Florida Dive Spots

[WetLens]

I was not trying to get "Numbers" to find dive sites. I was just trying to get close when I submit photos with an estimated location. All the dives are drift, so no single number is accurate. Again, just trying to get close and insure the numbers make sense. Most logical for me is to insure I have the dives sites in relative order to one another and approximate distance from shore. Thanks for all the input.

 

[EricSm]

So who is the best operator making technical dive trips to the Oriskany?

 

[fish_defender]

i've always heard that diving miami beach isn't worthwhile. maybe that's false? found a few sources of info suggesting otherwise.

On the florida unified reef map, there seem to be some regions labeled "ledge" not too far out from south beach, this is the same terrain type as LDBTS

https://arcg.is/1aG5T9

this recent article suggets there's a nice divable reef zone:

An underwater jewel lies just off South Beach. They’ve got a plan to protect it

A group of environmentalists and divers hope to have the reef line just off Miami Beach eventually declared a marine park where fishing in some areas could be off-limits.

www.wusf.org

and then it also seems there's an artificial reef project that seems to be in progress now. presumably the conditions must be at least ok for people to spend time on this?

The ReefLine

The ReefLine is a 7-mile underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail, and hybrid reef running parallel to the shore of Miami Beach.

www.thereefline.org

anyone know more about this?

South Beach is my favorite dive site. You can encounter tarpons, manatees, blacktips, eagle rays, I even saw a great hammerhead once. Typically, I freedive on the jetty or the nearshore reef, but you can scuba as well. It is ecologically very different to the asteroid coral formations at LBTS, as it's primarily a soft coral reef. I only ask that if you visit, please do not lobster or spearfish. The community has worked for years to designate this reef as a marine protected area and the city commission has approved our proposal, but we are now in the long process of permitting with the state. We're happy to share this place, but please respect our wishes to protect it.

 

[tarponchik]

South Beach is my favorite dive site. You can encounter tarpons, manatees, blacktips, eagle rays, I even saw a great hammerhead once. Typically, I freedive on the jetty or the nearshore reef, but you can scuba as well. It is ecologically very different to the asteroid coral formations at LBTS, as it's primarily a soft coral reef. I only ask that if you visit, please do not lobster or spearfish. The community has worked for years to designate this reef as a marine protected area and the city commission has approved our proposal, but we are now in the long process of permitting with the state. We're happy to share this place, but please respect our wishes to protect it.

Is there a good description somewhere, including info where to park, where to enter etc?

 

[NovaCane]

@fish_defender at what street # do you enter water & how far is the swim out?

 

[NothingClever]

So who is the best operator making technical dive trips to the Oriskany?

I’d start with Captain Doug from H2O Below. I haven’t dived with him but in planning several charters with him (all blown out by weather) he had tight answers for the technical dives we intended to conduct.