Read on for 16 dive sites that promise some of the best scuba diving in Florida for beginners and experienced divers alike.
- USS Oriskany. Located 22 miles south of Pensacola is the USS Oriskany.
- Devil’s Den.
- Tenneco Towers.
- Molasses Reef.
- Rainbow River.
- Blue Heron Bridge.
- DoD Towers.
- Crystal River.
How much does it cost to go scuba diving in Florida?
We have a full complement of rental equipment, along with over a hundred mask/fins/snorkel sets to fit all ages and group sizes.
Trip Prices.
| Trip |
Price per person |
| 2 Tank Dive Trip |
$85.00* |
| 1 Tank Night Dive Trip |
$70.00* |
| 1 Tank Tech Dive Trip |
$90.00* |
| 3 Tank Dive Trip |
$125.00 |
Do you need a permit to scuba dive in Florida?
While the Sunshine State is home to some more than 100 of the best scuba diving sites in the nation, Florida does not legally require any certification for those who want to give it a try, but you won’t get very far from land until you earn one anyway.
Where can I go diving in Florida?
But the spring-fed caverns near the city of Williston are routinely listed as some of the best places to dive in Florida. Devil’s Den, Blue Grotto, and Ginnie Springs all offer a relatively similar experience diving in caverns filled with water from underground aquifers.
Is there good scuba diving in Florida? – Related Questions
Where is the best place in Florida to scuba dive?
- To Cave Dive: Devil’s Den and Blue Grotto.
- To Dive with Sea Turtles: West Palm Beach.
- To Find Shark Teeth: Venice.
- To See Artificial Reefs: Miami / Fort Lauderdale.
- To See the Living Reef: Looe Key.
- To Explore Big Wrecks: Key Largo.
- To Explore Historic Wrecks: Pensacola, Destin and Panama City.
Do you need a wetsuit to dive in Florida?
As we get in to our colder seasons here in Florida, wearing a wetsuit while diving is necessary as water temperatures drop about 10 to 15 degrees. There are many different factors that go into buying a wetsuit including the style of suit, the thickness, and color.
Where is the best shore diving in Florida?
Beach / Shore Dives
- Fort Pickens Jetties. Depth: 10-50ft. Location: Gulf Islands National Seashore on Pensacola Beach, Fort Pickens.
- Perdido Key Reef. Depth: 9-15ft. Location: Public Beach Access #1 on Sandy Key Dr.
- Park West Reef. Depth: 8-14ft.
- Vortex Springs. Depth: 10-45ft outside of cavern (over 100′ in cave)
Where is the cheapest place to dive?
- 1 – Thailand. In the last decades, Thailand has acquired the reputation of the place to go if you are looking to start scuba diving on a budget.
- 2 – The Philippines.
- 3 – Indonesia.
- 4 – Egypt.
- 5 – Honduras.
- 6 – Belize.
- 7 – Mexico.
- 8 – Spain.
Which Florida city is known as the dive capital of the world?
The third-largest living coral barrier reef in the world and the only one in the U.S., the Florida Keys stretch across 2,900 nautical miles from Key Largo to Key West.
Where is the best place to free dive?
10 Best Freediving Spots in the World
- Cape Town, South Africa.
- Mexico.
- Richelieu Rock, Thailand.
- The Red Sea, Egypt.
- Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island, the Bahamas.
- Roatan, Honduras.
- Kona, Hawaii.
- Sri Lanka.
What happens to your lungs when you free dive?
As we’ve seen, as you descend on a dive, the increased pressure causes the volume of air in your lungs to decrease. But as this happens, the partial pressure of the air inside your lungs increases. This means that there is a greater concentration of oxygen and other gases in our lungs than there is in the blood.
Do free divers encounter sharks?
This makes free diving an ideal way to interact with some incredible animals. I have been lucky enough to freedive with 8 different species of sharks in Bimini, including great hammerheads, bull, and tiger sharks.
How long can average person free dive?
Most people without any training can hold their breath for about 30 seconds without gasping for air. But free divers who swim without the aids of snorkels or scuba gear can actually hold their breath for more than 10 minutes.
Can you dive to the Titanic?
Have you ever wished you could see the ship up close and in person? Well, now you can. That’s right — you can dive to the depths of the ocean and see the Titanic for yourself. OceanGate Expeditions, a company made up of undersea explorers, scientists, and filmmakers, offers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
What happens if you free dive too deep?
This can cause tissue and nerve damage. In extreme cases, it can cause paralysis or death if the bubbles are in the brain. Nitrogen narcosis. Deep dives can cause so much nitrogen to build up in the brain that you can become confused and act as though you’ve been drinking alcohol.
How deep can a human go underwater with scuba gear?
The deepest your typical recreational scuba diver can go is 130 feet. In order to venture further and explore wrecks, caves and other sites beyond 130 feet, these agencies — such as PADI, NAUI and SSI — require “technical” certifications.
Who should not scuba dive?
“If you can reach an exercise intensity of 13 METS (the exertion equivalent of running a 7.5-minute mile), your heart is strong enough for most any exertion,” he says. You also need to be symptom-free. If you have chest pain, lightheadedness or breathlessness during exertion, you should not be diving.
How deep can Navy Seals dive?
Navy SEALS commonly don’t need to be in extremely deep water for their work. But with how extensive their training is in diving, they are likely to be certified to dive 100-130 feet or deeper with many technical certifications on top of that.
How deep can you dive as a beginner?
The industry standard depth limit for recreational divers is 130 feet (39 m) at sea level. During the basic scuba certification, students experience depths of 30-60 feet (9-18 m), and a “deep” dive is considered more than 60 feet (18 m).