Florida is home to some incredible dive sites, so whether you are a beginner diver or have been diving for many years, there will be somewhere that takes your fancy. With the endless sites available to you, you could even put together a Florida road trip and spend a week or two going between these amazing locations. Here are the top dive sites you should visit on your next trip to the Sunshine State.
Ginnie Springs
If you are looking for some of the clearest waters to dive in, you’ll appreciate the spring water at Ginnie Springs. Ginnie Springs is a 100-foot-diameter depression, and there are three smaller springs nearby to visit called Devil’s Eye, Devil’s Ear and Little Devil.
Blue Grotto
For under $30, you can dive at the Blue Grotto for the whole day, which is incredible value for money. This is the largest clear-water cavern in Florida, but you don’t have to be cave certified to dive here. At the bottom of the cavern, look out for Virgil, the spring’s turtle.
Sarasota
Sarasota is a great base for a diving trip, and about a few miles off the coast are limestone ledges that attract a lot of marine life. The Bay Ronto is a shipwreck located about 30 miles away from the coast and is upside down 100 feet below the water’s surface. A hurricane sent the ship under the water in 1919, and nowadays it is teeming with marine life. As some of the ship has collapsed, it’s not recommended to go inside it.
St. Augustine
Another wreck to see lies off the coast of St. Augustine. Here there are thirty-three Navy A-6 attack bombers. These jets flew in the Persian Gulf War, and now lie 110 feet underneath the water. Located about twenty-four miles from the coast, they are teeming with fish thanks to the artificial reefs built here. This is a beautiful area to spend a weekend, and you’ll enjoy strolling around on land after a busy day under the water.
Pensacola
Pensacola is home to the largest artificial reef in the world, which is the USS Oriskany. This former US Navy aircraft carrier is 911 feet long and is an incredible sight to see. The other highlight of diving here are the pyramid-shaped structures that lure in fish, and you can also take part in shore diving straight from the jetty. With warm gulf water and incredible wrecks, it’s one of the best areas to dive in the state and the country as a whole.
Florida is full of incredible marine life encounters, and you can also enjoy some of these from above the water. Are looking for a different activity to enjoy after busy days of diving? How about fishing in Cape Coral Florida? Just book a half- or full-day inshore fishing charter with Blue Line Fishing LLC. This will allow you to admire the marine life that calls Florida home from a different angle, while you relax and enjoy some more of the incredible nature that Florida has to offer to visitors.
