Travel / Florida

Florida is known as a one of the top vacation destinations in the world, and this is especially true for scuba divers. With water surrounding the state on three sides and numerous freshwater springs in the interior, Florida offers a wealth of diverse diving sites as well as plenty of high-quality dive shops and operators. In a state famous for being home to Disney World, the waters off Florida’s more than 1,000 miles of coast are a veritable underwater theme park for divers of all types.

One of the main reasons Florida is so appealing to divers is due to its huge variety of different diving habitats. the Florida peninsula sits between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic to the east. Off both coasts, divers will find wreck dives, shore dives, pier dives, drift diving, and even treasure-hunting dives. Plus, running just offshore from South Florida down to the Keys lies North America’s only living coral reef, where divers will discover a huge abundance of marine life due to the warm Gulf Stream current that flows through the area. The state’s interior, particularly in Central and North-Central Florida, boasts hundreds of freshwater springs that are crystal clear and stay a warm 72 degrees year-round. Many of the springs are home to manatees, and some offer adventure seekers thrilling cave and cavern dives.

And if that isn’t enough, the state’s southernmost coast is home to the world-renowned Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands, which are the most dived region in the state. The scuba diving in the Florida Keys is so good and so diverse, the locale has its own separate page in our Destinations section. Information on all other Florida dive sites, however, can be found on this page.

LOCATION :
Florida is the southern-most state in the continental United States.

LANGUAGE :
English various other languages, mostly Spanish

CURRENCY :
US Dollar

TIPPING :
20% is customary in restaurants although you never tip in fast food or self-service establishments. Taxi drivers, bartenders and hairdressers also depend on such gratuities.

ELECTRICITY :
110V, 60Hz

WEBSITE :
www.flausa.com

CAPITAL :
Tallahassee

AREA SIZE :
Florida covers 65,758 square miles of land area.

TAXES :
Sales tax is 6%. Departure taxes are included in the price of a ticket, though the local airport departure tax may not have been included if your ticket was purchased outside the U.S.

TIME :
Eastern Standard Time

DOCUMENTS :
Most visitors to the US require a passport. However, Canadians need only proof of citizenship. A reciprocal visa-waiver program allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland to stay up to 90 days without a visa if they have an onward ticket.

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :
Water temperatures in the springs remain around 72 degrees year-round. Throughout Florida during the summer the water is toasty warm, averaging in the high 70s to mid-80s. In winter, South Florida water temperatures vary with the Gulf Stream, but typically run between the upper 60s to low 70s. Northern Florida sees temps dropping to the mid to high 50s in winter, while Central Florida winters see average water temps in the low to mid-60s.

AVERAGE VISIBILITY :
Visibility runs between 30 and 60 feet off the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and 100-plus feet in the springs.

TYPES OF DIVING :
Wreck, boat, shore, cave, springs

BEST TIME TO DIVE :
Year-round. Winter for manatees in the springs.

WHAT TO WEAR :
A 3 to 5mm full wetsuit is recommended for the springs. In the summer, spring and fall, options range from skin to 3mm fullsuit for the Gulf and Atlantic. When the water cools in the winter, a 5 to 7mm full will be the call in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

DIVES NOT TO MISS :
During winter, you can snorkel or dive with the manatees of Crystal River and Homosassa Springs. These West Indian manatees live in and around the mangrove stands of Florida's coast, but come into Crystal River to find warm water. In addition to the Manatees, the Springs area in northern and central Florida offers great cavern and cave diving in places like Ginnie Springs. A great place to dive in Southeast Florida is around Boynton Beach. This city, which is located north of Miami near West Palm Beach, is the place where the Gulf Stream comes closest to shore bringing pelagic life and clear water to some of the most life-rich reef systems in Florida. Most of the diving is drift diving in this area, with natural and artificial reefs galore. Some of the best artificial reefs are found around Fort Lauderdale, along with plentiful marine life and the remains of a Spanish galleon. This area’s wreck alley has been created mostly from intentionally sunk ships that quickly become havens for marine life. This part of the coast has become home to at least 40 wrecks over the past 20 years.