Florida Ocean Diving

The three of us began diving in June of 2011 and since then have dove nearly every weekend.  From the east to the west coast of Florida, in springs and in the ocean, we love every minute we can spend underwater.  Descending beneath the surface of the ocean or deep down into a freshwater spring, life is surreal. You’re totally weightless, time stands still, and all you have is the peace and tranquility around you to guide your thoughts.  It’s like nothing I’ve ever done before and I actually crave it when I go without!

We enjoy underwater photography and videography, so we’d like to share our diving experiences with those of you who may have an interest in a particular dive site and need more information about it.  Please understand that these are our experiences and we may have knowledge, guidance, or training that enables us to dive these sites safely. You should always dive within the limits of your training and at your own comfort level.  There are many extraordinary sites to dive in Florida, varying from beginner level to those technically trained for specialty areas of diving. No dive is worth the risk if you aren’t trained to venture into it.  Dive safely and enjoy the beauty that underwater Florida has to offer!

Remember – Plan your dive and dive your plan!

Christ of the Abyss, Key Largo FL (Winter 2012) – Christ of the Abyss is one of the most popular dive sites in Key Largo and is a site everyone should dive at least once in their lifetime. It is a very picturesque reef and is protected from harvesting, so the more intelligent fish of the keys have figured this out and like to hang out here! The deepest spot is only about 25 feet and the site is often overcrowded with snorkelers on the surface, but the diving is really pretty good with lots of big brain coral and coral cliffs. The statue itself is about 9′ tall and at first seemed awfully small to us, but exploring the site and coming back across it a few times, it is quite mesmerizing to look up as the sun’s light rays shine down on Christ’s outstretched arms.

West Palm Beach, FL  – Diving in West Palm Beach is excellent at any time of the year. We like to use Little Deeper Charters, which is a very professional and well organized Dive Boat operating out of Lake Park Marina. The area is known mainly for drift diving due to the current and proximity to the Gulf Stream. Visibility ranges from 30 to 100 feet and you’ve got your choice of wreck or reef diving all still within view of the shoreline.

Not interested in going out on a charter? Blue Heron Bridge is the best shore dive in all of Florida and has been featured in SportDiver Magazine as one of the top 50 dive sites in the world!  Parking is free at Phil Foster Park and the beach is easy to access.  Use the “Check the Tides” link on the right side of our page, look for Lake Worth and Port of Palm Beach, and plan your dive around high slack tide.  If you enter the water about 20 minutes prior to high tide, you’ll usually enjoy an hour of calm blue water before the tide shifts.  Enter the water on the east side of the beach and you can dive all along the pilings across the waterway (careful of boats overhead) and underneath the fishing bridge which is the Crème de la Crème!  When you feel the tide start to shift, just slowly begin to drift out with it and exit the water the same way you came in.  You do need a dive flag and should avoid getting out into the channel where you can expect heavy boat traffic.  The inlet out to sea and Peanut Island keeps the area pretty congested, so use good judgment when diving just out in front of the beach. Don’t get into the channel.

We’ve experienced some of the best ocean diving ever in West Palm Beach!  A collection of shore and charter dive videos starts here…

(June 2014 – “Blue Heron Bridge Shore Dive”)

(May 2013 – “The Corridor” & “Dive-O-Rama”)

(June 2012 – “Paul’s Reef” & “The Flower Garden”)