Diving in Florida


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Florida is superb diving and snorkeling territory. You can dive from spots at the top of the Panhandle to the bottom of the Keys - and just about everywhere in between! There are however, two very important guidelines to follow; 1) Always fly the proper dive flag (see right hand column for more detail) and 2) remember that coral is a living animal. Your anchor, mooring lines and even touching a Florida coral reef can cause damage.

Lobster Season
Regular lobster season in Florida is August 6 thru March 31. The bag limit is six lobster per day. Visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website to learn how to measure lobster and see other regulations regarding harvesting.

Great Diving Destinations
Panhandle - Pensacola and Destin are two of the best places in Florida to explore historic wrecks. There are several vessels in the area, including a World War I battleship and a retired aircraft carrier. In Panama City the marine institute has sunk ships, including a 465-foot British tanker 20 miles off Cape San Blas. Pensacola is home to the "World's Largest Artificial Reef" The retired aircraft carrier Oriskany arrived safely to Naval Air Station Pensacola from Beaumont, Texas in 2006 and it was reefed on May 17, 2006 with controlled charges in 212 feet of water 24 miles southeast of Pensacola Pass.

Florida Keys - Key Largo is probably Florida's best place to explore big wrecks. The 510-foot Spiegel Grove is probably the highlight, followed by two other great wrecks not to be missed - the former Coast Guard cutters Bibb and Duane. Toothy fish like barracuda and oceanic jacks have made these sites their home base.

North Florida - Divers who visit the Sebastian won't want to miss Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum on US 1 in downtown Sebastian. The shop displays treasures from different wrecks including the famous Atocha. There are jewels and gold bars on display as well as for sale.

Artificial Reefs in Florida
Spiny Lobster Sport Season

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Safety
Diving is a popular sport and divers can be found in areas shared with recreational boaters. As its popularity increases, it becomes more important for both boaters and divers to take special precautions.

As a dive boat operator you should:
Be able to recognize a "diver down" flag, a red flag with a white diagonal stripe floating in the area of the divers. Follow the diver down flag regulations.

Stay the legal distance away from a diver down flag. Scuba divers or snorkelers should not place the flag where it will obstruct traffic or create a hazard to navigation on a river, inlet or navigation channel. In open waters, divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of their diver down flag; in rivers, inlets and navigation channels, 100 feet. the diver down flag must be removed when scuba divers or snorkelers are not in the water.

Keep a lookout for bubbles breaking the surface of the water. The bubbles indicate that there are divers below who may have strayed from their marked diving area.

In order to secure their own safety, divers should:
Always display the diver down flag.

Select a boat that is suited for diving. A small boat is best, though it should be large enough to comfortably hold diving gear, while allowing room for easy exit and entry. It should also be stable. Flat bottom boats should be considered for this reason.

Avoid overloading the boat with people or equipment and supplies.

Always anchor the boat securely.

Photo by Elaine Blum

Florida Dive Regulations

Diver Down Flag - State law requires that scuba divers or snorkelers display a flag whenever they are in the water.

The "diver down" flag is a square or rectangular red flag (if on boats, at least 20 inches by 24 inches; at least 12 inches by 12 inches on towed buoys) with a white diagonal stripe and with wire or other stiffener to hold it unfurled and extended.

Boaters must make reasonable efforts to stay 300 feet away from dive flags in open water; 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels.

Boaters approaching diver down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels must slow their vessels to the minimum speed required to maintain forward motion and steering.

Who to Call for Help
The U.S. Coast Guard is the primary contact for notification of all offshore medical emergencies. Contact them via channel 16 on VHF radio. they may dispatch a vessel to provide initial emergency medical assistance at sea or to provide an escort to a dock where medics and an ambulance can be waiting. Be prepared to provide the following information:

►Your vessel's name and its description
►The exact nature of the problem
►Your location (GPS coordinates)
►Any landmarks
►Sea conditions/currents
►Description of diver; age, color of gear
►Depth of dive, number done that day

About the Bends
The bends, or decompression sickness, is a dangerous, sometimes deadly, condition in which nitrogen gas bubbles form in the tissues and blood vessels of divers who have ascended too quickly from the deep. Stricken divers often stoop over in pain - a stance that led to it being called "the bends." Victims are treated by being placed in a pressurized chamber that delivers 100 percent oxygen. The nitrogen bubbles are removed as the increased level of oxygen enters the blood and body tissues.

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Some text on this page provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.