South Florida beach diving

[Dive-aholic]

I've done some research and have compiled the following as a list of potential beach diving sites:

Worth Ave Pier Debris
Delray Wreck ***
Boca/Deerfield Line Dive Site ***
N. side of Pier Deerfield Beach (night only)
S. side of Pier Deerfield Beach ***
Embassay Suites Dive Site Deerfield Beach
Lauderdale by the Sea Commercial Blvd ***
Shipwreck Snorkel Trail
Vista View Park
Park Reef ***
Dania Pier Erojacks
Seatech Ledge/Dania Beach
Hollywood Beach Reefs

The bolded *** sites are the ones that I'm guessing are the better sites based on my research.

Is this true? Are any of the other sites worth while? Any sites I'm missing? Any recommendations? How would you rate these sites (any of them) from best to not so good?

Also, any beach diving in Miami or is the reef too far out?

I'll be in S. Florida 3rd week of June. I'm planning on doing a day or 2 of boat diving, but half of us don't dive, so I'm looking for beach diving while the non divers are hanging out on the beach.

 

[MantaRey]

Also there's Phil foster park which is more under a bridge than at a beach, but makes a great night dive. Just take Blue Heron Blvd east.

And a couple lesser known sites:
There is also the breakers in palm beach. Park on sunset blvd (I think it's sunset something...) Free parking! Although it's limited to the north side of the street. Best to come here early.

Also a little further north is another free parking (two hour parking... right, who's counting?) Which requires you to walk down the street a little to go through a gate that's after the private beach stuff. It's a road that runs east than turns left to run parallel with the beach. I forgot what it's called but you'll recognize it, it's just a few blocks from sunset.

Oh yeah they require a bit of a swim, more so than the lauderdale sites. Also they're great freediving sites if you don't want to lug all the gear around.

 

[mitchsea]

I was at the Delray wreck a few weeks ago and it is almost completely covered in sand. Most likely due to recent beach renourishment in the area. In time the currents will wash the sand away, but I doubt it will be worth diving during your time here.

Vista park is a nice beach dive with parking right at the edge of the beach.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Thanks for the replies.

MR - Palm Beach is a little too far considering we have some non divers on the trip. I'm trying to keep the drive time to under an hour from where we're staying. Swimming distance isn't that big of an issue. We have a couple of SeaDoos we use for stuff like this. (You want a swim, try La Jolla shores in San Diego in a dry suit! 200 yds to the canyon!)

mitch - thanks for the heads up. I'll mark Delray off the list.

 

[DennisW]

You have to dive at the far South end of Deerfield Beach. They don't allow diving on the main part of the beach any more. Still a great dive.