My Visit to the Dive Museum in Islamorada

Ever go away for the weekend to your favorite getaway spot and notice one of those funky little places you always say you're going to stop in and see what it's all about?  Well that's the way it was for me and the Florida Keys History of Diving Museuem.  On my last trip down to Marathon I decided to stop in and take a look around this spot and boy was I surprised to see the large collection of diving equipment, diving bells, masks, diving suits, and historical facts throughout the museum explaining the history of diving and the challenges that man has encountered to get to where we are today.

As I entered the museum gift shop I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had reasonably priced items. They had the usual gift shop fares like t-shirts, books, toys for the little ones, and many other nick knacks -- which of course I purchased.  You are then led into a room to watch a quick video on the history of the museum and once that is done you make your way into the exhibits.  My wife and I took our time walking through museum and had fun sticking our heads through some of the interactive exhibits like the the replica of Edmund Halley’s 1691 diving bell.

I was truly amazed to discover that they had such a diverse collection of artifacts detailing the history of diving from breath hold divers in 2,800 B.C. up through the advances and diving techniques we know of today.   It was also amazing to learn the story of Matt Johnston, a quadriplegic who is ventilator-dependent, and his life-long dream to scuba dive.  There is a short clip from the Today Show on how Matt, with the help of various organizations, was able to achieve his dream and dive in the gorgeous waters of the Florida Keys.

This isn't a very large museum but I would say it is definitely worth a stop either on your way down south or on your way back to the mainland.  The museum is located in Islamorada on MM83.

So...Diveonauts Dive!

Written by:  Rick Suarez, Feb 20, 2012