Florida Dive Spots

[CBulla]

I'm stealing an idea from one of our sister dive clubs, Hawai'i O'Hana, and am creating a sticky thread for the purpose of gathering information. What we are looking for is the information for dive sites to answer the "I'm coming to FL, where is a good place to dive" question.

What we ask for is as much information as possible for the site. This information will be entered into the database for the Conch Divers website.

Example:

-Divesite XYZ
-Divespot, FL (full address if possible)
-2 Sentence overview of site.
-Type of diving, boat, beach, cavern, cave, spring...
-Directions to Site, the more the better
-What to expect at the dive site: bottom, structure, spring, fresh/salt water, lots of wild life/vegetation/fossils, costs or fees if applicable.
-Where to park, parking restrictions or cautions..i.e.. they like to give tickets so make sure you bring quarters
-Amenities (showers, bathrooms, restaurants, dive shops)
-Pros and Cons
-Most recent date visited

-Pictures if available

PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD TO DIVE SITES ONLY

 

[CBulla]

Venice Beach
Dive Spot: Venice Beach, FL

Type of diving Shark tooth and fossil hunting in the Gulf of Mexico. This area is a prehistoric river bed and does yeild more fossils than the sharks teeth.

Type of diving: Shore dive

Directions: Google Maps
I-75 exit 200 to Osprey.
Continue Southeast on TAMIAMI TRL N/FL-45 S/US-41 S toward BAYVIEW DR. Continue to follow TAMIAMI TRL N/FL-45 S. 7.4 miles Map
Turn RIGHT onto MIAMI AVE W. <0.1 miles
Turn LEFT onto NOKOMIS AVE S. <0.1 miles
Turn RIGHT onto PONCE DE LEON AVE. 0.3 miles
Turn LEFT onto HARBOR DR S. 0.1 miles
Turn RIGHT onto ALHAMBRA RD. 0.4 miles
Follow ALHAMBRA RD to the end

What to expect at the dive site: Typical sharks teeth found are from the folloing: Dusky and Blacktip family, Sand Shark (current and prehistoric), Bull Shark, and Lemon Shark. More rare but also found are Maco, Great White, Snaggle Tooth and Megalodon. Other fossils that can be found include dolphin, manatee, and whale bones, stingray stingers and crusher platelettes and tail vertabrae, porupine fish platelettes, mammoth and mastadon teeth/tusk/vertabrae, sloth claws, alligator scales, and sabertooth teeth. Best times for hunting are a few days after a storm when the water has settled down. Depths are 16-18 feet, unless you swim a long way out then you may hit 20.

Where to park: parking is on the street: do not park blocking driveways.

Amenities Florida West dive shop is about 1 mile north of the site on 41 literally just over the bridge back onto the main land. Sharkey's resturant is at the base of the pier. Venice Beach's downtown district is 1/2 mile off with food and shops as well.

Pros and Cons When the water is clear lots of teeth can be found. When the water is a milky emerald green, there will be no visibity on the bottom and toothing is useless.

Most recent date visited: Few weeks ago

http://coolgate.mote.org/beachconditions/

Reefguy's Venice Beach Tooth Finding Guide ​

 

[Scubakevdm]

Boynton Beach

Drift diving on medium depth Ocean Reefs.

Type of diving: Boat. There are a number of dive charters located at the 2 Georges Marina. Trips are generally two tank dives lasting four hours. Cost is generally $50.00 not including equipment rental.

Location: Just south of West Palm Beach, Florida. For directions to the marina, click here.

What to expect at the dive site: Typical depths of our reefs are 45 feet to 60 feet on the inside edge and tops of the reefs and 85 feet deep on the outside edges. Aquatic life is incredibly dense, and vis is almost always at least 50' due to the close proximity of the Gulfstream. On reef dives, you drift dive in small groups, each group with it's own flag and float. Here's some pics.

 

[simbrooks]

Alternate directions to Venice beach for post #2:

From the south:

Head to Venice on I 75. Take exit 193 and head SW (coming from the south that’s a left turn) on Jacaranda. Turn right on Venice Ave. Stay on Venice Ave until after you’ve crossed the bridge to the downtown area. Turn left at the second light after the bridge (Harbor - name not well marked). Turn right at the 5th street (Alhambra).

