United States Dive Sites — Page 5

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

African Queen Reef

Maryland · 18–23 m

An 800-acre Maryland artificial reef site 12 nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City Inlet, centered on the wreck of the freighter African Queen, which grounded and broke in two in 1958; the bow and stern sections lie a short distance apart in about 70 ft of water. The periphery has been built up with prefabricated concrete units, cable mounds, an M60 tank and several small sunken vessels. Divers visit it for lobster, sea bass and tautog over the wreckage.

IntermediateBoat entry

Air Force Reef

South Carolina · Up to 9.1 m

Artificial reef built from Approximate Center of Reef

Boat entry

Alcova Reservoir

Wyoming · 3–30.5 m

A roughly 2,470-acre reservoir about 30 minutes southwest of Casper on Highway 220, around 100 feet deep, and the most accessible regularly dived site in central Wyoming. The dam area and Sandy Beach generally have the best visibility from June through August. The rocky bottom is stocked with trout, walleye and perch, and freshwater crawfish are common. Best accessed by boat, though some shore entries require only a short walk with gear.

IntermediateShore + boat

Alexander Springs

Florida · 1.5–7.6 m

Alexander Springs is a first-magnitude spring in the Ocala National Forest and the only site in the forest where scuba diving is allowed. The broad, gin-clear pool slopes from a sandy swim beach to roughly 25 ft over the vent, making it one of Florida's best easy dives for newly certified divers and training classes. The recreation area includes a campground, bathhouse and canoe launch on the lush, palm-lined spring run.

Shore entry

Alki Junkyard / Pipeline

Washington · 3–18.3 m

A pair of adjacent shore dives off Beach Drive SW on the south side of Alki Point in West Seattle, distinct from the better-known Seacrest coves. The Junkyard is a debris field of old car bodies, machinery and scattered junk that now functions as artificial reef and octopus habitat, while the Pipeline follows an old outfall pipe over a gentle slope to about 40 ft. Entry is from street ends near Richey Viewpoint with a stair/ramp walk-in and a shallow swim-out.

Shore entry

Almirante

Florida · Up to 38.1 m

Artificial reef built from 200' Steel Ship, the "Almirante"

AdvancedBoat entry

Amaryllis

Florida · Up to 24.4 m

Artificial reef built from 440' Freighter, the "Amaryllis"

IntermediateBoat entry

Ana Cecilia

Florida · Up to 26.5 m

Artificial reef built from 170' X 30' X 31' Cargo Ship - the "Ana Cecilia"

IntermediateBoat entry

Ancient Mariner

Florida · Up to 21.3 m

Artificial reef built from 165' Steel US Coast Guard Cutter, the "Nemesis"

IntermediateBoat entry

Anderson

Alabama · Up to 25.6 m

Anderson is one of five World War II Liberty ships sunk off Alabama in 1974, identified by divers as the Noah Webster (hull #776). The 400-plus-foot cargo ship rests in roughly 80-90 feet of water offshore from Perdido Pass and is a long-standing recreational wreck dive. Its large structure aggregates schooling spadefish, amberjack and snapper, with occasional pelagic and turtle sightings.

AdvancedBoat entry

Andro

Florida · Up to 31.4 m

Artificial reef built from 165' Steel Ship, "Andro". 5th of 6 Ships this grant

AdvancedBoat entry

Andy Gibson Wreck

Minnesota · —

steamboat in the United States of America

IntermediateBoat entry

Anglers Reef

Virginia · 9.4–10.7 m

Artificial reef built from concrete

Boat entry

Anglin’s Pier Reef

Florida · 3–6.7 m

The reef off Anglin's Fishing Pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is one of Florida's most famous beach dives, with two ledgy nearshore reef lines starting roughly 100 yards off the sand in 10-22 ft of water. The town brands itself the 'Shore Diving Capital of South Florida,' and the Datura Avenue/Commercial Blvd entries give easy access to coral ledges packed with tropicals, lobster and the occasional turtle or nurse shark. Note that the pier itself partially collapsed in Hurricane Nicole (2022) and remains fenced off, with rebuilding not expected before about 2028 — dive the reef, not the pier.

Shore entry

Antares' Ship

Florida · Up to 39.6 m

Artificial reef built from 387' Freighter, the "Antares"

AdvancedBoat entry

Anthony Wayne Shipwreck

Ohio · Up to 15 m

shipwreck in Lake Erie

IntermediateBoat entry

Antonio López Wreck

Puerto Rico · 3–10 m

The SS Antonio López, an 1882 Scottish-built Spanish Compañía Trasatlántica steamer, was shelled by the USS Yosemite while running the US blockade and ran aground on Angelina barrier reef off Dorado on 28 June 1898; she was later burned by USS New Orleans and sank in place. The wreck — the only known Spanish shipwreck in US waters from the Spanish-American War — lies substantially intact in about 30 ft (9-10 m) of water roughly a mile offshore, with boilers, machinery, masts, anchors and extensive hull remains easy to identify. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997, it is a shallow boat dive best attempted on calm summer days, as the north coast is exposed to Atlantic swell.

IntermediateBoat entry

Arctic Wreck

Wisconsin · 3–4.6 m

The 1881 ice-breaking tug Arctic served Goodrich Transportation for 49 years before sinking in 1930. The wreck lies partially sand-covered in 10-15 ft of water in two large sections about 800 ft apart, 1.5 miles northeast of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light, within the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The stempost rises seven feet from the sand on the northern section; the southern section holds the rudder, bilge structure and boiler. An easy boat, kayak or snorkel visit.

Boat entry

Asphalt Pile Reef

Virginia · Up to 9.1 m

Artificial reef built from concrete

Boat entry

Asquith Reed, Severn River

Maryland · —

Artificial reef built from Rubble and shell

Boat entry

Atascadero

California · Up to 16.8 m

Artificial reef built from Quarry Rock

Boat entry

Athens Scuba Park

Texas · 0–8.5 m

A 28-acre spring-fed former clay quarry in Athens, East Texas, operating as a dedicated dive park since 1987. More than 25 sunken attractions sit in shallow water, including a Cessna airplane, a Lockheed airliner fuselage, boats, vehicles and training platforms. Visibility is unusually good for a Texas inland site and the shallow depth makes it a popular open-water training and underwater photography venue.

Shore entry

Atlantic Beach Reef

New York · 16.8–19.5 m

Atlantic Beach Reef is a 413-acre NYSDEC artificial reef about 3 nautical miles south of Atlantic Beach in 55-64 ft of water. Built from scuttled vessels, barges, pontoons, railcars, bridge sections and concrete rubble, it forms a productive habitat for black sea bass, tautog and scup. Visibility is typically 10-20 ft and conditions are exposed Atlantic, making it an intermediate boat dive.

IntermediateBoat entry

Atlantic City - A.C. WESCOAT

New Jersey · 15.5–21.9 m

Artificial reef built from 60' Deck Barge - "A.C. Wescoat" NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 60' Deck Barge - "A.C. Wescoat", deployed 1989.

IntermediateBoat entry