United States Dive Sites

1,024 mapped sites

Best dive sites in United States

Showing 829–840 of 1,024

Grecian Wreck (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary)

Michigan · 22.9–30.5 m

The Grecian, a 296-ft steel bulk freighter launched in 1891, sank in 1906 while under tow after a collision and now lies in roughly 100 ft of water in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary off Alpena. The deck is reached around 75 ft, and divers can explore the triple-expansion engine, boiler, decks and cargo holds; the collapsing midships section can be disorienting. NOAA typically places mooring buoys on both bow and stern in season.

AdvancedBoat entry

Blue Lake (Wendover)

Utah · 0–18.3 m

A 9-acre, 60-foot-deep geothermal spring-fed pond in the desert about 16 miles south of Wendover on BLM-managed wetlands within the Utah Test and Training Range. Bottom water holds near 85 F year-round, making it Utah's main winter training site, with two submerged platforms and diver-placed metal sculptures (hammerhead, turtle, rhino, praying mantis), boats and other objects to explore. A boardwalk crosses the marsh from the parking area to the water; summer algae blooms can cut visibility to a few feet.

Shore entry

Blue Hole Verified

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.

AdvancedBoat entry

Niles Beach

Massachusetts · 3–7.6 m

Niles Beach sits inside Gloucester Harbor on Eastern Point, giving it some of the most protected water on Cape Ann. The gradually sloping sandy bottom only reaches about 15-25 ft, so it serves mainly as a training venue and a reliable backup when ocean-facing sites are blown out. Summer parking requires a Gloucester resident beach sticker, though walk-on access is open to all.

Shore entry

Cherrystone Reef

Virginia · Up to 9.8 m

Artificial reef built from concrete

Boat entry

Wildwood - Fallen Friends Wreck

New Jersey · 12.8–18 m

Artificial reef built from 40' Deck Barge - "Fallen Friends Wreck"

Boat entry

Atlantic City - Morania Abaco

New Jersey · 15.5–27.1 m

Artificial reef built from 265' Tanker - "Morania Abaco" NJDEP deployment record: Ship, material: 265' Tanker - "Morania Abaco", deployed 1985.

IntermediateBoat entry

Saint Andrew's Bay

Florida · 6.1–21.3 m

The St. Andrews State Park jetties guard the entrance channel of St. Andrew Bay in Panama City Beach and are the Panhandle's best-known shore dive. After a short swim across a sheltered 8-10 foot lagoon, divers cross the granite jetty and work along boulders that drop from about 20 to 70 feet on the channel side, where Gulf and estuary species mix. Timing the dive to high slack tide is essential, as the tidal exchange through the pass generates strong currents and the channel carries constant boat traffic.

Shore entry

Gun Beach Verified

Guam · 1.5–30.5 m

North Tumon Bay shore reef with a known cable/pipe channel through the shallow reef flat. It can be snorkeled or dived from shore, and boats may also use the area. The best diving is on the healthy coral side once past the reef flat; the return through the channel/current is the key skill.

IntermediateShore + boat

Carter Lake - The Saddle

Colorado · 3–12.2 m

Carter Lake is a 3-mile-long foothills reservoir near Berthoud operated by Larimer County, and The Saddle on its east side is the approved shore-diving site. Large boulders are strewn along the bottom and visibility can reach 30 feet on good days (averaging 5-10 ft), with nearby Coffin Rock known for walleye sightings. Divers must notify Larimer County Natural Resources 24 hours before each day's diving, and are advised to stay shallower than 40 feet.

IntermediateShore + boat

West Flower Garden Bank (Flower Garden Banks NMS)

Texas · 18–39.6 m

The western of the two coral-capped salt domes in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, about 110 miles off Freeport and 12 miles from East Bank. Its reef cap (roughly 60-100 ft) carries the same dense boulder star and brain coral cover, with deep sand flats and reef margins sloping past recreational limits. Dived from liveaboard charters on sanctuary mooring buoys, usually combined with East Bank and Stetson Bank on 2-3 day trips.

AdvancedBoat entry

Russell's Reef/Great Gull

Maryland · 9–13 m

Russell's Reef, also known as Great Gull Reef, is a Maryland artificial reef of slightly under 1,000 acres located 4.2 nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City Inlet on the Great Gull Bank. Concrete reef material in roughly 30-45 ft of water attracts sea bass, tautog and flounder, and the site's proximity to the inlet makes it a convenient shallow dive and spearfishing area.

Boat entry