From the north:

Head to Venice on I 75. Take exit 200 (SR681) and follow it to US 41 where you'll turn left (south). Take US 41 to Business US 41 (Tamiami Trail) where you turn right. After you cross the bridge, you'll turn right on Venice Ave. Turn left at the first light (Harbor - name not marked). Turn right at the 5th street (Alhambra).

Park on the street as close to the dead end as possible. Be careful not to block the driveway to the condo. Keep your dive between the culverts to the south and the three pine trees to the north.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Hollywood Beach
Hollywood, FL
Type of diving: Beach dive to the rock pile followed by a cement mat east. Good night dive. Max depth 23'.

Directions to Site: From the North. I-95 south to Sheridan Street East to A1A. South to 1st left past Johnson St. to Michigan. Pull into parking lot, parking as far south and east as possible.

From the South: I-95 north to Hollywood Blvd. East to A1A. North to Michigan St.

Parking: Machine for parking takes dollar bills. They will ticket, so make sure you bring parking money. $1/hour.

Getting to the Site: Head to the beach from the south east end, past the lifeguard stand. Once you past the bouy, keep slightly north, you can drop down and continue east. The rock pile is just slightly north of the bouy, maybe 50 feet or so. There is plenty of fish on the rock pile and the cement mat. If cloudy, bring a flashlilght so you can peer into the cracks and crevices. Lots of grunts, tangs, ocean surgeonfish, doctorfish, parrotfish, queen angels, banded coral shrimp, eels, nurse sharks, tarpon, glasseye snapper, bar jacks, porkfish. The algae growth is pretty nasty, even so, there is still a wide variety of marine life.


Amenities: Lots of parking, showers on broadwalk. Public restooms very close. Shops, restaurants, eateries.

Closest Dive shop: Coastal Marine Diving Supply on Dania Beach Blvd., about 4 miles north. Take A1A north to Dania Beach Blvd, west about 1 mile. Shop on right. Closed Tuesdays. 954-923-2388. Air, Nitrox, rentals and sales.

Pros and Cons: Easy beach diving. Even if you miss the rock pile, there is some low profile relief running north and south, maybe 2 ft, that is quite intersting. Cons: algae has covered the rock pile killing most corals that were growing, and the surrounding area.

Most recent date visited: June 19, 2004

 

[mempilot]

The Wreck of the Andro

Dive Spot: N. Miami Beach, FL out of Haulover Cut

Type of diving: Boat dive

Dive Operation:

H2O Scuba
14382 Biscayne Blvd
North Miami Beach
FL 33181
(305) 956-DIVE, fax (305) 956-9405 toll free number is 1-888-389-DIVE

They are located on Sunny Isles Blvd., one block west of the ocean. Their dive boat is located behind the store.


What to expect at the dive site (My dive report):

The Andro, built in 1910 as a private yacht, is 165' long. It was later converted to submarine hunter during WWII. After the war, she served as an inter-island freighter, and later was seized by US Customs. The Andro was sunk in December of 1995 and the upper structures have collapsed leaving many jagged shapes making an interesting dive unlike some of the sterile intact wrecks in the area. The stack extending from were the engine was still stands at a slight angle marking a great midpoint to tie off.

