Florida, United States Dive Sites — Page 4

Showing 73–96 of 143

Continued from the Florida, United States dive sites guide, which covers seasonality and planning details.

Lofthus

Florida · 4.6–6.1 m

The Lofthus, a 222-ft iron-hulled Norwegian barque built in 1868, wrecked off Manalapan in 1898 while carrying lumber from Pensacola to Buenos Aires. The scattered iron hull now lies in 15-20 ft of water about 175 yards offshore, three-quarters of a mile north of Boynton Inlet, and was designated Florida's eighth Underwater Archaeological Preserve in 2004 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sand movement alternately exposes and buries the wreckage, which shelters lobster, grunts, porkfish and rays.

Boat entry

M/V Castor

Florida · Up to 33.2 m

Artificial reef built from 258' X45' X 37' Coastal Freighter, the "M/V Castor". Customs Seizure

AdvancedBoat entry

M/V Zion Train

Florida · Up to 27.4 m

Artificial reef built from 164' Steel Ship, the "Zion Train" ($25,000-Local Funding)

IntermediateBoat entry

Madison Blue Spring

Florida · 7.6–27.4 m

Madison Blue Spring is a first-magnitude spring on the bank of the Withlacoochee River in Madison Blue Spring State Park, regularly voted among the best cave dives in the United States. The 82-ft-wide, 25-ft-deep basin leads to a cave entrance about 30 ft down that opens into more than 26,000 ft of mapped passage including famous rooms and tunnels along the gold line. Diving is restricted to certified cavern and cave divers with mandatory sign-in, two-diver teams, and no DPVs.

AdvancedShore entry

Mariner 1

Florida · Up to 38.1 m

Artificial reef built from 170' Long Dutch Freighter, the "Union Express"

AdvancedBoat entry

Mercedes

Florida · Up to 29.6 m

Artificial reef built from 197' Steel Freighter, the "Mercedes"

IntermediateBoat entry

MG-111 Barge

Florida · Up to 18.3 m

Artificial reef built from 195' Hopper Barge "MG11", with 1,000 tons of Concrete

IntermediateBoat entry

Micheal Golden Memorial Reef

Florida · Up to 6.4 m

Artificial reef built from 6 Florida Limestone Modules

Boat entry

Miss Jenny

Florida · Up to 27.4 m

Artificial reef built from 55' X 50' X 25' Dredge Barge. 300' south of "Esso Bonaire"

IntermediateBoat entry

Miss Louise

Florida · Up to 17.7 m

Artificial reef built from 95' Steel Tug Boat, the "Miss Louise"

Boat entry

Mizpah

Florida · Up to 27.4 m

Artificial reef built from 185' Yacht, the "Mizpah"

IntermediateBoat entry

Molasses Reef

Florida · 1.8–27.4 m

Molasses Reef is one of the most heavily dived spur-and-groove coral reefs in the world, sitting at the seaward edge of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo. Marked by its iconic light tower, the reef offers more than 30 mooring-buoyed sites from 6-ft snorkel gardens to 90-ft outer ledges, with named features like Hole in the Wall, Winch Hole and the Aquarium. Mild current along the outer edge makes for easy drift dives, and fish life is exceptional thanks to decades of no-take protection.

IntermediateBoat entry

Monsanto Boxes

Florida · Up to 22.9 m

The Monsanto Boxes were concrete structures donated by the Monsanto chemical plant and deployed as artificial reefs in Escambia County's nearshore reef zone off Pensacola Beach. County surveys report that only the concrete pilings (about two dozen at the north site) remain, lying in roughly 72-75 feet of water. The low-relief rubble still draws flounder, snapper and baitfish and is mainly visited as a fishing reef or easy second wreck-zone dive.

IntermediateBoat entry

Morrison Spring

Florida · 3–30.2 m

Morrison Springs is a 250-ft-diameter first-magnitude spring pool on the Choctawhatchee River floodplain, run as a free-spirited Walton County park with boardwalks, a swim platform and diver-friendly access. A sandy funnel drops to about 45 ft for open-water divers, while cavern-certified divers can enter two cavern rooms reaching roughly 90-99 ft; the deeper cave system beyond is sealed by collapse. Crystal-clear water (river conditions permitting) and easy entry make it one of the Panhandle's most popular training and recreation dives.

IntermediateShore entry

Navy Dive Tender YDT-15

Florida · Up to 27.4 m

Artificial reef built from 132' Navy Dive Tender, 312 tons (1 1st of two this date)

IntermediateBoat entry

OAR/Wakulla DZ 1 (1)

Florida · Up to 19.8 m

Artificial reef built from 140 tons of Culverts, 3rd of three Deployments this Site

IntermediateBoat entry

OAR/Wakulla DZ 3 (6)

Florida · Up to 19.8 m

Artificial reef built from 315 Culverts, 67 Concrete Slabs and 5 Cement Mixers, 6 loads Here, also - 7/2,/7/1,6/30,6/29,and 6/28

IntermediateBoat entry

P. C. Barge

Florida · Up to 25 m

The PC Barge and Towers is a public artificial reef in the Escambia County reef zone off Pensacola Beach, consisting of a steel barge with holes opened along its sides and two sets of steel towers deployed alongside. The complex sits on sand in about 82 feet of water and provides good relief for schooling baitfish, snapper and spadefish. It is typically dived by charter together with the nearby Soule Barge, Tug Sylvia and Tug Deliverance.

IntermediateBoat entry