peek as well? It's our first boat trip down there. Any information is greatly appreciated!
A:Rob, Thank you for your inquiry. Hawks Cay is a beautiful location in the Middle of the Keys. We have slips that have hook ups and a beautiful resort with great ammenities. The diving off of Duck Key is fabulous as we are the only diving facility within a 10 mile radius. Less pressure on the reef. To make reservations for the slip you can contact Hawks Cay directly through the website or call 305-743-7000. If I can answer any further questions please, don't hesitate to email diving@hawkscay.com or call 877-FUN-DIVE. Thank You, Wendy
Steve asked :tank rentals and air fills Q:Is there a dive shop at the resort for renting tanks, and fill ups?
A:Yes, Dive Duck Key is located in the Marina on the property of Hawks Cay Resort. We have a full service dive shop with retail, rentals, dive trips, lessons and AIR fills. Hope we can help you!!!
Stacie asked: comparison of local dive sites Q:do any of your dive trips go to Pennekamp or are they all local.
A:Hi Stacie, Why would we leave our beautiful dive sites to go all the way to Pennekamp??? Pennekamp has almost 40 dive shops that all dive on the same reefs daily. Yes, it is the first great place to dive in the Keys from the Miami area, but it is saturated with divers.(It's over an hour's drive each way in a car) We don't have any shops within a 10 mile radius and have over 30 different reefs and the Thunderbolt Wreck to dive on. You'll love our crew too!!! Let us know if we can answer any further questions for you. Diving@hawkscay.com or 877-FUN-DIVE Thank you, Wendy
Julie asked :combination trips for divers and non divers Q:We are trying to plan a trip to your resort. My boyfriend is a certified diver. I have done some diving but am not certified. Could we take one trip together where he can dive while I snorkel (or snuba)? Or, are dive and snorkel excursions always separate?
A:Absolutely, you can snorkel while he dives. We also offer one day resort scuba courses and SNUBA. You could join him underwater too. Tons of options here at Dive Duck Key. Give us a call if we can answer any other questions for you.
David asked :hurricanes Q:is october a good month to go on a vacation trip or is it hurricane sesean still
A:Historically October is still storm season, but this year we have El Nino on the west coast and a high pressure that's sitting on the west coast of Europe. The forecasters really look forward to a big Hurricane season. Really hasn't panned out this year.
Colin Williams asked :check out dive for open water certification Q:Are you able to offer a check out dive to complete certification? Thanks! -Colin
A:Absolutely!!! We will need to half days to complete your certification. Call at your soonest convenience as we are booking up quickly. The price for checkouts are $325 and that does include all of your gear and registration. Hope to hear from you soon, Wendy
Ashley Chango asked :spearfishing trips Q:Do you offer spearfishing trips? We are experienced free divers and spearfish often, but won't have a boat with us while visiting the keys.
A:We allow spearfishing on most of our boat trips, although we have some guideslines all spearfishermen have to follow on the boat so that we can make sure to respect the reef and other divers on board. Give us a call and I will tell you all about it!
Kevin Ji asked :weather for diving Q:Hi Sir/Madam, I am planning the trip to Florida Keys from 23-26 May. Will be the weather good enough for Snorkeling or Scuba diving during that time? Thanks. Kevin
A:May is usually a good time of year for diving and snorkeling. We have had a great spring break so far! Give us a call and we will get something set up!
Dan asked :diving Q:How deep are your reefs? I am certified, but have not dove for 5 years and do not really care much to go down to 70' thx
A:Our reefs are in 30ft of water and the diving is usually nice and easy, good visibility, little current, and lots of fish! We do recommend a guide or a refresher course if it has been more than a couple of years since you dove last. It is a good idea to brush up on those skills before jumping back in after a long break from diving.
