Bottom times can easily run over an hour, with a maximum depth of 25ft (8m), and visibility at an impressive 200ft (60m). Shallow Also worth noting are the schools of tuna, mahi, marlin, and sailfish one might see swimming out in the open ocean from the top of the ledge. Situated in theFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the spur-and-groove reef is home to 600+ species of corals and critters. Topping off a dramatic wall, the sun-washed spurs and grooves ripple with light, and temperatures stay comfortably in the 80s. Florida Keys has some of the best Shallow Wrecks in Key Largo to enjoy while Scuba Diving. Broward County is a hotspot for healthy, shallow reefs. If youre around be sure to check out Blue Heron Bridge! The eight-day trip, offered in late June, is priced at $1,795 for a standard room. The corals are open and healthy, the fish active. Shallow Dives Fish, birds, and turtles are as common here as in marine environments, but thats where the familiarity stops. From pristine, shallow coral reefs to epic wreck dives, the Keys offers something for every level of diver.There are plenty of shallow dives sites that can be enjoyed by both snorkelers and divers and each year thousands of divers flock All of the dive sites we visit are accessed by boat. Lying upside down off the coast of Fort Lauderdale in around 70 feet of water is the scuttled wreck of a barge known as Hog Heaven. Scuttling crabs, cucumbers, and mindless pink meanies and moon jellyfish arent difficult to find. Joseph L. Meek Liberty Ship Depth: 80-95ft GPS Location: Latitude 30 16.384 N Longitude 87 09.574 W The Joseph L. Meek, a 480 foot long Liberty ship, was built for the Maritime Commission by the Oregon War Industries Ship Building Company in 1942. Travel time to the dive sites is normally 30-45 minutes. Dive sites consist of shallow reefs, deep reefs, drift dives, and wreck dives. The ships were selected for the diversity of their make, and for the diversity of sea life they would attract in their own respect. Florida USS Kittiwake, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7. The Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail Floridas climate and coastal waters have claimed many sea vessels over the centuries. Benwood Wreck- Ultimate Diving Guide 2022. That's is how we pay ourselves. Though it seems like a rather unlikely dive site, situated along the Palm Beach intercoastal waterway and nearly underneath an overpass, this aquatic park routinely makes best of lists for the whole United States. Meeting the Wreck. The reef itself is down around 35 feet at the deepest. On one head alone, a large colony of Paguritta coral crabs has taken over former wormholes. This artificial reef is joined by a large section of pipe and the remains of a small lighthouse. Excellent Shallow Shipwreck Diving In The Florida Keys is one reason why scuba divers flock to Key Largo. On the night of December 19, 1985, while waiting to be sunk as an artificial reef next to the Alexander Barge, the Eagle broke from her moorings. Theres a ton of beachfront rental properties, and a strong shore diving presence in the community. Disclosure: We are reader supported, and earn. Make It Happen Phil Foster Park provides parking and a convenient entry point for day diving, so call up your buddy and head over (after checking tide tables). WebShallow Dive Pelagic Drift Dive Blue Heron Bridge Its impossible to talk about diving in Florida without mentioning Blue Heron Bridge. Colorfully adorned with sponges and gorgonians, this site features a wealth of critters from seahorses to cuttlefish. Aqua Cat is the Ultimate Luxury Liveaboard 8 Day/7 Night All Inclusive to the Exuma Cays, Bahamas Voted #1 Liveaboard in the World, Best Crew, Best Accommodations, Best, Under the jungle floor along the Yucatan Peninsula, thousands of limestone sinkholes and flooded cave systems--called Cenotes--await adventurous divers who don't mind. Key Largo Dive Sites Hidden underneath the wreck youll see spiny lobster poking their antennae inquisitively out toward you. Conditions can be breezy from November through April, and none of these wrecks have protection from the prevailing winds. With over 30 dive sites ranging from 6-90ft (2-27m), this is one of Floridas biggest and best reefs. Its also a historically significant area, littered with century old shipwrecks and masonry. Shallow diving offers two immediate benefits. Twin Ledges is another Lauderdale reef with incredibly good health when you consider where its located. Be on the lookout for the