Upper Keys Celebrates Women’s Dive Day

There was a time when scuba diving — with its cumbersome equipment and demanding techniques — was largely the realm of men and considered an extreme sport.

Few women took the plunge, and most never considered doing so. Times do change. By the 1990s, equipment designed for women was readily available, and interest grew. That was certainly evident Saturday, July 18, during Women's Dive Day. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors established the day as a way to spread the word.

"Since 2015, PADI Members have hosted Women's Dive Day events across 183 countries, introducing new divers to the underwater world, building confidence, and creating lasting community," PADI said.

"PADI Women's Dive Day is a global celebration of connection, empowerment, and ocean exploration. Today, we celebrate the women who dive for adventure, for community, and for the future of our blue planet. Wherever you're diving today, we'd love to celebrate with you! The local "wherever" was in and around Key Largo, with at least four dive shops running charters featuring female captains, mates and divers. For Horizon Divers, it was an afternoon of enjoying wrecks and reefs." Jayme Hall sent a quick recap.

"With an all-female crew, both in the water and out, the boat was completely full and made three amazing dives: the Spiegel Grove, where we saw four circling Caribbean reef sharks, an octopus and a family of five Goliath groupers; the Benwood wreck, where we saw a Goliath grouper and three green sea turtles, one of which was Conchita, the recently rescued and re-released green sea turtle; and French Reef, where we saw southern stingrays and mutton snapper," Hall said.

"All the women had an amazing dive day! Lisa Mongelia, executive director of the History of Diving Museum, was along for the fun. Horizon Divers in Key Largo hosted a fabulous celebration for Women's Dive Day," Mongelia said. "While guided tours focusing on early pioneering women were going on at the museum in Islamorada, I got a chance to join women on the Horizon boat and share the historical information and stories with them. After morning conservation specialty sessions, we all did a triple-dip day on the water, followed by a scrumptious barbecue back at the shop."

Mongelia added, "We had a female captain and crew serving a mix of recreational and tech divers, instructors and retired military ladies. It was wonderful to experience the vast levels of skill, with everyone enjoying Mother Ocean and their time together. Sea Dwellers Dive Center and Sailfish Scuba had charters as well, while Amoray Dive Center offered a night-dive charter to see how the reefs transform once the sun goes down and nocturnal marine creatures emerge. Newcomers — and even longtime residents — may not be familiar with the fact that we have the third-largest barrier reef system in the world, after Australia and Belize.

Divers who come from every state and almost every continent often refer to Key Largo as The Dive Capital of the World. The thriving marine environment is home to hundreds of species of fish, from tiny gobies to huge Goliath groupers, along with multiple types of coral, sponges and colorful sea fans that sway in the current.

Large and small eels dart from spot to spot during the day, coming out to hunt as part of the nighttime community. All of this is in our own "backyard," and midspring through early October is usually the best time for diving.

With more than two dozen scuba centers in the Upper Keys, they offer everything from a one-day "Discover Scuba" class to full certifications and specialty classes such as wreck diving.

The women who splashed in Saturday can all attest to how amazing it is to spend time among these underwater wonders.