Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Florida's Southeast Coast

Neptune Memorial Reef

The great diving around the State of Florida often leads to Florida's Southeast Coast, AKA the Gold Coast, being overlooked as a diving destination. Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Palm Beach are just some of the names that are familiar to us as tourist destinations. They also have great diving. Another plus for scuba diving and snorkeling on Florida's Southeast Coast is, unlike the Florida Keys, there are many shore dive sites.

The northern reach of the Florida Barrier Reef lies just off Florida's Southeast Coast. Divers from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach are within minutes from the outstanding reef and wreck diving. Diving is available year-round and there are hundreds of dive sites, many are wrecks.

For a number of years, this area was my go-to place for long weekends. I was living in the Washington D.C. area at the time. After finishing work leading into the long weekend, I was off to the airport. A few hours later I was in Florida having a late dinner. Saturday and Sunday would be full days of diving. Monday morning, I clocked down the no-fly time and spent the time sightseeing and getting souvenirs. A late afternoon flight and I would be all ready to get back to work the next morning.

Florida has a progressive artificial reef program that leverages the existing reef system to improve marine habitat and enhance coastal conservation. The best way to discuss this outstanding diving destination will be to group by the counties. We will break it down to Palm Beach County which includes Palm Beach and the Blue Heron Bridge, Broward County which includes Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, and finally Miami/Dade which includes Miami and Key Biscayne.

This video is both a conservation message and a nice look at the Southeast Florida Reef.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Palm Beach, Florida

Palm Beach County and Martin County just to its north mark the northern edge of the Florida Barrier Reef. At this point, the reef has lost many of the qualities that are typical of a barrier reef. The area still has great diving and is worth visiting.

There are about 50 artificial reefs within Palm Beach County and other natural reef dive sites. The reefs closest to shore are generally around 60 feet (ca. 18 m) deep, and those further out around 90 feet (ca. 27 m) deep. You will, however, find that many of the dive operators concentrate on drift dives along the natural reefs or between wrecks instead of anchored dives among the wrecks. The main reason for this is that the Gulf Stream is at its closest point to shore along this section of the coast. This provides exceptionally clear and warmer water and a wide range of tropical marine life, both large and small. The current is a fairly constant, mild 1 knot. An example would be the 1,700 feet (ca. 518 meters) long drift dive called the Corridor Wreck Trek. Starting with the Ana Cecilia, a 170-foot freighter in 85 feet (ca. 26 m) of water, you will drift past as many as 5 wrecks.

With one notable exception, the dive sites of Palm Beach County are not as well known as those of the other portions of the Gold Coast.

If you have read anything about the best shore dives in the United States, or even the world, you have likely seen mention of Phil Foster Park or as it is more commonly called Blue Heron Bridge.

This site is often found in lists of the best shore dive sites of the world and is very often listed as number one. It is also often found in lists of the top 50 dive sites in the world, with Sports Diver Magazine giving it the best dive site in the world honors in 2013. There is an 800 foot (ca. 244 meters) long snorkeling trail in 10 feet (ca. 3 m) of water that runs parallel to the shore.

While divers can enjoy the trail as well, the real draw for them is the slightly deeper areas around and under the bridges. Over 400 species of marine life have been cataloged under those bridges, with great visibility and outstanding underwater photography conditions. While there are some current concerns in areas and a potential boat traffic hazard, it is a dive site for divers of all skill levels.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach

The terms best and capital are often thrown around in giving places a title. The title “The Best Wreck Diving in America” is often related to diving in Broward County. Tourism literature for both Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach refers to their cities as the Best Wreck Diving in America. Many of the dive sites are easily accessible to both, so sharing the title is fine.

There are well over 100 dive sites in the waters off the county's coast. They include natural reefs as well as shipwrecks placed there with the help of mother nature. However, the Broward County Department of Planning and Environmental Protection (DPEP) has created many dive sites. Artificial reefs provide additional habitat for marine life and protection for the coastline. They also provide an economical boost for the communities, luring in commercial and recreational fishermen and of course scuba divers and snorkelers. The DPEP has created over 75 artificial reefs since 1982.