There was an overcast sky due to an isolated thunderstorm cell to the north. This made the twilight dive dark on descent. There was a light south current and the visibility was better than 50'. My buddy and I were the first ones in and passed the DM on the way down. Pat had loaned me his backup 10w Halcyon HID canister light, and the brilliant blue beam cut through the deep to the wreck at about 50'. We were immediately greated by a huge school of Atlantic Spade fish that danced and sprinted through our light. We were both diving ean36, with a planned bottom time of 25m and a mandatory 3m stop. I was glad we were going to get this amount of bottom time, since there was a lot to take in. We started down into the bow structure, which is open and easy to penetrate with only a few dangling pieces of structure to maneuver around. There is a lot of sediment inside, so technique is a must to maintain bottom stability. There are two openings, the second being just tall enought to squeeze though, but leading out to another portion of the wreck. We choose to exit here and continue along the bottom of the portside hull. Here, we came across our next two greeters. The first, a small spotted eel showing us his most menacing grin as he kept all but is head and neck hidden in his crevice. The second was a very large fully gown green morray eel. We estimated his length at 8' with a very thick body. This was the largest morray I've come across and he was completely out in the open under the edge of the hull. He didn't like our lights and decided to move in the opposite direction from our path. We frog kicked along the bottom, rounding the stern and working our way diagonally up the starboard side. The rest of the divers had descended on the wreck by this time and their lights were now visible. The tranquil portion of the dive was at an end, but the fun was not. Of the remaining divers, there were a few rototillers that made the visibility along the bottom like soup, so we decided to explore the wreck from the top. I must say, there is nothing cooler than looking down on a sunken hulk at night. Due to the number of divers on the line, Pat and I decided to do a free ascent about 10-15 yards off the line. We did a 1 minute stop at 40, a 1 minute stop at 30, and a 3 minute stop at 20. End of dive one: very enjoyable.

Pros and Cons:

This wreck has a lot of life on it and has tremendous character. Watch for potential strong currents which turn this advanced dive into real workout.

Most recent date visited: July 2004

 

[mempilot]

North Canyon/Deep Trench

Dive Spot: N. Miami Beach, FL out of Haulover Cut

Type of diving: Boat dive

Dive Operation:

H2O Scuba
14382 Biscayne Blvd
North Miami Beach
FL 33181
(305) 956-DIVE, fax (305) 956-9405 toll free number is 1-888-389-DIVE

What to expect at the dive site:

"Deep Trench was cut through the reef line to allow an outhaul pipe to discharge waste during the 20's. Not in use anymore, it's a great place for night diving. The bottom is 48' deep with the trench dropping down to 60'. It's about 15-20' wide, with lots of tropicals, eels, lobster and an occasional shark. Runs east and west."

(My dive report):
Dive number two was in the trench we call North Canyon. The trench, which runs east-west, was dug to lay an old sewage outlet pipe that is no longer in use. The trench is home to schools of brilliant fish and hiding place to many other creatures. Pat and I did a free descent into the trench which has a bottom depth of 60-70'. The walls are 10-15' high and have many holes and crevices to explore. We saw a small green morray, spotted shrimp, a large queen angel, and many other interesting specimens. Covering our lights and waving a hand exposed the presence of bioluminesence. Pat, being a cave diver, decided to explore into the pipe a ways. The water in the pipe was crystal clear, and the nurse shark that we normally find here must have been off hunting for dinner. Pat was on ean36 and I was on ean40. We called the dive when those diving air started back up. We again decided to free ascend and leave the line for the others.

Pros and Cons:

This manmade trench/reef can have schools of fish so thick you have to push them out of the way. It makes a great night dive since getting lost is impossible. When there's a strong current, just drop in the canyon and you're protected. It's a great basic OW dive. The visibility can get bad and occasionally you won't see much in the trench.

Most recent date visited: July 2004

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Hollywood Beach – Greene Street Ledges
Hollywood, FL

Type of diving: Beach dive to a small ledge coral reef system. Good for younger/novice/solo divers, as reef is close to shore and shallow. Max depth is around 20 ft.

Directions to Site: From the North. I-95 south to Sheridan Street East to A1A. North to Green St (3rd St on Rt.) Pull into parking lot, parking as far east as possible.

From the South: I-95 north to Hollywood Blvd. East to A1A. North to Greene St.

Parking: Metered parking. Lot open from 0600 to 2200. Make sure that car is locked, with no valuables in sight. Break-ins happen regularly in the evenings here. Lot is patrolled often.

Getting to the Site: Across the boardwalk, through the trees. Beach is 25’ away.

Amenities: Lots of parking, showers, public restooms, shops, restaurants, eateries available on broadwalk, 1 mile south.. Use Johnson St. parking lot or park at racquet ball courts for best access to boardwalk. Georgio’s Bakery and Bistro is a special treat for breakfast, and Angelo’s is great for a pizza/beer break, but there’s Greek, French, and others, all on the boardwalk. Lots of ice cream shops there too.

