Navarre Beach State Park

[ReefHound]

What does anybody know about this place?

From browsing around, my understanding is the state spent $10 million on facilities, opened it in May 2004, then saw it promptly destroyed by Ivan with what little survived being dusted off a year later by Dennis. The state wanted to wash it's hands off it and made a deal with the county to take it over along with some leftover appropriations money and FEMA aid. I saw an article last winter that bids for repairs were being taken and it would be open as a free county park in late July 2008.

I ask for two reasons. One, would these repairs include repairing the pier? I hope not since we would lose it as a dive site. Two, there were some references in the early literature about the state creating an artificial reef just offshore that would provide snorkeling and diving opportunities. Does anyone know if this was done or is still in the plans?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I don't have any answers, but I'm interested in what comes out of it as well. I can say that I've seen work crews there(the park) the last time I was working in Navarre.

 

[Hetland]

I was there last weekend, but I did not get to see the whole operation. There were several pavilions that were taped off, but they looked to be ready for use. The parking lot around the pavillions looked like it was still left over from the hurricanes, and I found this: http://bcs.dep.state.fl.us/env-prmt...ort/Navarre Pier design report _10 29 07_.pdf on the pier while I was researching for my dive.

 

[ReefHound]

Good job on the research. Interesting. It appears the new location is 100 feet or less from the old location so won't that render the old pier off limits? No mention on what they will do with the old pier, I'm guessing topple it for reef structure.

 

[Hetland]

Good job on the research. Interesting. It appears the new location is 100 feet or less from the old location so won't that render the old pier off limits? No mention on what they will do with the old pier, I'm guessing topple it for reef structure.

That's the "plan" for the Gulf Shores pier, but the way I've heard it described, the reef would be deployed at the end of the new pier, making diving a remote possibility at best.

As for the Navarre Pier, I think it is scheduled for 2009, but I've not seen any dates on when construction is due to begin. Perhaps by then Ft. Pickens Road will be opened......

On a related matter, has anyone ever tried banding together to petition local municipalities regarding the creation of inshore diving reefs???

 

[diver918]

I know the folks that did the design work and are doing the permitting through the JCP program at FDEP. I'll try and post an update later today as to what's going to happen with the old pier.

 

[Randy43068]

Otherwise, how's the diving around Navarre??

 

[paulwall]

Otherwise, how's the diving around Navarre??

Closest dive shops are in Gulf Breeze and Ft Walton.

I swam out over 1/4 mile and saw nothing but sand and a nudibranch crawl. Offshore good, beach (other than the pier) is nothing to talk about, unless you find some unmarked structure.

 

[SeaYoda]

This is what I found on some of the dives at Navarre Beach Pier:

 

[chrisc]

They are working hard on the park area. I was out there yesterday and they was a bunch of construction workers out there. What has been tossed around is that Hurbert/Eglin AFB "might" be taking part of it over for a Military recreation area. The big plans are to reopen the road from Navarre Beach to Ft. Walton to military ID card holders as it was in the past (and eliminate the Hwy 98 traffic). There is also a push to reopen the Navarre Pass to the gulf. It was originally opened in the 60's for 2 months before a hurricane closed it up. Navarre Pass Online Information