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Map of Fort Pickens Jetties
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Shore entry

Fort Pickens Jetties

Florida, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggestedStrong tidal currents through Pensacola Pass with each tide change3–15 m (10–50 ft) depthShore entry3mm wetsuit typical

Fort Pickens Jetties at a glance

Fort Pickens Jetties is a shore dive site in Florida, United States with depths of 3–15.2 m (10–50 ft). Typically most favorable Jul–Aug · from 2 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Atlantic guitarfish, Flounder, and Gag grouper. Recent reports put the water around 24°C (75°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 7:00–19:00 · favorable · sunset 18:06

Forecast for this hour · 2:00 · run 2 h ago
0.6 m (2.0 ft)waves — under a meter expected (waves — about two feet expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Strong tidal currents through Pensacola Pass with each tide change

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Longest window: Tue
Tue7:00–19:00 favorable

0.6 m waves · 8 kn wind (1.9 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Wed8:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–19:00 favorable

0.7 m waves · 9 kn wind (2.2 ft waves · 9 kn wind)

Thu8:00–10:00 moderate, 10:00–19:00 favorable

0.5 m waves · 8 kn wind (1.6 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Fri8:00–19:00 favorable

0.6 m waves · 7 kn wind (1.9 ft waves · 7 kn wind)

Sat8:00–19:00 moderate

0.9 m waves · 11 kn wind (2.9 ft waves · 11 kn wind)

Sun8:00–10:00 moderate, 10:00–12:00 favorable, 12:00–13:00 moderate, 13:00–19:00 favorable

0.7 m waves · 5 kn wind (2.4 ft waves · 5 kn wind)

Mon8:00–19:00 favorable

0.4 m waves · 4 kn wind (1.2 ft waves · 4 kn wind)

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wave and wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 6:35 · Sunrise 6:59 · Sunset 18:06 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 4.4 km from site · updated 27 Oct, 00:17 GMT-5

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Fort Pickens Jetties

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Flounder, Gag grouper, Gobies
Best time: Slack high tide (conditions usually best about one hour before high tide), May-October for warmest water and 15-30+ ft visibility.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. January, 90% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.9 m (2.8 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  2. February, 96% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.4 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  3. March, 87% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.9 m (3.1 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots
  4. April, 85% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.9 m (3.0 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots
  5. May, 97% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.7 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots
  6. June, 95% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.4 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots
  7. July, 100% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.6 ft), wind has typically been 7 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 100% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.6 ft), wind has typically been 7 knots, historically most favorable
  9. September, 95% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.2 ft), wind has typically been 7 knots
  10. October, 97% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.7 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots
  11. November, 88% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.9 m (2.8 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots
  12. December, 97% of days have historically been favorable, waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.6 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots

July and August have typically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 1 year of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

The Fort Pickens Jetties at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island are one of the most popular shore dives in the Florida Panhandle, located within Gulf Islands National Seashore beside the historic 1834 fort. From the seawall steps a gradual sandy slope leads along the rock jetty to about 50 feet, past concrete culverts and scattered artificial habitat that shelter a remarkable density of fish. The site sits in an aquatic preserve at the edge of Pensacola Pass, so slack-tide timing is essential.

reefshore

Strong tidal currents through Pensacola Pass with each tide change — dive only at slack (best ~1 hour before high tide); boat traffic in the pass; fishing lines from the adjacent pier; sharp rocks and urchins on the jetty.

Reviews

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