By: Shayne Benowitz Get under the sea with this comprehensive guide to diving in Miami. You may not realize it, but Miami Beach is actually a barrier island composed of ancient limestone coral rock. Gemini pattern editor serial number. With the gentle, aquamarine Atlantic Ocean lapping against it, Miami's islands and mainland are surrounded by ideal dive spots. Part of the uppermost stretches of the Florida Straits—the third largest barrier reef in the world, which extends south along The Florida Keys—Miami is home to abundant coral shelves and patch reefs ripe for exploration. There are also a number of wreck dives, making Miami’s waters amongst the most dynamic for underwater discovery. Learn to Dive & Dive Operators Of course, in order to SCUBA dive, you have to be certified by an organization such as PADI or NAUI. That’s not a problem in Miami as most of the dive boat operators also offer certification courses.
Since 1981, the Miami-Dade County Artificial Reef Program has built their reefs with 50 large ships, two retired oil platforms, thousands of tons of concrete, and surplus tanks from the US Army (the reef made of kitchen sinks is still being planned).
Whether you’re a seasoned diver or hope to discover a new pastime while visiting Miami, here are a handful of dive boats, shops and certification courses. Tarpoon Lagoon Dive Center Tarpoon Lagoon Dive Center is located at the at the southern tip of South Beach. Their dive boat departs once or twice daily to both shallow reef dives (30 to 35-feet in depth), as well as intermediate and advanced wreck dives (65 to 120 feet in depth). Check out their online calendar for specifics and to determine which trip is right for you. Tarpoon Lagoon also offers Open Water certification, which is the minimum requirement for SCUBA diving, as well as intermediate, advanced and specialized courses. South Beach Divers South Beach Divers, located on Washington Avenue, offers a weekend Open Water certification class, as well as Advanced Open Water and other specialized courses.
They also arrange dive trips through a variety of operators in Miami and the surrounding area. Grove Scuba Located in Coconut Grove, Grove Scuba offers beginner to advanced PADI certification courses and also arranges dive trips to a variety of reefs and wrecks daily. Diver’s Paradise Located within on Key Biscayne, Diver’s Paradise offers a three-day Open Water certification course in addition to advanced options. They also depart on a variety of morning, afternoon and night dives to various reefs and wrecks. Miami’s Natural & Artificial Reefs & Wreck Dives There are abundant dive sites throughout Miami’s waters, ranging from natural coral reefs to artificial reefs created by wrecks. Read on for a sampling of dive sites for all levels of divers. Note: Shallow novice dives are also great for snorkeling, which does not require special certification or training.