United States Dive Sites

1,024 mapped sites

Best dive sites in United States

Showing 709–720 of 1,024

Keystone Jetty (Fort Casey Underwater Park)

Washington · 3–18.3 m

Washington's other underwater state park, along the rock jetty protecting Keystone Harbor at Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island, next to the Coupeville-Port Townsend ferry landing. The jetty boulders are plastered with anemones and nudibranchs and shelter wolf eels, octopus and big lingcod, with about 55-60 ft of depth at the jetty tip. Admiralty Inlet currents sweep the site hard, so it is strictly a slack-water dive planned with Admiralty Head current predictions, and divers must never round the jetty into the active ferry lane.

IntermediateShore entry

Water Witch

Vermont · 24.4–27.4 m

Built in 1832 by steamboat pioneer Jahaziel Sherman at the mouth of Otter Creek, Water Witch ran as a steamboat for only a few seasons before her machinery was removed and she was converted to a lake schooner. She foundered in a gale on April 26, 1866 while carrying iron ore, taking the captain's infant daughter down with her. The 83-foot wreck, discovered in 1977, lies in about 90 feet of dark water a quarter mile south of Diamond Island, with her graceful 12-foot tiller bar, draped foremast, and intact bowsprit; the preserve is currently listed as closed.

ExpertBoat entry

Rockaway Reef

New York · 9.8–12.2 m

Rockaway Reef is a 635-acre NYSDEC artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean about 1.6 nautical miles south of Rockaway Beach, in 32-40 ft of water. Built from a barge, 60 steel buoys, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, rock and assorted concrete, with rock rubble scattered throughout, it is a relatively shallow but exposed reef. Black sea bass, tautog and scup are common; visibility runs 10-20 ft—an intermediate boat dive close to NYC.

IntermediateBoat entry

Honolua Bay

Hawaii · 3–18.3 m

A Marine Life Conservation District on West Maui's north tip with dense coral gardens along both sides of the bay in 10-40 ft, a sand channel down the middle sloping to ~60 ft at the mouth. Decades of protection mean rich fish life and frequent turtles. Divable in summer; in winter it transforms into one of Hawaii's most famous surf breaks.

Shore + boat

Pendleton Center

California · Up to 13.1 m

Artificial reef built from Quarry Rock

Boat entry

Presque Isle State Park (Lake Erie)

Pennsylvania · 1.5–7.6 m

Pennsylvania's only Great Lakes shoreline, a sandy peninsula on Lake Erie at Erie, PA, and one of the few places in the state where open-water shore diving is officially permitted. Certified divers must register at the park's Public Safety Building to be briefed on which waters are open for diving. Conditions are weather-dependent, with modest visibility and shallow sandy bottoms near shore; snorkeling is prohibited in park waters.

Shore entry

Triumph Reef

Florida · —

Triumph Reef is a shallow patch reef on the outer reef line at the southeastern edge of Biscayne National Park, north of Pacific Reef Light. Like the park's other named outer reefs (Long, Ajax, Pacific), it is boat-access only and protected under National Park rules, with healthy hard corals, sea fans and abundant reef fish in clear, warm water. Its shallow crown suits snorkelers while the surrounding slopes give easy novice scuba profiles.

Boat entry

Hap's Reef Verified

Guam · 6.1–19.8 m

Boat-access coral mound in Agat Bay, often used as a mellow reef dive or second dive after deeper southern/Orote sites. The mound rises from surrounding sand and mixed reef to a shallower crest, creating an easy profile with good small reef-fish life.

Boat entry

Blue Beach / La Chiva Verified

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.

Shore entry

Little Egg - WALDORF

New Jersey · 15.8–17.1 m

Artificial reef built from 110' Deck Barge - "Waldorf" NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 110' Deck Barge - "Waldorf", deployed 1999.

Boat entry

Higgins Lake (Northwest Shore / State Park Area)

Michigan · 0–16.8 m

Higgins Lake in Roscommon County is regularly cited as one of Michigan's clearest inland lakes and a popular freshwater shore dive, with the most-dived area off the northwest shore near the boat launch by North Higgins Lake State Park. Divers cross a long shallow sand flat to a drop-off and find several small sunken boats in roughly 40-55 ft of water, with abundant panfish and usually very good visibility. It is a long surface walk/swim, and the nearest air fills are about an hour away, so divers bring filled tanks.

Shore entry

Lake Ouachita

Arkansas · 3–18.3 m

Arkansas's largest lake and one of its cleanest, set in the Ouachita Mountains near Hot Springs, with roughly 30 charted dive spots around its uninhabited islands. Named sites include Crawdad Island, Zebra Rock, 'Tip of Snoopy's Ear' and Disappearing Island, plus submerged rock formations and remnants of pre-impoundment structures. Visibility runs 15-20 ft on the west end and up to 40 ft near Blakely Mountain Dam, which is also the most practical shore-diving area; most other sites are boat dives.

Shore + boat