Trying to list the best sites with so many outstanding possibilities would be impossible. Instead of saying these are the best, I will just give some examples of the type of dive sites that makes diving in Broward County outstanding.

• Tennco Towers. This is the southernmost dive site in Broward County near the border with Miami/Dade and the largest artificial reef in Florida. It is one of the most popular for Advanced Open Water Divers, Deep Divers, and Technical divers. This dive site started its existence as Gulf of Mexico oil rigs. After they were no longer viable for that task, they were moved to this location and sunk in 130 feet (ca. 40 m) of water. There are five sections that provide recreational divers with three platforms at depths of around 60 feet (ca. 18 m), 80 feet (ca. 24 m), and 100 feet (ca. 30 m). A wide variety of marine life now calls the old oil rigs home.

• Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek. This is actually three ships, the Jay Scutti, Tracey, and Merci Jesus, that were intentionally sunk as an artificial reef about 200 feet (ca. 61 m) apart in around 60 feet (ca. 18 m) of water. They can be done individually, but most often are done together as a drift dive. Rebar stakes show the path between the wrecks. If you wish to learn drift diving, this is the perfect site for it. While not my first drift dive, I did get my Drift Diver Certification diving this site.

• Anglin’s Pier Reef. Lauderdale by the Sea claims the Shore Diving Capital of Florida title. This reef is located just south of Anglin's Fishing Pier and just a short swim from the shore. The reef is just 12 feet (3.66 m) to 15 feet (4.57 m) deep, making it the perfect snorkeling location, while still deep enough for scuba diving. Also, on the reef is the “Shipwreck Snorkel Trail”. Another great shore dive is located at Fort Lauderdale's Vista Park Reef.

• Mercedes Shipwreck. Here is an outstanding dive site with a high-profile history. Mollie Wilmot was a famous philanthropist and socialite who one day found a 197-foot freighter in her Palm Beach backyard. Driven ashore during a strong storm, the grounding gathered national media attention. After an enormous and costly effort, the ship was refloated and sold to the county to be used as an artificial reef. Today the ship sits in 90 feet (ca. 27 m) to 100 feet (ca. 30 m) of water along one of the outer reefs.

Visiting Miami/ Dade County

Miami is a well-known tourist destination and is the cruise ship capital of the world. If you have ever taken a cruise, you know that it is often best to arrive in Miami a day or two early. What better way to prepare for your vacation than a few days of outstanding diving. Miami has a number of outstanding dive sites, both for a short visit and extended stays.

• Key Biscayne National Park. Just minutes from Miami, this national park has a number of great scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities. Biscayne National Park's Maritime Heritage Trail highlights six different wrecks.

• Emerald Reef. Located about a mile offshore from the national park is the large and shallow Emerald Reef. Averaging only 20 feet (ca. 6 m) deep, both divers and snorkelers can enjoy a reef that is one of the best in the region.

• Neptune Memorial Reef. A number of years ago, I had the privilege to meet with and interview Jim Hutslar, one of the founders of the Neptune Memorial Reef program. At that time the reef was in its early development. The site design is of an old sunken city, maybe what Atlantis may have looked like or an early Roman city. The site is also a columbarium, a place where cremated remains are kept. A small portion of a person's cremated remains are mixed into materials being used to create objects for the reef. These are then added to the site at a ceremony. The site was developed in a section of the seafloor that was barren. Now the area is teeming with marine life. Currently, the site is 1 acre in size with a long-range plan to expand it to 16 acres. When I wrote my article before, only 3 dive centers would visit the site and then only with a special request. Now, it is one of the most popular sites with a dozen dive centers visiting the site a few times each week.

Plan a Trip To Florida's Southeast Coast

The most difficult part of planning a dive vacation in Florida is trying to decide which area to go to. All around Florida is great diving and any of the destinations will provide a great vacation. You can also combine areas into a longer trip. If you want a vacation that combines great diving with big-city excitement, then Florida's Gold Coast may be your selection. Feel free to add your comments.