Jules' Undersea Lab

I recently passed through here on my little skiff to check out the place. My family owned this MARINA from 1970 to 75. It was called paradise Isle Marina back then. They have done an amazing job to this place. It looks great. I can’t give any information about the underwater Lodge. No one was around to get information on it, but here are some before pictures back from the 70s.

Had the opportunity to dive at Jules lagoon to complete my sons open water check out dives. The staff couldn’t be more accommodating and friendly. The equipment we rented was fantastic and we were able to get in the water very quickly because the staff was so organized. If your in the keys check out this spot they have an underwater hotel suite also that blew me away…

Nothing cooler than the science behind living in an ambient pressure habitat under the sea. This is the coolest experince I've had under water. I plan to return, for sure! Such a rewarding educational experience. Worth the money!

There is a lot of history at this location. Recommend you stop by and see for yourself. One of the few places in the US, you can dive the navy mkv. If this is something you want to experience, ask for Sharky. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and a great experience!!

I'm a dive instructor and I love teaching here. Unlike the ocean the conditions are always great and Teresa always makes sure it's organized and clean. The best dive training facility in South Florida

Dive the lagoon, spend a night in the lodge (is that still available? I did it years ago.) They do checkout dives here. Great alternative when the seas are rough or cold. Check out the gift shop for cool stuff. The other side of the fence is MarineLab, environmental education.

Went on a boat trip and wow it was fantastic. We saw some wild life and lots of small jellyfish. Our captain was called Jim and he was very nolageable in and around the area. Great guy.... cheers Jim

A hotel that you enter, diving underwater to the bottom of a 25' deep lagoon. What else can I tell you? No, you don't bring your luggage. Bathing suit; that's it. Wander around outside in the warm water using a SNUBA with air pumped in from a hose to the surface. I'm SCUBA certified but SNUBA does not require certification. Walk upside down on the bottom of the habitat tube mounted 10' above the bottom, because your body wants to float up to the surface, while using air bubbles in the corners of your eyes to replace a mask. The night I was there, a guy was in the process of setting the world's record for continuous underwater living, believing the future of mankind's survival was at the ocean's bottom. He was the one who taught me how to do the eye bubble thing. Previous guests were a couple of NASA astronauts officially training for who knows what. Closest thing I'll ever get to what it's like living off-Earth. 5 stars.

I have been here several times, and also we had a company event here. The beers here are top notch. They often have things on tap you can only find in Germany. The space is huge, misleadingly large. The staff is fantastic and nice. The food I have tried was decent, but I didn't really eat a meal here before. Good spot, I would come back.

We found out about Jules lodge online. The concept of a lodge you scuba to enter is so unique, we knew we wanted to try it. Some people have made comments about rude personnel but I found she was more blunt than rude. She told me before I even booked that visibility could be a concern. We decided to book anyhow. Once we arrived she does like to make sure that all bases are covered. She's not rude, she is thorough. And for that, all divers should be appreciative. The visibility wasn't great but we still saw a school of parrot fish, a stone crab, and several other fishes. The real experience is knowing you are inside an underwater structure and being able to watch fish out the large windows. Riky was our dive master and was very personable. He helped us with our equipment and was an enjoyable person to visit with. He was calm and assured and made you feel comfortable. He told you exactly what to do and pointed out interesting sites. Anyone wanting a unique experience should definitely go. It's a little pricey but you can't do this anywhere else. Well worth the money!