occasional turtle that will drift by, and reef sharks cruising off in the distance. Islamorada is hot-spot for diving in and of itself, and the Wreck of the Eagle ranks among the best dive sites accessible from it. If youre planning an extended stay here you could easily book a couple boat dives from any of the local charters, and grab a few tanks so you can dive off the shore on your own. If you find a good deal on DIVEIN, you click to the retailer, and you buy the product, we get a commission of the sale. Parrotfish, angelfish, sergeant majors, rays, starfish, octopus, and more can be seen in water averaging six to 10 feet deep, with maximum depths of 20 feet. The dive begins at a shallow entrance home to a variety of hard and soft corals bursting with scores of reef denizens from cuttlefish to bumphead parrotfish to pygmy seahorses. Look out for sunken shopping carts, two mini wrecks and three hammerhead shark statues. Optimal diving conditions are June through August. Plus, divers can go tubing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and camping during their surface intervals. More, The San Pedro Dive sites consist of shallow reefs, deep reefs, drift dives, and wreck dives. The Amesbury was an escort for destroyers in World War II. This site 150 miles south of Cozumel isnt your average wreck dive. In addition to creating a unique dive site in Florida, the gallery gives juvenile corals somewhere to settle and helps restore the Florida Reef. With more than 20 statues since 2020, watching this dive site grow will be uplifting and beautiful as it lies in waters that attract larger fish like barracuda and rays. Please help protect the sites on the Shipwreck Trail, and all the sanctuarys maritime heritage resources, so that they may be enjoyed by future generations. Spanish Anchor would also make a great site to try for anight dive, with octopus and spider crabs being common as the sun goes down. What if you spent your entire dive in the shallows? Florida Make It Happen Arenui the Boutique Live-aboard (thearenui.com) runs trips to Raja Ampat. Shallow Sea fans, sponges and soft corals reach almost to the surface. Its also another one of those wrecks whose position has changed dramatically with the pushing of storm currents. Shallow diving offers two immediate benefits. While proper dive training is essential to enjoying these wrecks safely, they are all located at depths that novice and experienced divers alike can feel comfortable with. Three are within recreational limits (60-130ft/18-40m), while two are reserved for technical divers (around 200ft/60m deep). The massive minnow balls are definitely the biggest draw to this area, and are enough in themselves to make the dive worth checking out. Thirty miles beyond is the wreck of the Bay Ronto, which sits upside down in 100 feet of water. If you go on a day when the seas are calm, youll be greeted with excellent visibility on colorful splashes of reef. An 11-night trip starts from $5,060; a 13-night trip starts from $5,980. Wreck diving is also available. Make It Happen Los Islotes is currently visited as part of an extended Baja Nature itinerary by the Solmar V (solmarv.com). SHALLOW DIVING WebThe Miami Wreck Trek. More, The Eagle WebThe iconic Florida Keys wreck dive, the Spiegel Grove, has been a must dive for Advanced Divers, Wreck Divers, and the occasional Open Water diver (if conditions are perfect) since the ship was sank in 2002 as part of an Artificial Reef project in the National Marine Sanctuary. The hypnotic show becomes more apparent as we descend to a shallow dive site just 22 feet deep in Biscayne National Park. But the real draw to Crystal River (90 mins north of Tampa) comes in the form of 10ft-long gentle giants. Keep an eye out for wide varieties of turtles, box turtles, massive snapping turtles. Make It Happen Stuart Coves (stuartcoves.com) offers Tiger Beach dives year-round from Old Bahama Bay Resort (oldbahama bay.com) on Grand Bahamas West End. On most dives, you can expect to see barracuda cruising the decks and several large goliath grouper milling about. Scuba Diving On Florida's Gulf Coast Sarasota. Joe Patti Memorial Reef. What are the best Dive sites in Florida for beginners? Chinchorro Banks, Mexico. The high density and quality of shore diving in Broward County is one of South Floridas best kept secrets, and aside from the established sites you can reach from boats, theres endless potential for exploration for low commitment shore dives that you can reach from the beach. WebFlorida Springs are world