Navarre Beach Snorkeling and Diving Reef

[Dave C]

Just came across this article in the Pensacola newspaper today:
Despite oil in the Gulf, Navarre reef plans are moving forward | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal
This would be be great if it actually happened. Too bad Destin couldn't do the same thing to provide an alternative snorkeling/diving site to the jetties. If it existed, I'm sure it would get heavy use. I suppose it would take a group of activists to get something like this going.
Here's a link to the "Marine Sanctuary Plan" for this project:
http://www.navarrebeachmarinesanctu...orkelingReefNavarreProposal-Rev-4.2-Draft.pdf
Here's the website for the group that is trying to get this project going:
Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary
One thing I'm not sure of is the plan to put a snorkeling/diving reef on the sound side. I'm not that familiar with Navarre, but isn't the water too murky in the sound for any snorkeling or diving?

Do any of you locals have additional knowledge of what is going on with this Navarre project? It seems to be well beyond the "pipe-dream" stage and may be on its way to actually happening. I'm a little surprised that I don't recall anyone on this board mentioning it, although I do rememberl someone saying a few years ago that the old Navarre Pier was being proposed as a "marine sanctuary".

 

[Hetland]

The sound often appears (from the road at least) clear enough for scuba activities.

 

[SeaYoda]

I hope this project does well - there was a great variety of life on the old pier when we were diving it. Even the sound side would be nice if the viz was 10 - 15 feet.

 

[Hetland]

Does anyone know if the new pier closes at night???

 

[MRXRAY]

I looked very closely the last time I went down to the pier and there is no posted hours.

 

[chrisc]

I looked very closely the last time I went down to the pier and there is no posted hours.

Was there this weekend, they have a sign posted 5am-10pm 7 days a week.

 

[Hetland]

Was there this weekend, they have a sign posted 5am-10pm 7 days a week.

Sweet! Night Dives after 10:00!

 

[MRXRAY]

Sweet! Night Dives after 10:00!

I'll inquire as to the possiblity of night dives

 

[PILMAN]

I live right off of Navarre beach and the sound is in my back yard. The sound is pretty clear by shore but once you go any deeper, it's definitely lower visibility and the color of the water is a yellowish color compared to the gulfs blue color. It looks greyish when you go deeper into the sound but there are rumors that the pass will be opened by navarre beach to allow for a jetti similar to Destin in Navarre.