There are no Florida laws or state statutes that prohibit you from diving with a metal detector. It is true however, that you must stay out of leased sites (see below), and out of some protected habitats with your detector. Additionally, you must abide by Florida law should you find anything on the bottom and recover it. Don't; effective 1 June 2005, the state of Florida did away with the Isolated Finds program. This program gave treasure hunters the opportunity to keep the find as long as they provided the state with the location.
It is now against the law to recover anything in state waters more than 50 years old. As a diver you are responsible for knowing these laws and locations before you dive with your detector. In Florida state waters include all submerged bottom lands to include lakes, rivers and three miles out into the ocean on the East coast, nine miles out on the Gulf Coast, and twelve miles out from Key West.
Inside State parks you are required to get written permission from the Park Ranger before you hunt in the park. However, the State does allow metal detectors in some state parks. Not so with the Fed's! Do not bring your detector into a Florida National park, and that includes any beaches, or waters adjacent to the National Park. For example the Canaveral Seashore National Park is patrolled by park police by land, sea and air, and there boats can out run mine. They have strict orders to keep treasure hunters away.
You can dive on Mel Fisher wrecks on the treasure coast if you so desire. However, be advised that you should not have a metal detector in the lease sites, and you must stay 300 feet away from the dive boats that are working the leases, and don't bring the detector within 3,000 yards (while in the water) of the GPS coordinates listed below.
There are few private beaches in the State of Florida (other than the National Parks), and you are allowed to hunt the beaches from the Dune to the low tide line as you desire, and that includes the beaches adjacent to the 1715 fleet of Spanish shipwrecks. The rule on the beach is finders keepers, so don't let any beachside Condo owners or Hotel operators try to run you off, as they do not own the beach, the people of Florida own the beaches.
A note of caution while hunting on the beach at night, starting in May - October it is turtle nesting season, and artificial lighting is forbidden on the beach, especially in Brevard and Indian River County’s, help us protect our endangered and protected wildlife.
BENT ANCHOR S32G 27.55.7N X 80.29.12W; East to 27.55.7N X 80.28.57W; South-southeast to 27.53.28N X 80.27.24W; West to 27.53.28N X 80.27.68W; then follow the mean low tide line to point of beginning.
CABIN WRECK S27 27.49.8N X 80.25.55W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of mean low tide line.
DOUGLAS BEACH S26 27.25.3N X 80.16.50W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
POWER PLANT S25 27.21.2N X 80.13.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
ANCHOR WRECK S23 27.48.2N X 80.24.70W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SPRING OF WHITBY S23 27.46.0N X 80.23.83W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
RIO MAR S23 27.38.3N X 80.20.90W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SANDY POINT S23 27.35.8N X 80.19.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
UNKNOWN S23 27.19.0N X 80.12.30W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
CORRIGANS WRECK S25 27.46.2N X 80.22.67W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
