Florida

Miami-Dade County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States

Northern end of the canyon, crawling with life!



Sunny Isles Beach

North Canyon

Graceland

While anchored off Miami Beach in February of 1991, this Honduran freighter was pummeled by heavy winds and rough seas until it broke anchor and ran aground just offshore of South Beach. After months of court battles, and rigorous cleaning to the tune of over $300,000, the ship was seized by the U.S. government and offered for sale. Eventually the Dade County Artificial Reef Program purchased the ship and Concepcion was sunk in June 1991 near the center of the Sunny Isles Artificial Reef Site north of Haulover Inlet.

The 165-foot ship sits in 68-feet of water. The cargo area has collapsed and Hurricane Andrew broke off the stern which now lies approximately 40 feet north of the main hull. The wreck attracts numerous fish, especially in the mornings and late afternoons. Profile ranges form 5-10 feet. The Concepcion is only about 100 feet northeast of C-One, making the two wrecks a great two-tank dive trip.



Concepcion

This 45ft steel tug is located in Sunny Isles. She was sunk in 1999 to assist in the formation of an artificial reef. She lies 65 feet below the surface.




Lady Carmen

The C-One is a 120 foot steel tug that was sunk in the Sunny Isles Reef Site in November of 1990. She sits in 68 feet of water and is considered an intermediate dive. She is approximately 1.9 nautical miles east northeast of Bakers Haulover Inlet.

This area has an abundance of fish and almost immediately after the sinking, despite the low visibility and adverse conditions, fish began to congregate around the wreck, especially barracuda, most commonly seen in the winter in the waters off Miami.



C-One

On January 10, 2005, the Golden Beach Artificial Reef Site was inaugurated with the deployment of approximately 850 tons of limestone boulders. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Marine Fisheries provided an artificial reef construction grant to cost-share the creation of Miami-Dade County's newest artificial reef.

The boulders were deployed in 45' of water about one nautical mile east of the Town of Golden Beach. The boulders are arranged in three distinct "patch" reefs, lying 30-50' apart and ranging in size from 45'Lx35'Wx9'H to 70'Lx35'Wx12'H.



Golden Beach Boulder Reef

The Andro was a 165 foot luxury yacht built in Germany in 1910. It was constructed mostly of wood, with the classic high bow and rounded-off tail of cruising yachts. During World War II, the electric motors were converted to diesel, machine guns were added, and the Andro became a patrol boat used to chase submarines.

After the war, the Andro served as a freighter up and down the U.S. Atlantic coast. Eventually the Andro was seized by U.S. Customs for transporting illegal drugs. The Department of Environmental Resource Management purchased the Andro to be added to the Haulover Artificial Reef Site. The Miami Bomb squad orchestrated the explosion which sunk the Andro on December 17th, 1985.

The Andro is one of the most popular wrecks in the Haulover site. The ship settled upright in the sand at a depth of 103 feet. With a 38 foot profile there is plenty to explore at a range of depths. The ship has twin propellers, two smokestacks and a large wheelhouse still intact. Hurricane Andrew broke the ship into three sections and exposed the engine block. This has actually made the wreck more varied and interesting to explore. Numerous fish inhabit the Andro. This is a great wreck for underwater photographers.

The Andro is a popular fishing site also and can be crowded at times. This, along with the jumbled structure of the wreck, make the Andro a dive spot best suited for advanced divers.



Andro

The Cruz del Sur 287 foot long freighter. It was built in 1956 and operated out of Georgetown, Cayman Islands. It was turned over to an artificial reef program.

The Cruz del Sur is a nice wreck in the fact that coral is great and fish are plentiful.  Despite the depth, the wreck is still one worthwhile for the technical diver.

NE of Miami, off Haulover & off Aventura. The Cruz del Sur is one of the largest artificial reefs off Miami.

Cruz del Sur is also known as Southern Cross.

Cruz del Sur

Tenneco Towers, were placed at their current location in October, 1985. This is one of the most popular dives on the southeast coast.

The oil rigs were originally used in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration. Tenneco Oil Co. transported the one time oil platform by barge around the Florida Keys and placed them at their present site.

The area consists of 3 sites:
- West Tenneco at 105' depth (Adavnced level),
- East Tenneco at 115' depth (Adavnced level)
- The Deep Tenneco's at a depth of 185' and 205' (Rescue/Trimix level).

Depending on tides, this site can have stong currents.


N of Miami, S of Ft Lauderdale (Northernmost dive site for dive operators located in Miami).

Tenneco Towers is also known as Tenneco Oil Platforms.

Tenneco Towers

South Canyon reef site crawling with marine life!



South Canyon

The Pillars reef site at 35' is a good place for training dives. An old pipeline is partially buried and a large structure with 2 large steel I-beams is sitting next to it. Some other unidentifiable objects remind me of the Bimini Road. If you're a spear fisherman, this is a good place for hogfish.




North Canyon

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at North Canyon