Many open water divers attend Florida diving basically because there are plenty of diving sites found around the coast of Florida. A little known fact is that apart from being located in a nice and warm region, Florida has the longest coastline of all the states in the US
When we first look at the Atlantic coastline you will find a series of reef lines creating an outer reef, inner reef and middle reef. These reefs run along the coastline providing different diving experiences from north of West Palm Beach all the way down the coastline to The Keys. A fantastic event up and down this coast is the perpetual current of warm water which is The Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream runs near to the shores heading north before veering out into the Atlantic. The Gulf Stream provides a cleansing action for the marine bio system and brings with it nutrients which provides essential food for the growing marine system.
Florida diving centers are able to find a variety of dive sites along the coast.
Florida Diving Sites: West Palm Beach – Miami
West Palm Beach has a fantastic variety of dive sites with loads of wrecks to explore such as the Thozina which is just one of three ships making up one dive site known as Governor’s River Walk Reef.
In West Palm Beach Florida diving beginners can still enjoy a pulsating experience scuba diving well known reef systems such as Breakers Reef.
Travel south down the coast and you find Ft. Lauderdale. Known as “The Venice of America” this is a wonderful place to visit on any Florida diving trip.
Apart from the canals and waterways Ft. Laud offers extraordinary diving opportunities such as Tenneco Towers or Oil Platforms. Venture further south and you arrive at Miami.
Miami. Culture, fashion, sport and ‘er’ Army tanks waiting to be explored on the sea floor!
Apart from all the cultural things you can do around Miami on your Florida diving trip there is also a great variety of scuba dive sites that provide novice and experienced divers plenty of chance to have fun.
Florida Diving Sites: Key Largo – Key West
Beyond Miami and traveling further south, no Florida diving schedule would exclude a visit to Key Largo or Key West.
When you catch sight of the vast choice of diving sites available it’s easy to see why Key Largo is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world.
The locale around Key Largo is amazing in its diversity with shipwrecks, reefs and caves to be explored. The biggest wreck ever sunk off the coast of Florida is the Spiegel Grove and this challenging dive is rewarded with the astonishing sight of one huge shipwreck now occupied by some very great fish. The are many other ships including the USS Duane and USS Bibb which can be divided by less experienced divers.
When it comes to underwater photography or macro photography Molasses Reef provides an interesting opportunity to perform your underwater skills with the shallow waters and amazing marine life providing the fantastic colors and lighting.
Key Largo is the finest known by the Florida diving community for its wide choice of diving sites but Key West is the location to go for the nightlife and culture if you do travel to The Keys.
Key West provides some of the best entertainment in The Keys with the streets full of jugglers, singers and other entertainers going through their routines in the street. With some great dive sites Key West is many peoples favorite destination.
So many places and so little time and what’s more we have not even looked at The Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast. That we will do in an additional article.
Stephen Harold Brown