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IntermediateBoat entry

San Pablo (W) Ship

Florida, United States
Open Water suggested26 m depthBoat entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

San Pablo (W) Ship at a glance

San Pablo (W) Ship is a intermediate boat dive site in Florida, United States with depths of up to 25.6 m (84 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Red snapper, Gag grouper, and Greater amberjack. Recent reports put the water around 30°C (86°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 14h ago
0.6 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 30°C · seasonal avg 30°C

Site hazards: Depth ~80-84 ft; widely scattered, jagged steel debris field; monofilament and fishing tackle; occasional current; boat traffic.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Tue
Tue7:00–20:00
Wed7:00–20:00
Thu7:00–20:00
Fri7:00–20:00
Sat7:00–20:00
Sun7:00–20:00
Mon7:00–20:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:39 · Sunrise 6:05 · Sunset 19:45

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 2.4 km from site · graded 14h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

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.

What Divers Say

Known for: Red snapper, Gag grouper, Greater amberjack
Best time: May through October; summer visibility frequently 40-60+ ft.

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. Jan45%20°C1.5 m
  2. Feb54%19°C1.2 m
  3. Mar65%20°C1.2 m
  4. Apr64%22°C1.2 m
  5. May90%25°C0.9 m
  6. Jun78%28°C0.9 m
  7. Jul97%30°C0.7 m
  8. Aug92%31°C0.7 m
  9. Sep84%30°C0.8 m
  10. Oct59%27°C1.1 m
  11. Nov59%24°C1.2 m
  12. Dec57%22°C1.2 m

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

Based on 3 years 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

  • Red snapperCommonly seen
  • Gag grouperCommonly seen
  • Greater amberjackCommonly seen
  • Atlantic spadefishCommonly seen
  • Great barracudaOccasionally seen
  • Red lionfishCommonly seen
  • OctopusOccasionally seen
  • Sand perchCommonly seen
  • Sea turtleOccasionally seen

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.

Site details

The San Pablo, known locally as the 'Russian Freighter,' was a 315-foot fruit hauler torpedoed by a U-boat off Costa Rica in 1942, refloated, and then deliberately destroyed off Pensacola in 1944 during a secret U.S. weapons test using a radio-controlled boat packed with 3,000 pounds of explosives. The blast scattered her across the seafloor in about 84 feet of water, leaving boilers, refrigeration coils and large sections of twisted hull to explore. It is site #2 on the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail and one of Pensacola's most popular intermediate wreck dives.

boatreefwreck

Depth ~80-84 ft; widely scattered, jagged steel debris field; monofilament and fishing tackle; occasional current; boat traffic.

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