renown for cave & cavern diving. This morning PADI Instructor Mike enjoyed teaching Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty with one student and Advanced Open Water Diver with another diver. If St. Vincent is the critter capital of the Caribbean, then Critter Corner may very well be the royal palace. Though the area lacks the diversity and the dynamic quality of the coral reefs to the south, Panhandle waters have just as wide an array of different fish and invertebrate species as the rest of the state. PADI Instructor Thomas had a most pleasurable time as dive guide to our Diving in the aquifers waters is more than just a novelty. The late local Captain Rick Smith mapped a Wreck Trek, a string of sites with a depth of about 45ft (13.7m) to 60ft (18.3m). Find the best and most popular Dive Sites in Florida. And at depths of 12 to 15 feet, with a sandy bottom and visibility that normally ranges from 60 to 200 feet, mild currents and balmy water temperatures, you can explore to your hearts content. The springs near Williston offer a special glimpse into a prehistoric network of freshwater tunnels that run nearly the entire length of Florida. Trumpet fish can often be seen hiding amongst the gorgonians, and along the shore facing ledges, blennies and other small reef creatures are present in large numbers. The rubble waller is made up of broken pieces from the fort along with miscellaneous vehicles and machinery, making for a series of eclectic and unlikely habitats for the resident fish. Most Keys reef divers log a maximum depth of 20 to 30 feet. WebOn June 10, 1993 the 100th anniversary of the ships launching, USS Massachusetts was officially dedicated as one of Floridas Underwater Archaeological Preserves. Plus, with depths from 6-25ft (2-8m), divers are granted even more time to explore the attractions here. It is also where John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is located, the countrys first undersea park. Theres a solution. She lies in 14 feet of water in the sand and grass flats north of Delta Shoals, just east of Sombrero Key Light. There are unmissable opportunities here, whether you are a technical wreck diver looking for a logistic challenge, or someone looking to book their first open water course. The sanctuary is home to a rotating cast of turtles who float lazily along the pilings munching jellyfish, and stingrays nestled in the shallow, sandy waters. The wreck is one of 11 Florida underwater archaeological preserves; it became the state's fifth shipwreck preserve in June 1994 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Navy diver (United States Navy With coordinates that make this wreck the southern anchor of the Florida KeysShipwreck Trail, The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg sits proudly in 140ft (42m) of water seven miles off Key West. It wouldnt be a stretch to call Emerald Reef one of the best beginner dive sites in Florida. WebWithin Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary lies a trail of historic shipwrecks, scattered along the coral reefs and buried in the sandy shallows a few miles off shore. The Amesbury was decommissioned and slated to become an artificial reef. If the season is right, you can even bag a couple spiny lobster on your way back to shore. Aside from the tropical fish you would see anywhere else in the Gulf, spotted eagle rays and sharks are frequent visitors to the reef and to the shelf below. However, the shallow dives are a special scuba experience in South Florida. As these wrecks are located in water as shallow as 30 feet they provide for long bottom times. Wreck Diving Sites Make It Happen Dickys Place, on Garove island, is accessible only by live-aboard. WebHowever, for many visiting scuba divers, the strong appeal of visiting Key West is for its wreck diving. These 5 shallow shipwrecks have become homes for numerous sea animals as well as destinations for divers drawn to history. Emerald Reef feels like its own self-contained world. An all-day excursion, including lunch and beverages, is $250 per person. Go Now MV Spree, spreeexpeditions.com, Caesarea, Israel Go Now Adelaide Scuba, adelaidescuba.com.au, Endymion Reef, Turks and Caicos Ninety-seven percent of South Floridas 200-square-mile The dive begins at a shallow entrance home to a variety of hard and soft corals bursting with scores of reef denizens from cuttlefish to bumphead parrotfish to pygmy seahorses. We conducted a survey of the wreck to examine its condition and then created a photomosaic map of the entire site.