Middle Ground - Long Island
Rompidas offers a solid, dependable dive in the Keys, not overly dramatic but consistently good for spotting some interesting characters. We often find ourselves drifting along, keeping an eye out for the resident reef scorpionfish – they’re masters of camouflage here. It's a lovely site for a relaxed poke around, particularly if you enjoy the smaller stuff, like glassy sweepers tucked into ledges or the occasional yellow stingray buried in the sand. Visibility can vary, but generally, it's clear enough to enjoy the schooling blue runners darting about. Rompidas is a good pick for a second dive of the day, a nice follow-up to something more intense, or for newer divers getting comfortable with reef navigation.
- Location
- Long Island, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 22.850000, -76.050000
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Long Island
The warmest water temperatures in Long Island occur in September, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 25.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 25.1°C
- February: 25.3°C
- March: 25.5°C
- April: 26.9°C
- May: 28.1°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.9°C
- August: 30.0°C
- September: 30.1°C
- October: 29.1°C
- November: 27.5°C
- December: 26.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Long Island
- Angelfish Blue Hole - 30-50m (cenote)
- Barracuda Shoals - 10m
- Black Forest - 10-25m (reef)
- CAPTAIN MOXEY - 2m (wreck)
- CARIBBEAN EXPRESS - 10m (wreck)
- Columbus Point
- COMMERCIAL DISPATCH - 5m (wreck)
- Connected dott - 10-20m (reef)
- Deans Blue Hole (cenote)
- Deep South Reef (reef)
- Dive Exuma
- Grandma s Secret Garden (reef)
- Great Cut
- Greenwood Reef (reef)
- Halloween Reef (reef)
Marine Life in Long Island
Home to 366 recorded species including 321 reef fish, 15 hard corals, 7 whales & dolphins, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sharks & rays, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Bony-eared Assfish (Acanthonus armatus) - Reef Fish
- Saddled Blenny (Malacoctenus triangulatus) - Reef Fish
- Blackcheek Blenny (Starksia lepicoelia) - Reef Fish
- Conklin's cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx conklini) - Reef Fish
- Goldspot Goby (Gnatholepis thompsoni) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Spaghetti Eel (Moringua edwardsi) - Reef Fish
- Rosy Blenny (Malacoctenus macropus) - Reef Fish
- Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti) - Reef Fish
- Blackfin Spiderfish (Bathypterois phenax) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Fairy Basslet (Gramma loreto) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Tripod Spiderfish (Bathypterois grallator) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Long-fin Smooth-head (Conocara macropterum) - Reef Fish
- Flamefish (Apogon maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Sand goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Middle Ground
Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C, currents 12 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories