In recent years, wreck diving has become more and more popular—why? Because the creation of artificial reefs has provided places for fish to reside, exhibiting an abundance of sea life such as invertebrates, barracuda, and many species of tropical fish; they all make these artificial reefs their homes, offering divers a great place teeming with fish and giving nearby natural reefs a bit of a rest. Artificial reefs also provide perfect spots for night dives for the more adventurous. Night diving really opens a whole different sightseeing adventure for the scuba diver; what you think is a rock when you see it during a daytime dive will actually move at night and be an animal!

Many of Florida’s ship wrecks were man-made, created to help the surrounding environment, but there are others, such as many wrecks in the Keys that are historically significant, such as the Civil War wrecks.

Be sure to have a nautical chart available when you venture out in your own boat, or there are many professional divers who can take you out to show you the ropes the first time. You can rent maps to locate dive sites, nautical charts, and any scuba equipment if you don’t have your own.

Be aware that if you select a personal dive instructor, you will need to verify your experience level with a scuba certification card and logbook. Scuba classes, as well as underwater photography courses, are available throughout the coastal areas.

Great wreck diving locations in Florida;

The Fort Lauderdale area offers some of the best scuba and wreck diving in North America. Fort Lauderdale has its own inlet, Port Everglades, which gives immediate access to the reef and wrecks located within close proximity of shore, although most divers enjoy venturing out of Pompano Beach because the water is clearer and there is less large boat traffic. Broward County is the wreck capital of Florida with over 60 wrecks within 23 miles. The majority of the wrecks were sunk intentionally by the Broward County Artificial Reef Program, but some, such as the Hydro Atlantic (1987), sank on their own. Some great wrecks to include on your list are:

The Sea Emperor, which is a great and easy wreck. It is an upside-down barge at about 70 feet which you can swim through from compartment to compartment.

The Rodeo 25, a Dutch freighter that was sunk intentionally in 130 feet of water. Divers can see the massive engine, and an opening below the wheelhouse into a series of rooms. Although theship was cleaned out before its sinking, the wreck still has that eerie feeling of a ghost ship.

The Hydro Atlantic is a ship of huge magnitude which sank in a storm in 1987 in 172 feet of water, a 130 foot dive. The bow of the ship towers above. Be sure to check out the stern where huge fish, such as the Goliath Grouper, have been spotted.

Many of the wrecks have very interesting historical backgrounds. Scuba diving Fort Lauderdale reef and wrecks is fantastic. The ocean life and the underwater topographies are superb.

The West Palm Beach area has some of the best diving in the world as well. Diving Magazine ranks the diving in this area as even better than many areas in the Florida Keys. Scuba diving in West Palm Beach will enable you to see more wildlife and wrecks, as well as better reefs than practically anywhere in the country. The water is warm and clear. Most of the dive sites are conveniently located within 15 minutes of the inlet.

Wrecks to include on your list in West Palm Beach:

The 185' Mizpah, an old Greek luxury liner, at a depth of 65- 86 feet. This is a man-made ship wreck. Divers can look forward to seeing big barracuda, huge schools of fish, and green morays. The Mizpah is in a no-collect zone which means that divers are not allowed to remove any fish or lobsters.

Princess Anne Ferry, a 350 foot car ferry that is 60 feet high, sunk for diving in 100 foot depths. This wreck has been damaged by storms (60 foot relief in several parts), but there is a lot of sea life. This area has a very strong current and parts of the wreck may be dangerously close to collapsing. This site is not for the beginner; there have been divers that have reportedly died diving this wreck.

Boca Raton has its own ocean inlet which gives quick access to the reef and wrecks, just a mile off shore. Be sure to include the following site on your list:

The Anchor Dive Wreck. The Noulla Express was built in 1939.This ship was seized during a drug raid and later purchased by the Palm Beach and Broward County reef programs. It was eventually sunk in 1998; the depth range is 55-78 feet; suggested skill level is Open Water Diver, or equivalent. Thereare many tropical fish, filefish, and barracuda on this wreck. It is recommended to start out on the wreck and then explore the surrounding reef before surfacing.