1,024 mapped sites
Explore on mapDestination guide
United States has 1,024 public dive sites on PickADive, with strong starting points in New Jersey, Florida, California, South Carolina, and Hawaii. Use this hub to move from broad destination research to specific dive-site pages.
Seasonal patterns
Typical conditions by month across dive sites in United States— historical patterns, not a forecast.
From 1,010 sites’ typical conditions · historical typicals, not a forecast
Best time to dive United States: full month-by-month data →
Featured dive guides
Start with these richer site pages when you want article-style planning notes, FAQs, condition context, and local logistics.
Read the enriched Molasses Reef guide for access, depth, difficulty, conditions, marine-life notes, and FAQs before comparing reviews.
Read the enriched Spiegel Grove guide for access, depth, difficulty, conditions, marine-life notes, and FAQs before comparing reviews.
Read the enriched U-352 (wreck) guide for access, depth, difficulty, conditions, marine-life notes, and FAQs before comparing reviews.
Showing 1–24 of 1,024
California · 6–21 m
Historic three-masted steel sailing ship wrecked on Talcott Shoal off Santa Rosa Island. NOAA and NPS materials document underwater wreck imagery, making this a legitimate Channel Islands boat-wreck target for experienced cold-water divers. Expect scattered wreckage integrated with reef/kelp habitat rather than a complete ship.
Florida · 0.9–7.6 m
Shallow reef and protected historic wreck area near Alligator Reef Lighthouse off Islamorada. Divers and snorkelers visit coral habitat, fish life, and ballast/wreck remains traditionally associated with USS Alligator, while acknowledging some uncertainty about exact wreck attribution. This is a boat-access Sanctuary Preservation Area style dive/snorkel site, not a shore dive.
Hawaii · 12–24 m
Amber's Arches is a Kauai south-shore boat dive with a reef plateau, drop-off, arch/ledge features, holes, and undercut structure. It is attractive for eels, lobsters, dark-loving fish, reef sharks, and occasional rare finds such as longnose hawkfish in black coral. Treat the arch and hole features as swim-throughs, not caves for untrained penetration.
Puerto Rico - Vieques · 0.5–8 m
La Chiva, also known as Blue Beach, is a Vieques shore snorkeling site with shallow reef, seagrass, and clear-water beach access. It is useful for snorkelers and freedivers in calm water, but the current evidence does not support listing it as a regular scuba dive site. Keep the record shallow and activity-limited.
Guam · 15.2–40 m
Natural shaft/sinkhole off Orote Point, normally dived from a boat. Divers enter the opening on the reef top, descend through the blue-water shaft, and exit onto the outside wall near the recreational depth limit. The bottom continues far beyond recreational limits, so depth control is the central planning issue.
Hawaii · 18–30 m
Brennecke's Ledge is a deeper south-shore Kauai boat dive built around a ledge/overhang system near the Poipu/Brennecke area. Operators describe it as rewarding but less frequently visited because distance and current can make it more demanding. It is best for experienced divers comfortable with drift-like movement and 60-100 ft profiles.
U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix · 1–12.2 m
Buck Island Reef is an NPS marine protected area off St. Croix with a marked underwater snorkel trail, elkhorn coral formations, and two designated shallow scuba moorings. Most visitors access it by permitted tour boat or private boat rather than by shore. Treat it as a protected reef experience first: no collecting, no coral contact, and use only legal anchoring/mooring areas.
U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix · 8–40 m
Cane Bay Wall is a north-shore St. Croix shore/boat wall dive where a shallow reef shelf gives way to the Puerto Rico Trench. The normal dive begins near a buoy offshore from Cane Bay Beach, then follows sand chutes and coral gardens out to the wall. The top is recreational, but the drop-off is extreme and should be treated with disciplined depth and gas limits.
Puerto Rico - Culebra · 3–18 m
Named reef/wall site in the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve near Culebra. The wall runs close enough to shore for snorkel/freedive use in calm water, while local operators also use Culebra reefs for shallow scuba. Treat reserve rules and buoyancy control as core site requirements.
U.S. Virgin Islands · 6–18 m
Broken-up WWII-era freighter/artificial-reef style wreck near Buck Island, St. Thomas. The wreck lies in several sections with visible engines, coral/sponge growth, and fish life, making it a novice-to-intermediate boat wreck in good conditions. No penetration should be expected because the wreck is fragmented.
Hawaii - Oahu · 9–17 m
Portlock/China Walls is a lava wall and cave/nook dive along Oahu's southeast shore. The underwater route follows the cliff wall past caves, arches, and mini-canyon features where turtles and whitetip reef sharks may rest. It is a rewarding dive only in very calm conditions and is safer by boat for many divers.
U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas · 1–15.2 m
Coki Beach Reef is a beach-entry St. Thomas reef beside Coral World Ocean Park, with very calm, clear conditions often suitable for first dives, snorkeling, and night dives. St Thomas Scuba Diving describes two reefs in roughly 40-50 ft / 12-15 m for divers, while the beach itself is a well-known shore snorkel. Keep the business/attraction separate from the actual beach reef site.
Hawaii · 32–35.1 m
Intact F4U Corsair aircraft on sand off southeast Oahu, normally reached by boat as a deep advanced dive. The aircraft is upright with cockpit and propeller features visible; the surrounding sand hosts garden eels and macro life. It is exterior-only and should be planned as a short, current-aware deep dive.
