Difficulty
Unrated
Viz (last reported 79568h ago)
Max Depth
Unknown
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Bradenton Beach
This is an easy beach dive and is especially well suited for beginners owing to ease of water entry and lack of strong currents. Depths are shallow, usually no more than 15 feet, and visibility is usually very good for this type of Gulf dive -- generally about 15 feet. Abundance of small marine life such as small reef fish, crabs, sheepshead, and snook (when they venture out from under the pier). Farther north of the pier (about a mile drive) is the "Molasses Reef" which is essentially the bowsprit of an old molasses steamer that sunk many years ago. All that is left is a small portion of the bow which sticks out of the flat surrounding sand. Not much as far as a "wreck" goes, but small reef fish seem to enjoy it.
On the north end of Bradenton Beach near the fishing pier. Take either I-75 or US19 to Bradenton and follow signs for the beach. There is free parking along the beach front as long as you get there early enough.
Access
shore
Nearby Shops
Tide Report
5
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(5)
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Chris B.
Jul 22, 2013, 12:00 AM
scuba
A very DIVER UNFRIENDLY place to visit. I parked at the dive shop (right in front), spoke to the dive shop owner, and walked across the street to the beach to check out the conditions. When I return 10 minutes later my car, full of dive gear, had been towed away. After a heated discussion with the restaurant owner in the same strip mall and a threat of a lawsuit for stealing my car from an authorized parking spot and the involvement of several police officers, they returned my car. I gave up diving the Sugar Barge and moved up the beach to a public parking spot to dive the 'so called' 2 ft ledge reef. It was 'public access' parking and no signs said anything about scuba so I assumed it was OK. After suiting up, we made a 300 yard swim out only to find the visibility was ZERO. We gave up on the dive and returned to shore to find a group of OLD FARTS standing there with a cop who told us we were not supposed to be diving there and the residents were complaining. I pointed out that it was 'public access' and no signs said what we were doing was not allowed. Fortunately the cop was agreeable enough that he just asked us to pack up and leave. Based on my experience, I will never return to this pathetic place again and I would not recommend it to other divers (or tourists) as well.
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