A Review of the Spree: Live Aboard Wreck Trek TripThe Spree is a Florida based live-aboard dive boat set up for large and small groups. Captained by Frank Wasson, trips are overseen by Melanie Wasson, who are both experienced divers and really terrific people.

If you choose to take a Wreck Trek trip, you can do some deco diving while you’re the diving the doubles or singles they have available (call ahead), you’ll have access to 50% deco gas (all you can breath for a very reasonable price), bringing your own rigging and regs is obligatory.

CCR diving is welcome. 3L and 2L tanks provided when booked, and bailout tanks 40 or 80, talk to them in advance.
They provide sorb and gas as needed.

Bring:

• towel
• gloves for anchor lines

The protocol for my trip was:

• pool is open before lunch and
• pool is open after lunch til 6pm.

This differs on the recreational trips where there are set dive times for each dive.

So there’s real opportunity to get some nice long dives in and spend quality time on the wrecks. We visited the Spiegel Grove, the Vandenburg, the Thunderbolt, the Duane, and a couple of others.
You are permitted to dive to the extent of your training, so bring your advanced nitrox card or whatever card proves your qualifications. Fills happened quickly and efficiently between dives. We were on 32% for this trip which was perfect for the depths we were hitting.

The rebreather divers were all taken care of, with no shortage of kitty litter and O2 on hand.

Diving wrecks off the Keys, you will experienced some hefty currents above 1 knot, so gardening gloves and a jon-line were useful tools to have. The Spree puts a zodiac in the water before divers splash, which adds a large safety margin. This is something which the day boats can’t do of course so it’s worth it right then and there to choose the Spree over a hotel and a day boat operation.

Bunks are comfortable and quarters are clean and well maintained as are the bathroom facilities and the galley turned out hearty food three times a day. Sheets and blankets provided, reading lamps, individual curtains enclose the bunks, sleeping about 24 guests. Bring your own towel.

I highly recommend this dive operation.If you are considering wreck diving in Florida, think about doing it as a live aboard: dive with the Spree. I recently went on their Dry Tortugas trip…. Cheak out this blog Income Motivation

Here’s a short video about it.
Remember to watch it in HD