John T asked :guides in the water Q:Hi. Do you provide guides in the water during the reef dives? I saw that one is provided for the thunderbolt. If I have never been lobstering, is this something I can do with Dive Duck Key? Thanks John
A:On our shallow reef dive trips, there is not a dive master guide for all the divers. Because our conditions are usually so gorgeous, we prefer to buddy our divers up and let them explore our beautiful reefs at their leisure. Rather than everyone following one person like a herd of cattle. For the Thunderbolt Wreck dive we do provide a guide because of the depth. You are more than welcome to try lobstering with us. Mini Lobster season is the last Wednesday and Thursday of July, and the regular season opens August 6th. We sell lobstering equipment and gear here at our shop, and you can try lobstering on your own or hire a private guide to teach you. Either way, its an awesome way to dive the reefs and catch dinner at the same time!
Jerry Sweitzer asked :snorkel trip for 5 and 8 year old Q:Are their snorkel trips suitable for a 5 and 8 year old? Not to far out and to deep. What is the cost end of June?
A:We run a really awesome SNUBA/snorkel trip for kids and adults, ages 8 and up. We go 4 miles out to the coral reef and SNUBA/snorkel sites that range from 10-20ft deep. Kids younger than 8 are more than welcome to join their families on the boat as snorkelers only. The SNUBA program is $99/person and additional snorkelers are $45 each. We look forward to showing your family our beautiful reefs!
Guy Stamet from Luxemburg/Europe asked :diving depth Q:Hello, I'm coming with my family for holiday to Hawks Resort in August.My son is 13 years old and a certified PADI Open Water Diver.I do have the P2 diving licence. Shall we have the possibility to join you for interesting diving trips with limited PADI depth? With best regards Guy
A:Our beautiful coral reefs are in 30ft (10m) of water or less. We dive shallow because that is where our best underwater life is. We hope to have the opportunity to show you and your son our beautiful reefs!
Pat asked :tank rentals Q:I have rented a house on the island for dive days. We would like to rent tanks for the week. Can I reserve them? If so how much will it cost?
A:We do not reserve tank rentals in advance. Tank rentals are $10/day including the fill and are on a first come, first serve basis.
Kevin asked :dive trip Q:My wife and I are coming on vacation in November. I was wondering if yall will still offer dive trips at this time. Second question.. I just finished my Advanced course with SSI but I donot have my card yet. Can I still do a night dive?
A:Yes and yes. We offer dive trips at 8am and 1pm 365 days a year. We do recommend booking in advance. Especially if you are interested in a night dive, as we do those on request and need advanced notice. We do not require AOW certification for a night dive. Looking forward to diving with you and your wife!
Jeff Horstman asked :open water junior cert. Q:Can we do an Open Water portion of a Junior PADI divers cert there in later August?
A:Yes, you can do your Junior Open Water Check out dives with us here. I recommend booking in advance to secure an instructor for the dives. We look forward to diving with you!
Nicole asked :number of dives Q:Hello! I will be arriving at the resort on 8/20. Should I book in advance for my dive trips or wait until I get there? We are unsure what days we will want to dive but don't want to wait if you book up quickly. Also is each trip a 2 tank dive? Thanks!
A:All of our boat trips go to 2 locations. We do recommend advanced reservations to ensure your spot, although walkins are welcome if there is room! We look forward to diving with you!
Millie asked :lobster hunting and SNUBA diving Q:Do you have prices for snuba, lobster hunting packages or boat rentals for people that are not spending the nights at the resort?
A:Our prices are posted on our website, and are the same for Hawks Cay Guests as well as non resort guests. We welcome all Florida Keys vacationers on our boat! SNUBA is $99 for a half day trip, we allow lobstering on all our dive trips, and unfortunately we do not rent small boats out, our customer go out on our custom 40' Dive and SNUBA boat.
Martin Vincent asked :weather Q:what is average weather and water temp in late march?
A:March weather ranges from air temperatures of high 70sF to 80sF, and water temperatures from mid70s to low 80s. Perfect diving weather!
Located in the middle keys on Duck Key, Dive Duck Key provides SCUBA & SNUBA® diving trips, guides, dive instruction, certification classes, retail sales, air fills, gear rental and repair. Explore the only living coral reef system in the continental U.S with our
team of diving professionals.
Located at Mile Marker 61 in the Hawks Cay Marina.
Phone: (877) FUN - DIVE (305) 743 - 9633
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