You're screwed
You'll need access to a private boat that can handle divers and two tanks each. The ladder will need to support you, and your gear. But the real problem will be finding clear water, and arriving there with all the teeth in your mouth. The furthest West I've dove was Dauphin Island, and I've found, that the closer you get to the Mississippi River, the crappier the water will be.
Some folks dive out of Louisiana, but you have to head to the rigs, and often have to travel 50 miles before blue water is encountered. Trips are often cancelled due to rough seas, and my understanding is that many of the rig jackets have been removed after the BP spill in 2010, so less places to dive. The Louisiana, and Mississippi deep-water rigs are probably world-class diving experiences, and certainly ones I want in my dive log soon, but the cost of the trip, the cost in your time to get there and back, plus the probability of cancellations, make other options (namely Pensacola) much more economical. You may think diving in 3ft seas is no big deal, but riding a small craft in 3ft seas for 100 miles will take the fight out of most folks.
Pensacola really is your best bet. Hundreds of dive sites, a fleet of dive charter boats, logistical support (tank rentals, fills, etc.), great debrief sites (food & drink), and good proximity to I-10.
The funny thing is, that there's not much on the other side of Panama City either. There's a dead zone for offshore diving between Carabelle and St. Pete because you have shallow, turbid water from all the rivers dumping into the Gulf. Little pressure means great lobstering and spearfishing in these areas, but less diveable days to do it in because of visibility. They do however have dozens of springs to dive, so I guess it's a fair trade.
Sometimes you can find a Dauphin Island group going offshore through Gulf Coast Divers
Gulf Coast Divers - Dive The Alabama, Florida and Mississippi Gulf Coast - Gulf Coast Scuba Diving At Its' Best - Mobile, Alabama
For spearfishing, or 6-pack trips, I'd call Capt. Andy. His website also has a list of restaurants, and even a few hotels:
Niuhi Dive Charters - Pensacola Scuba Diving Adventures
For Oriskany trips, it's hard to beat Capt. Doug's H2O Below. Very roomy, shaded deck, awesome travel system for getting to the wreck and back:
Charter Boat H2O Below - Scuba dive the USS Oriskany
