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Boat entry

Three Coal Barges

Florida, United States
Open Water suggestedAging, collapsing barge structure (reef is 50+ years old17 m (54 ft) depthBoat entry3mm wetsuit typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Three Coal Barges at a glance

Three Coal Barges is a boat dive site in Florida, United States with depths of up to 16.5 m (54 ft). Typically most favorable Jul–Oct · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Red snapper, Flounder, and Gag grouper. Recent reports put the water around 24°C (76°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Favorable window now· until 19:00 · sunset 18:05

Forecast for this hour · 8:00 · run 20 h ago
0.6 m (2.1 ft)waves — under a meter expected (waves — about two feet expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 24°C · seasonal avg 26°C ( · Forecast 76°F · seasonal avg 79°F)

Site hazards: Aging, collapsing barge structure (reef is 50+ years old

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

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

0.6 m waves · 8 kn wind (1.8 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Wed8:00–19:00 favorable

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

Thu8:00–19:00 favorable

0.4 m waves · 8 kn wind (1.4 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Fri8:00–19:00 favorable

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

Sat8:00–19:00 favorable

0.8 m waves · 10 kn wind (2.7 ft waves · 10 kn wind)

Sun8:00–19:00 favorable

0.6 m waves · 5 kn wind (2.0 ft waves · 5 kn wind)

MonNot in the forecast yet

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 6:34 · Sunrise 6:59 · Sunset 18:05 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 0.3 km from site · updated 26 Oct, 12:26 GMT-5

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Three Coal Barges

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: Red snapper, Flounder, Sheepshead
Best time: May through October; a favorite shallow second dive and training site in calm summer conditions.

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, 95% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 16°C (62°F), waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.2 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  2. February, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 17°C (63°F), waves have typically been 0.6 m (1.8 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots, historically most favorable
  3. March, 92% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (67°F), waves have typically been 0.6 m (2.0 ft), wind has typically been 12 knots
  4. April, 98% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 22°C (71°F), waves have typically been 0.6 m (1.9 ft), wind has typically been 12 knots
  5. May, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 25°C (78°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.5 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots, historically most favorable
  6. June, 99% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 28°C (82°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.6 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots
  7. July, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 30°C (85°F), waves have typically been 0.3 m (1.1 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 30°C (86°F), waves have typically been 0.4 m (1.1 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots, historically most favorable
  9. September, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 29°C (85°F), waves have typically been 0.4 m (1.2 ft), wind has typically been 8 knots, historically most favorable
  10. October, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 26°C (79°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.5 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots, historically most favorable
  11. November, 99% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 22°C (72°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.7 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  12. December, 99% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (66°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.7 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots

February, May, July, August, September, and October have typically 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

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

Three runaway coal barges were scuttled during an emergency in 1974 about a mile off Pensacola Beach and now form site #1 of the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail. The barges sit in roughly 50-54 feet of water and, after five decades of storms, are slowly collapsing into low-relief steel reef. Their shallow depth, easy layout and abundant fish make them a favorite for newly certified divers and skills training.

boatwreck

Aging, collapsing barge structure (reef is 50+ years old — storms have broken it up); sharp steel; mild current; boat traffic close to the beach.

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