Bahia Honda State Park

Beautiful but shallow

Caution! This is a dive for the experienced, with a careful plan. I've lived in the Keys for years and have concluded that it's best to dive while towing a kayak with flag. Slack tide is of course, important. http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/317.html, Lists slack tides not often found in listings. Contrary to an earlier post, depth can reach up to 30 ft. You can enter from the parking area in Bahia Honda, or on the opposite (West) end outside the park. I use a very good propulsion vehicle but cannot rely on it to handle the currents. Again--experienced diver---with a plan, or not at all, would be my advise.

I lived in the Keys for a few months and while the keys have a poor reputation for shore diving those of us who live there have the need to get wet and can't always afford the money or time to get on a boat. You don't expect to see much on shore dives there and the vis is usually poor so I wouldn't travel just to shore dive the Keys but it's very doable. Bahia is a nice spot and it's usually easy diving, watch the tides of course or you can find yourself a long ways from where you started.

Very nice spot, but yes the current can be very strong at times. When the wind isn't blowing hard from the east, the water clarity is excellent. Note: Bull sharks have been caught by fishermen fishing the channel, so don't be too surprised if you see one.

If you are diving the bridge be mindful that there is quite a current in the channel and that a dive flag is a must. I may have just been there on a couple of low vis days due to recent high winds, but the combo of current and low vis made the drift along the edge of the channel not very enjoyable. There is good snorkeling just out from the beaches - we saw leopard rays, a skate, soft and brain corals, lobster, etc.