Saturation divers unite! JULs needs to create some excitement. I will do another full 24 hours underwater here. WiFi: Ask to see if they remedied this problem. Food: Get the filet mignon. Next time, I intend to buy two such steaks. It was absolutely delicious. But, I will tell you I was deeply disappointed when the server who brought the meals, sat down and did not leave the underwater lodge. Why sit in the mess and stare? Imagine room service doing this. That was just weird. JULs, just leave a receptacle for bussing later, like in the morning when breakfast is delivered. The other snack items had minimal variety. It didn't seem like there was enough variation with the snack food. Having a lot of food on your plate is far more appropriate than not having enough to eat when freshly made hot food is far out of reach. JUL's provides a lot of common sense for maritime safety. However, I didn't see how asking was going to make a difference because the meals come from a facility topside. Tropical Vacations: Get covered with trip insurance. Bad weather can cancel flights to Miami. It does not seem reasonable to believe you can expect to check-in late even though you paid for the adventure. I strongly recommend spending the night at the Marriott so you have no stress about arriving to JUL's on-time. How JUL's has not partnered with their neighbours seems like such a obvious marketing oversight. They didn't even have a Town Car or limo contracted for airport access. Photo Opportunities: Plenty. Start taking pics as soon as you arrive. It would be so easy to have a fixed video camera recording guests suiting up, donning the dive gear and making the initial descent. The dive master should have a few cameras going on all dives to record the guests and the dive itself. A camera in the airlock and another in the real lab's airlock, and more on the lab supports; these cameras could provide the content for a DVD that is presented to each diver when they leave. The people working here need to make every guest feel important and recognize them as a rare breed of adventures. Gift Shop: Nothing in the gift shop impressed me. A serious Columbia or Patagonia logo Jack is what adults want, not a screen print T-shirt. I would have enjoyed a comfortable jumpsuit that astronauts, or aquanauts wear on station WITH a graphic logo embroidered. For the money I spent on reserving the entire lodge, dinner, and a visit with the scientists in a working underwater marine lab, I never thought I would be saying good-bye without a significant souvenir. Safety: As an experienced SCUBA diver, I was very comfortable. However, I do not recall reviewing emergency plans with anyone. The phone, as I do recall, was manned with support staff on the surface. There was a very overstated concern with personal health. You'll be reminded many times not to go very far above or below sea level after leaving, depending on a few factors. Key Largo seems centrally located for continuing a Florida vacation. Exploring & Critters: The larger fish that hangout under and near JUL's are not skittish. That JUL's had not created an underwater museum or an underwater geocashe search course seems lazy. I didn't dive unless the divemaster/scientist came as scheduled. He was the only person that impressed me as customer service proficient. He loved being underwater. He liked people. He had fun telling his story about the current projects, and technologies, giving demonstrations. He let me operate a small submersible ROV so I could simulate performing a task he does from his lab. Later, after donning the dive gear, he gave the escort back to the proximate underwater lodge, the habitat in the website photos and illustration. An example of their self-centered view of customer service are their closed dates. Imagine a motel or hotel telling you they are closed on the holidays. Prices go up; lodging is not "closed." I don't understand. The JUL's website indicates -- We will be CLOSED on these days:  November 26, 2015 December 23 - 28, 2015 December 31, 2015 January 1, 2016 I qualified for the PADI Aquanaut Speciality, although I never received the card. They didn't process the paperwork in my behalf (they expected me to do that while on a planned international vacation). If they continue this, try your best to mail the forms before leaving Key Largo. This is a highly valued once in a lifetime experience for most JUL's guests. Entertainment: This topic leaves much to be desired: The Abyss, again. Really? Why? Show me something meaningful. Fish living here do not hang-out by the big glass porthole. Is there nothing to attract and keep fish near this view to the outside? My expectations were exceeded in terms of living underwater. I can do this. And I could live in the confines of a spacecraft too, now I'm sure. If more adults did this, and JUL explained how this confined space is like life on the surface, more people might stop taking their existence for granted.

We took the eco tour with captain Ralph. We had a blast. We saw manatees and dolphins. So many birds! Thank you CaptAin Rlph!

Jules is a small hotel "underwater", the lodge is located in Key largo and it was my first Dive site. I cannot tell you that you will have a great dive here. The visibility in here is as good as the visibility you'll have at an enclose bay or canal to say the least. there were absolutely no fish here or anything to look at, there is an occasionally "very rare" manatee that comes in to hang out but that's about it. The lodge is located at about 24-30 feet of water, during our dive we went around the lodge and dove into a small underwater cavern type that leads into one of the capsules. I was not too impressed honestly for what they charge you stay in a cramp cubicle/capsule which has a small uncomfortable bed, doesn't smell clean and you have no chance what so ever to see any animal live because its enclose on murky bay water, since its not on a channel or close to open water there is no marine life here. Do not expect a Maldives type of experience you will be very very ,very disappointed. What made the day was probably that weird guy we saw in a speedy through one of the hotel underwater viewing windows. Other than that Jules left a longing for a.... what's next...and a is this it? If you want my true most honest opinion, I wouldn't stay here even if it was offered free. I think I will feel claustrophobic and asphyxiated, plus bored because there is nothing to keep you interested in return for the lack of everything else.

This place sucks. I would not stay or dive here for free. The diving is sub par and the visibility is horrible.We were forced there when our drive is canceled due to high seas. Our instructor rightly recommended that we do not try to challenge the 5 foot swells as new divers. We were so very disappointed that the visibility lack of sea life and rude people and the gift shop abysmal. Avoid this dump at all costs. Would love to give it zero stars but I'm forced to give it one.

Jules is such a great experience for any age. If the ocean is rough you are guaranteed a great dive here. You don't catch the rough seas and a great place for a new timer also. Teresa and Deb are wonderful staff members that make your time there a life time memory. The underwater lodge is an experience that needs to be on everyone's bucket list.

This is a very small Lagoon to dive in. Very low visibility. It would not be so bad if the people there were halfway polite. We encountered rude staff and very unprofessional behavior. Do not expect a full cylinder of air.

I am a scuba instructor, and I have visited Jules' Undersea Lodge three times to conduct training programs. It has good areas to set up equipment, plus the necessary amenities (restrooms, showers, etc.), and most importantly, it is a good, controlled environment for working with students. Most recently, I used it for teaching beginner technical diving skills. There are a few things for divers to see, and it is a good place to get tuned up before getting out into the ocean. Or if the sea conditions are bad, this is a good backup place to work on a class. Added bonus: there's quite a bit of good science and history here if you ask. I've never stayed in the lodge, so I can't offer anything other than it looks like a cool and unique place to stay.