Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Pompano Beach

Pompano Beach, located between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach gives you the best of both worlds, small town charm with big city access. Pompano has some of the best diving in Florida. Pompano Beach is no longer diving's best kept secret! Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Pompano Beach is extremely popul;ar because of the close proximity of world class wreck and reef dives. The majority of the wreck dives on the Gold Coast are located just outside Hillsboro Inlet, Making Pompano Beach the "Wreck Capitol" of Florida.

I snorkel the outside part of the jetty (the side facing AWAY from the inlet, towards the beach, and shielded from the tidal currents) all the time. It's an easy swim right off the beach, and drops off quickly to about 20-30 feet of water. Lots of hard corals on boulders on the deeper sections; some ledges; some rubble, etc on bottom. Depending on the season, barracuda, a few jacks and even occasional snook. Always parrotfish, blowfish, stonefish, schools of minnows and pinfish. Some caveats: its dangerous and illegal to swim on the inlet-side of the jetty; currents are very swift, the inlet is narrow, and there's a near-constant flow of yachts, cigarette boats, and day-boaters going through. Also, for max visibility, try to time your dive 3-4 hours after the incoming tide. That brings in fresh clear ocean water (visibility typically 20-30 feet) and leaves time for the tide to push back all the tea-colored water that comes out of the Intercostals Waterway on the outgoing tide. From I-95, exit at Atlantic Blvd (Pompano Beach) and drive east all the way to the coastal beach highway, A1A (about 3-4 miles). Turn left (north) up A1A about 2 miles; just past the traffic light at 14th Street is a small public beach park (at 16th Street), with metered parking, bathrooms + outdoor shower. From there, it's about a quarter-mile walk along the beach to the Inlet (you can't miss it because the Hillsboro lighthouse is on the other side).

The Rodeo 25 is a great wreck of the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. Nice soft corals adorn the wreck and fish are plentiful. The Rodeo 25 is among the more famous dive sites of the area. Big fish are also seen and petite fish are around the nooks and crannies of the wreck. The Rodeo 25 is accessible by dive boat only off of Pompano. Rodeo 25 is also known as Windward Trader.

160-foot US tender,sunk in May 14 1994 Out of Pompano beach RSB-1 is also known as RSB1, Fishamerica, Jim Torgerson.

Ex-Haitian freighter "Lady Kimberly" 185-foot long.Renamed in honor of jamaican marine life artist Guy Harvey.Sunk in 1997as an artificial reef. Out of Pompano Beach Guy Harvey is also known as MV Lady Kimberly.

This ship was a Coast Guard buoy tender Hollyhock. It was sunk as an artificial reef February, 20 1990 in memory of Captain Dan Garnsey. She now lies upright in 110 feet. The wheelhouse is 70 feet and her deck is at 90 feet. She is intact with large access holes providing certified wreck divers easy opportunity for penetration. South of the Jay Dorman Artificial Reef. 1.5 mile from shore, just outside the third reef line. Capt Dan Wreck is also known as Hollyhock, Capt Dan Garnsey.