U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas/St. John · 6–13.7 m
Cow and Calf Rocks are paired south-side USVI reef formations reachable by boat from St. Thomas or St. John. Divers use the canyons, ridges, swim-through arches, and tunnels around Cow Rock and Calf Rock, with colorful coral growth and frequent reef life. Although often used for intro/certification dives, the swim-throughs require buoyancy control and guide awareness.
Puerto Rico - Aguadilla · 1–15 m
Public beach dive around the old Navy pier and broken pier structure at Crash Boat. The pilings and rubble act as an artificial reef with easy shallow water, macro subjects, schooling fish, and night-dive potential when conditions are calm. It is suitable for beginner scuba, snorkeling, and freediving, but divers should stay aware of beach and boat traffic.
California · 8–20 m
Historic passenger-cargo steamer wreck off Point Bennett, San Miguel Island. NOAA/NPS and NOAA-authored dive writing confirm underwater remnants and diver interest, with machinery and organized wreckage remaining in a swell-exposed sanctuary setting. This should be treated as a cold-water boat wreck for capable divers, not a casual shore site.
Puerto Rico - Desecheo/Rincón · 3–40 m
Boat-only offshore island dive area with clear water, walls, caves, and reef around Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge. Divers and snorkelers use the surrounding waters by charter, but the island itself is closed/off-limits. Site choice and depth vary, so use local operator conditions rather than treating one pin as a precise mooring.
U.S. Virgin Islands - St. John · 6–14 m
Eagle Shoal is a remote St. John east-end boat dive made of long coral fingers, overhangs, tunnels, arches, and a large chamber often called The Cathedral. It is known for clear water, abundant reef fish, sponges, cup corals, and occasional larger life, but it is only suitable when the southeast swell is calm enough. The site is naturally overhead-like in places, so routes should be guided and conservative.
Hawaii · 15–46 m
Edge of the World is a back-wall Molokini site where ledges and shadowed wall terrain drop into very deep water. It is a serious advanced-to-technical profile: divers can stay recreationally shallow, but the terrain invites depth creep beyond normal recreational limits. Treat it as a guided boat wall/drift dive for divers with excellent buoyancy and gas discipline.
Puerto Rico - Aguadilla · 2–12 m
Less-formal Aguadilla shore reef with coral structure and reef fish. It is a useful local scuba site when conditions are calm, but access and navigation are less obvious than Crash Boat, so first-time visitors should use a local guide. Treat the approximate lead point as approximate until a stronger operator map is available.
Hawaii · 3–12.2 m
West Oahu shore dive and snorkel site centered on the Kahe power-plant discharge pipe and nearby reef. Warm discharge water and reef structure attract turtles, rays, reef fish, and macro life. It is easy in calm conditions but the pipe outflow and boat traffic make it more than a casual beginner site.
Hawaii · 6–18 m
Enenue is an inner/eastern Molokini site with a gentle reef slope and abundant butterflyfish in the shallows. It supports snorkeling, freediving, SNUBA, and scuba when boat conditions are calm. Deeper portions toward the wall can add sharks/eels/rays and a more advanced feel.
Puerto Rico · 0.5–9 m
Protected San Juan shore site used for training, refreshers, snorkeling, and easy scuba. The park includes shallow protected water, artificial reef/bottom features, Fish Protection Wall, and maze-like reef routes often called the Labyrinths. It is one of Puerto Rico's most accessible beginner sites but can be affected by seasonal sargassum and urban beach traffic.
Hawaii · 15–40 m
Flying Sea Cliffs is an exposed Molokini back-wall dive with shelves, wall relief, sponges/corals, and shadowed crevices. It is primarily a scuba site, with advanced snorkel stops only when operators judge conditions safe. Depth, current, and ledge navigation make it an advanced boat profile.
Popular starting points in United States include New Jersey, Florida, California, South Carolina, and Hawaii. The region list helps you narrow the country before comparing individual site pages.
Explore sites on the mapCurrent public data shows 398 intermediate and 184 advanced dive sites. Listed depths range from about 0m to 220m where available. Boat is the most common listed access type. Use those signals as a starting point, then confirm the plan against training, equipment, and current local guidance.
PickADive can help with research and comparison, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Weather, current, visibility, entry, boat traffic, and local rules can change quickly.
How condition context worksStart with New Jersey, Florida, and California. PickADive lists 1,024 public dive sites in United States, and the region links on this page help narrow the choice before you compare individual site pages. New Jersey alone accounts for 186 of those listings across 64 regions. 211 dive sites are recorded with shore access and 745 with boat access, and 79 are verified listings.
PickADive currently marks 2 dive sites in United States as beginner level. 211 dive sites countrywide are recorded with shore access, and listed depths start from about 0m. Use the difficulty badges, access notes, depth range, reviews, and local operator advice to decide whether a site fits your training and comfort.
Yes. PickADive currently marks 216 dive sites in United States as advanced or expert level. That includes 32 marked expert. Listed depths in the catalog reach about 220m at the deepest sites, and 745 dive sites are recorded as boat access. Review depth, access, conditions, hazards, and recent diver notes before planning those dives.
The public PickADive catalog for United States currently shows listed depths from about 0m to 220m. Both shallow shore entries and deeper boat sites appear in the catalog: 211 dive sites are recorded with shore access and 745 with boat access. Always check the individual site page and current local guidance before choosing a dive.
No. PickADive helps with destination research and site comparison in United States, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Site pages show forecast-derived condition outlooks and historical seasonality — planning aids computed from measured data, never a judgment that a particular dive is advisable. Check current conditions, training limits, equipment, local rules, and operator guidance before diving.