Captain Hook's Dive Key West

Captain Hook's Dive Key West works out of 1708 N. Roosevelt Boulevard, open daily from 8 to 5, and it holds NOAA's Blue Star designation. That is the sanctuary's recognition for dive operators who train their crews and brief their guests on how not to damage the reef, and only a few dozen operators across the entire Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary carry it. On a reef this heavily visited, it is the credential worth looking for.

Dive boats leave at 8:30 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, and every trip runs two sites chosen that day for weather and visibility, with about an hour at each. The headline dive is the Vandenberg, the 524 foot missile tracking ship sunk seven miles off Key West in 2009 and now one of the largest artificial reefs in the world, resting in roughly 150 feet of water with the top of her structure 40 to 45 feet down. Sand Key Lighthouse Reef and the Joe's Tug wreck are the other regulars. A divemaster goes in on every dive and the captain and mate are both CPR certified. Certification is required for most dive trips, and if you do not have one they run Discover Scuba so you can go under with an instructor beside you.

Snorkel trips keep their own schedule, 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., about four hours, two reefs, an hour at each. Mask, fins, snorkel and vest are all provided, and the crew walks through the plan and checks your gear before anyone gets in, so first timers are fine. Sand Key Lighthouse, Western Sambo and the Key West Marine Park are the usual stops. They also run sandbar trips, sunset cruises, lobster charters and private boat charters. Call (305) 296-3823 or (800) 426-0707.