Florida has a wealth of options when it comes to diving! Whether you prefer fresh water or salt, there is something for everyone and it's worth the trip! In no particular order, here are 10 of the best spots to dive in Florida!
Ginnie Springs
Ginnie Springs is a beautiful, natural spring that is like diving in a bottle of spring water. With a max depth of 20 feet, and 72 degree crystal clear water nestled in a 200-acre forest setting, this is one of the most beautiful places to dive in the sunshine state! Ginnie Springs has a wonderful variety of fish and incredible cave system!
Blue Grotto
With a max depth of 100 feet, Blue Grotto is an excellent diving spot for beginner and expert level divers! With a large clear-water cavern, and a compressed air-supplied bell at 30 feet, you can enter and take the regulator out of your mouth mid-dive and talk to your friends! As an added bonus, under certain circumstances, you can also snorkel and free dive in this location!
Dry Tortugas National Park
Interested in pirates and exploring Florida’s history, then Dry Tortugas is another dive spot you need to visit! With depths up to 300 feet deep, this unique dive spot offers tropical species sightings like conchs and starfish. All levels are welcome to dive or snorkel this once great pirate hideaway!
Venice
If you are a more experienced diver, then Venice is a must-dive spot in Florida! With up to 25 feet of depth, the mostly clear waters of the Gulf Beaches is one of the best dive spots for fossilized shark teeth! Pictured above is a Megalodon Tooth and just one example of the kind of fossils you can find at this unique dive location! See more about the tooth here!
Looe Key
If you want to experience a natural reef, full of wildlife and living coral, then Looe Key in the Florida Keys is your next dive or snorkeling destination. With up to 30 feet of depth, no matter how experienced you in diving or snorkeling, there is something for everyone in this beautiful reef!
Key Largo
In addition to exploring the beautiful reefs in the Florida Keys, you can also learn more about Florida’s history and explore some of the biggest shipwrecks in Key Largo! With attractions like the 510-foot wreck Spiegel Grove and home to wildlife like barracudas and oceanic jacks makes this a dive spot you don’t want to miss! Up to 138 feet of depth, Key Largo ranks as the dive capital of the world for beginners and expert divers alike!
Blue Heron Bridge
For a diversity of marine life, a max depth of 25 feet and easy access to the dive site, Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach is the perfect dive spot! This spot has some of the most unique wildlife in Florida like octopus, frogfish, stargazers and over 100 different species of nudibranchs! If you snorkel or dive in this unique location, don’t forget to bring your Reef Fish Identification books!
The Wreck Trek Ft. Lauderdale
If you are looking to test your circumnavigation skills as an experienced diver, the Wreck Trek Ft. Lauderdale is a 70 foot deep, 3 wreck drift dive that includes the Jay Scutti, Tracey and Merci Jesus. You can easily explore 2 of the 3 wrecks during most dives, but if you want to explore all 3 make sure to check the current!
Alexander Springs
If you are looking to experience freshwater fish and vegetation, Alexander Springs is a shallow basin about 25 feet deep located in the heart of Central Florida. Safe for all dive and snorkel levels, stay at the nearby campsite and explore the underwater cavern, and you might even spot an alligator!
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park
For premier, underwater cave exploration in the sunshine state, Peacock Springs is a must-dive destination! Over 30,000 miles of limestone passages and rooms have currently been mapped, but there is plenty more to be discovered! With an average depth of 40 feet, and an extensive list of rules for safety, it is vital that divers have specialized training in cave diving, since navigating in tight, dark spaces with no direct access to the surface can be tricky!
Because Florida has so many amazing locations to dive, you can guarantee we will be writing more blogs highlighting some of the other dive treasures that are located here in the sunshine state!
If you want to dive with a guide or get PADI dive certified, view our schedule here to sign up for a course or retreat!
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