FAQ

We run two trips daily Morning 8-12 and afternoon 1-5.

There is not a difference in the things to see or conditions most days. It’s all a matter of if you want to sleep in or make happy hour. We will do our best to accommodate preference as long as our minimum is met.

We provide water onboard and cooler space, we also provide fresh fruit. You are most welcome to bring any additional drinks or snacks you would like (but NO BANANAS on the boat!) Adult beverages are totally fine, just save those for the ride in and no glass. Keep in mind also, sugary drinks can contribute to seasickness. We suggest reusable water bottles, reef-safe sunscreen, towels, hats, sunglasses, etc to stay comfortable.

Certified divers: PLEASE BRING YOUR CERTIFICATION CARD

Better Than Most offers reef safe sunscreen complimentary for our guests to use. While it is not required, we encourage it. If you have your own feel free to bring it. Please do not use spray on sunscreen on the boat as it makes things slippery and melts our paint.

The Diane Marie has a fully functioning head on board. However, it IS a bathroom on a boat so we always recommend utilizing the facilities before the trip.

YES. A basic ability to swim is necessary for snorkeling and diving. You need to be comfortable in the water. We can provide snorkeling vests and noodles, as well as a tag line to stay close to the boat but safety is number one and you are responsible for knowing your ability and limits

We have a variety of reefs to choose from based on the conditions of the day. All of our trips are to the REEF on the ocean side. We will choose the reefs based on the best conditions of the day and keep you away from crowds.

Absolutely! We are able to accommodate snorkelers and divers on most of our trips. They are also welcome just to ride along and enjoy the scenery. Keep in mind, some days the conditions will be fine for divers but not for snorkelers.

Most of our snorkeling and diving is done on the typical Keys shallow reefs. 20-30 ft. If you are looking for a deeper reef or a wreck experience please give us a call.

If you are looking for a deeper reef or wreck dive please give us a call and we’d be happy to plan a divers only mid-deep reef trip. Keep in mind we need at least two weeks’ notice to build the trip and will need to verify advanced certification and experience.

Better Than Most offers classes for all levels as well as Discover SCUBA Diving, a one day, no experience required course to try diving.

If you are a certified diver but it’s been a while we can take you through the refresher course to get up to date on your skills. We require the refresher if it has been over 2 years since your last dive. If it’s been over a year we recommend hiring a dive guide to ensure an enjoyable stress free experience.

You can see all kinds of tropical fish, coral, eels, lobsters, crabs, turtles, nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, sometimes even dolphins and more! We have 25% of the worlds tropical species on our reefs here. There is no shortage of amazing things to see while diving the reefs of the Florida Keys.

We get this a lot. It wouldn’t be a very good business if all of our guests got eaten… A lot of people are thinking of Jaws when they think of the ocean. Don’t worry! It is the ocean and its no surprise that sharks live here but most of the sharks we see are nurse sharks. They are very docile and are so chill we are lucky to see them regularly! Any other sharks (the scary ones) are much more afraid of us than we are of them and if they were even around, our noisy boat, our noisy jumping into the water, our noisy talking, etc makes them want to move along. We’re loud and smelly, not a quality they want in food. If we do get the chance to see any other kind of shark it’s your lucky day. Our crew are very enthusiastic about conservation especially sharks, and will happily answer any questions and ease any fears you have.

While we are Coast Guard Certified for up to 20 people, we generally take a maximum of 16. We are happy to accommodate large vacation groups. Our boat is roomy with space for everyone and our crew works very hard to ensure that the trip moves with a smooth flow so no one is uncomfortable. No cattle boats here.

We aren’t worried about a little rain! We’re going to get wet anyway. Florida weather is pretty predictable in that it’s going to rain a little bit most days. We take safety very very seriously and our captains make the decision to cancel a trip or not. They make their decision based on wind conditions, sea conditions, and lightning storms. We don’t cancel for rain or cloudy skies.

Our crew can generally let you know if it’s going to be a day to take seasick meds or not. If you don’t know if you get seasick, take meds. Better to not know than to find out the hard way. If you KNOW you get seasick, take meds. We generally recommend a dose the night before and then a half dose or full dose before the start of the trip. If you’re on the trip and get seasick, NO WORRIES. We’ve seen it all and none of us are squeamish. We’ll direct you to the best spot to “feed the fish” and do what we can to make you feel better.

Because of the required effort in staffing and planning our rentals, trips, and classes, Better Than Most requires 2 weeks notice of any cancellations. Same Day cancellations and no call no show cancellations will NOT be refunded. Refunds will not be issued for courses that are started and not completed, exceptions being made in the case of inclement weather or adverse conditions.

Better Than Most is run by a professional and very experienced crew of instructors and captains. Safety is our Number 1 concern and weather conditions will be taken heavily into account when deciding if a trip can run or must be cancelled. The decision to cancel a trip comes down to the Captain and will be made at the sole discretion of the Captain and/or owner. Trips that are cancelled because of weather will be given the option to reschedule based on availability. If unable to reschedule, a refund will be issued. We do not cancel for rain or cloudy skies.

Certified divers must be current in their skills. If it has been an extended time since diving you will be required to take a refresher course or hire a private guide. If you have provided false information about your SCUBA history you will not be allowed to dive and no refund will be issued.

On medical forms, please be honest in your responses as your safety is truly number 1 with Better Than Most. If you have provided false information about your medical history you will not be allowed to dive and no refund will be issued.