Name: Santa Rosa Island
Rating: 4.0

Florida

USA_East

Santa Rosa Island, jetties off Fort Pickens. This is a favorite shore dive for me...when the current is not too bad. Lots of shells about 30 feet outside the jetties.



Santa Rosa Island

Alexander is a very calm spring of 80 meters wide. There are small caverns. The main one can be penetrated for about 10 ft (entrance at 23 feet). There is a lot of marine wildlife here and a chance you might even see an alligator!

Alexander Spring is 17 miles NE of Deland in the Ocala National Forest. Travel W on SR 40 from Ocala. Turn right on CR 445A just before the town of Astor. Follow 445A past the sharp turn to the E. Watch signs to parking area.

Alexander Springs

The bridge at Bahia Honda State Park on Bahia Honda Key is a shallow (8 - 11 feet) but a good dive.  It's almost too shallow for scuba but the viz is not quite good enough for prime snorkeling.  Pull a dive flag and stay out of the boat channels.  There's are lots of fish in numbers and variety, crabs and lobster and small nurse sharks eating the crabs and lobster.  Look closely around the bridge pilings and there is grass and soft corals on the bottom.

Bahia State Park is on Hwy 1 in the Florida Keys.  Exit into the park and follow the park roads around to the base of the bridge.

Bahia Honda State Park

Sink Hole, underwater air bell at 30', underwater lighting system

5390 NE 180th Ave; Williston, Florida 32696; 352 528-5770; 7 days 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; $27 per day to dive

Blue Grotto

You must bring a flag and they don't allow scuba in the swim area in front of the lifeguard stand. If you go off the beach and to the east you can dive the little bridge, or you can dive to the west of the beach around the pylons under the larger portion. You can also go east an west around the anchored boats and find a couple little ones that have sunk. You are going to want to get in about an hour before high tide to get the most out of the slack tide. You can dive either East or West of the Park.  Do not enter the boat lanes!

As you go east on Blue Heron Blvd., you will go over the bridge and Phil Foster Park will be on your left. As you turn in stay to the left and you will park near the bridge. You will set up in the parking lot and go off the beach. Night diving is only permitted by boat, you cannot cross the beach after dark.

Blue Heron Bridge is also known as Phil Foster Park.

Blue Heron Bridge

Spring, cavern and cave diving

35 miles North of Orlando

Blue Springs State Park

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.

Bradenton Beach

Crystal River is a fresh water river complex fed by warm freshwater springs. It offers a variety of fish (mullets, catfish, tarpon, etc.) and many Manatees. I found the manatees were friendly and unintimidated by SCUBA.  Sadly, all of the manatees I saw had suffered multiple prop injuries.  If you do boat in manatee territory, please look out for them.  This is an easy site to dive and offers a good environment for beginners.  Maximum depth is around 40 feet. The water is in the mid 70s to low 80s year round and I was comfortable diving in a 3-mil skin.

I know it can be shore-dived, but, I don't know a lot of the details of shore diving this site.  I dove it from a small inflatable.  I know it's in the North Western section of the Florida Peninsula, and, I believe it's a state park.  Sorry I don't have more information.  I only dove there once.

Crystal River

Dania Beach is a 4.1-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Florida, USA East which is accessible from shore based on 10 ratings.

Dania Beach

Daytona Beach is a 4.0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Florida, USA East which is accessible from shore based on 2 ratings.

Daytona Beach

I dove here in January 2002. I remember a large series of ledges inhabited by large numbers of fish. I really did not remember this as being as impressive as north Deerfield ledges were, but while I did not see any, I was told this is a good place to look for lobster.

get off of the 95 at Hillsboro Blvd in Deerfield Beach. Go east to the A1A. Then go south on the A1A until you get to SE 5th Street. Once there go east for a short distance, then go S on S. Ocean way Follow this road, it will curve to the east. there will be parking at meters near the Cove Beach Club

Deerfield Ledges

This is a fun spot to go.  Visibility and current are big factors on the enjoyment of this dive site.  There is a frame of an old Army jeep off the jetties.  The one time I got good vis to snorkel with I noticed a lot of hermit crabs with a large variety of colored shells.  Make sure to pay attention to the currents when heading out for your dive.

Santa Rosa Island

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Santa Rosa Island