Thousands of scuba divers visit Florida on a Florida diving holiday due to the large variety of dive sites you can find on the Florida coastline.
Although Florida is known as the “sunshine state” not many people understand that Florida has more coastal waters than any other US state.
When we first look at the Atlantic coastline you will find a series of reef lines giving an outer reef, inner reef and middle reef. These reefs run along the coastline giving different diving experences 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 close to the shores heading north before veering out into the Atlantic.
This stream of warm water washes the delicate marine bio systems off the coast and brings with it food that helps maintain the marine eco system on these reefs.
Florida diving fans can find so many diverse things to do up and down the coast.
Florida Diving: North of Jupiter to South of Miami
Starting at Jupiter and working your way down south along the coastline you will find an incredible choice of reefs and shipwrecks to explore with some sites like Governor’s River Walk Reef having well known shipwrecks such as the Shasha boerkanier which is one of three shipwrecks at this dive site.
In West Palm Beach Florida diving beginners can still enjoy a pulsating experience scuba diving famous reef systems such as Breakers Reef.
Further south along the coastline is Fort Lauderdale. This is one of the most popular destinations for divers and non scuba divers alike.
As you travel beside the coast you realize that places like Ft. Lauderdale have plenty of diversity when it comes to diving or snorkeling with well known destinations such as Tenneco Towers or Oil Platforms.
Only in Miami would you scuba dive to discover Army Tanks!
Apart from all the cultural things you can do around Miami on your Florida diving trip there is also a great array of dive sites that provide learner and experienced divers plenty of chance to have fun.
Florida Diving: From Key Largo Down The Keys To Key West
Of course no Florida diving trip can be taken without considering a visit to Key Largo or Key West, The Keys.
When you see the vast choice of diving sites available it’s easy to see why Key Largo is one of the most admired diving destinations in the world.
Key Largo is full of great shipwrecks with ships such as the USS Spiegel Grove, the U.S.S. Duane and U.S.S. Bibb. These are substantial wrecks with the Spiegel Grove only suitable for very experienced divers and taking more than one dive owing to its enormous size. Anyone taking a Florida diving vacation and planning on visiting The Keys will be spoilt for choice and there is something for everyone whatever their skill level.
Some of the best underwater photography has been taken at Molasses Reef. The reef is located in relatively shallow waters and therefore provides good lighting. Molasses Reef is full of color and shapes provided by some of the most excellent marine life in the area and the opportunities to improve your underwater photography skills is endless.
Key Largo is the most excellent known by the Florida scuba diving community for its wide choice of diving sites but Key West is the place to go for the nightlife and culture if you do take a trip to The Keys.
Key West provides some of the finest 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 locations and so little time and what’s more we haven’t even looked at The Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast. That we will do in an alternative article.