Closest Dive shop: Coastal Marine Diving Supply on Dania Beach Blvd., about 3 miles north. Take A1A north to Dania Beach Blvd, west about 1 mile. Shop on right. Closed Tuesdays. 954-923-2388. Air, Nitrox, rentals and sales. Ask for Mike, and tell him you heard about his shop from Scubaboard. Great shop.

Pros and Cons: Easy beach diving. Swim out for 75 yards or so right off the beach. Best part of the reef/ledge system seems to be in line with small brown house just south of beach stairs. Line up with house due east and Dania Pier due north and drop. Reef starts at around 14 fsw and runs North-South, breaking in places for 20 ft or so before resuming.

Nice ledges, with arrow crabs and banded coral shrimp. Have seen several lobster, gulf flounder, grunts, surgeons, lots of blennies

Most recent date visited: July 25, 2004

 

[SeaYoda]

Destin Jetties

Dive Site:
Destin Jetties

Address :
Gulfshore Drive - Destin Florida

Overview:
The Jetties are piles of rocks placed in the mouth of the Destin (East) Pass between the Choctawhatchee bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There are two long Jetties and one finger Jetty. The finger jetty is where most diving is done.

Dive Type:
Beach dive

Directions:
From Highway 98 turn south on Gulfshore Drive. Pass through one traffic light and at the third stop sign past the light there will be an “S” curve. At the stop sign make a right and then follow the road to the left through the “S”. The entrance to the Jetties is about 0.5 miles (from the stop sign) on the left side of the road. It is very hard to find the entrance, please see the pictures below for help finding it.

What’s There:
See MY GALLERY for pictures of what you will find. Wild life on the Jetties changes all the time. There are a few residents that are always there but many visitors drop by from the gulf. The bottom is sandy where the rocks end. The deepest the water gets is 55' to the south of the point near a large anchor. The anchor is sometimes buried in the sand. Many large dead sand dollars collect in the trough between the rocks and the sand bar that surrounds the finger Jetty. Most other shells have somebody living in them but you can find some to collect.

Parking:
Parking is free. It is parallel parking along the marina on the right side of the road. It can get crowded so get there early.

Amenities:
Only a shower head for rinsing located at the entrance. No restrooms or changing areas and no food. Two local dive shops are west on Highway 98. Emerald Coast Scuba is on Melvin street but also has an entrance on Hwy 98 to their new building. ScubaTech Is directly on 98. Both are great.

WARNING!!!!!
CHECK THE TIDE SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU DIVE
The currents can be very strong in either direction when not at slack tide. Even at high tide the current can be strong enough to make you hold on to the rocks. The best time to dive for viz and currents is from about an hour before high tide until two hours past high tide.

Below are pictures to help find the entrance:

Look for the entrance and the beginning of the parking across the street from eachother.

Look for the Osteen Public Beach Access sign on the left (shower head and trash can can also help).

Go past the signs and straight to the water. Turn left at the water and walk on the sand between the water and the dry sand for best energy conservation during the long walk.

 

[23angler]

Let me be the first to post a list that might be helpful to newbies and every one alike.
Beach dives are accesable to everyone and can be done at your own leasure. So i would like to put togeather a list for all to use to share this reasorse to all.

S.E. 8th Street - This is one of the best reef and rubble beach diving sites on the South East coast of Florida. The primary features are shallow water (15 feet) and a profusion of marine life that is attracted to the protection afforded by the rock rubble and patch reef structure.

To find the reef just swim East about 500 feet. You will know you have gone far enough when the bottom turns from sand to rock rubble. Swim a little farther and you will get to line of patch reefs in 15 feet that runs parallel to the shore

Directions: Take I95 to Atlantic Blvd. (Exit #34A). Go East to A1A. Then go South less than a mile to S.E. 8th Street. Then go East to the end of S.E. 8th Street. The public beach is dead ahead. Park and enjoy!

Also you can go down to 12th st (4 blocks south) do dive a different part of this great reef.