Florida scuba diving offers some of the best diving in the country, if not the best. With miles and miles of shoreline and numerous inland springs and lakes, diving Florida has become a popular pastime for not only natives, but visitors to the state as well. Some even claim that Florida offers the best scuba diving in the world. There are hundreds of dive sites found throughout Florida, and numerous dive shops can be found along the coasts to help novice divers get their credentials. Diving Florida with a guide is a good idea for all levels of divers, as these seasoned locals always know the best spots. Scuba diving in Florida is a treat and divers can expect a mix of colorful marine life, a number of wrecks and artificial reefs, and some of the most captivating natural reefs. Booking a Florida scuba diving adventure during your next stay in Florida is sure to add excitement to your vacation itinerary.

Diving Florida offers a myriad of opportunities for both the scuba diver and the snorkeler. Snorkeling does not involve any special training, and one of the best places to snorkel in Florida is at the Dry Tortuga islands, seventy miles off of Key West. Crystal River also offers novice divers the opportunity to view amazing marine life, including the manatees that congregate here from November to April. Scuba diving in Florida involves some training before you head below the surface, and most dive shops will require that you get an open water certification before you head out for serious dives. Many dive shops specialize in helping new divers obtain their open water certification through a course that usually lasts a couple of days. Visitors looking to go Florida scuba diving can complete some of the training online before they go, and this helps make more time for diving Florida once your vacation begins. If you are not sure that you want to pursue your open water certification, you will find a number of "resort courses", which aim to show you the basics of scuba diving and have you operating in shallow, calm waters.

Wreck diving is one of the most popular forms of scuba diving in Florida, and is a main attraction when Miami scuba diving and for those diving Florida around Pensacola and Panama City. Along the Florida coast, and down through the Florida Keys, many ships have been intentionally wrecked to provide artificial reefs for marine life, as well as exciting spots for Florida scuba diving. Miami is sometimes referred to as the "wreckreational capital of the world" due to the amount of wrecks found off the city's coast. Those who enjoy exploring wrecks consider Fort Lauderdale and Miami among the best places to dive Florida. Some of the largest wrecks can be found when Florida Keys scuba diving off of Key West. The Spiegel Grove is among the bigger wrecks to dive near Key West, and the 510-foot giant lays submerged in just 110-feet of water. Panama City, Destin and Pensacola are the best places to dive Florida if historic wrecks are what you want to visit.

Florida Map

Drift diving allows for a unique way of enjoying scuba diving in Florida, as divers allow for the current to move them along its set course. Diving Florida off of West Palm Beach offers some of the best drift diving, largely in part to the strong Gulf Stream current. The fast moving water here brings the diver effortlessly along a magical underwater tour where coral reefs and schools of fish are among the views. From May to September, divers consider West Palm Beach among the best places to dive Florida as sea turtles make for interesting dive buddies during this time of the year. Quite often, you can expect to see dozens of sea turtles while Florida scuba diving here in the summer.

Florida scuba diving also involves visiting the stretches of coral reefs that are not readily found along upper stretches of the east coast. In fact, among the continental United States, Florida is the only state with extensive reef formations found near its coasts. Often, these reef formations are in relatively shallow waters, allowing for divers of all levels to enjoy their spectacular beauty. Along southeast Florida and along the Keys is where you will find the best places to dive Florida for coral reefs, and around 6,000 coral reefs can be found along the stretch of Key Biscayne, in Miami, to the Dry Tortugas, west of Key West.

On your next Florida vacation, see what all the rave is about when it comes to Florida scuba diving and book a scuba trip. You are never too far from a coast in Florida, and within hours of anywhere in the state you will find dive sites and dive shops for your Florida scuba diving adventure. Whether you are diving the many popular springs found along central Florida and around the Panhandle, or heading to wreck sites and the coral reefs of southeastern Florida, scuba diving in the Sunshine State is a memorable experience. Once baptized as a Florida scuba diver, you will likely find yourself coming back again and again to explore Florida's beautiful underwater worlds.