With 1,700 islands comprising the state of Florida, you can only imagine this to be a diver’s dream come true. The Florida Keys stretch out more than 150 miles bordering the only barrier reef on the entire continent. The seas are calm, clear, and full for magnificent marine life. The coral ridges are bright, colorful, and brilliant. If you love diving and exploration, Florida is the perfect destination, boating more than 5,000 shipwrecks. However, in addition to sea diving, Florida also offers some of the finest spring diving sites you will encounter.

While you have, multiple choices of places to dive while in Florida, we highly recommend you not overlook John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation’s first underwater preserve. Located near Key Largo, the visibility here is almost perfect, making it a favorite dive destination for beginner and advanced divers alike. Another excellent spot for diving in Florida is the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which starts in Key Largo and then goes the entire length of the islands, which offers some of the most incredible diving in the world.

You can also spend time in the Statue of Christ of the Abyss. Although this place is somewhat eerie, it is also magnificent in its own right. This status rests 25 feet below the ocean’s surface, which makes it appear even more distinct. The Molasses Reef located in the Upper Keys of Florida is another wonderful place to dive where you will find a huge array of eagle rays and sea turtles. Divers love this spot, which features all kinds of channels and canyons, great for exploration.

Then there is the Pillar Patch, an enchanted place where you will find beautifully colored coral rising up from the floor, almost like cactus on the desert floor. For shipwrecks, we suggest you make time to visit the Elbow, also in the Upper Keys area. The penetration is outstanding and the overall experience unbelievable. All of these areas offer wonderful visibility, which makes the diving experience unrivaled.

Moving to the excitement of the Key West, you will find unspoiled waters, especially to the Lower Keys where the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary is located. If you love diving around colorful coral and incredible marine life, this is it. Measuring 5.3 nautical miles, you will find the largest underwater sculptured reef called the Stargazer. Just five miles off Key West, this reef includes a series of replicated star constellations once used for sea navigation.

Finally, you might visit the central region and Panhandle, where you will discover diving springs. In fact, more than 1,000 springs can be found in this area although some are on private land while others are on state parts and some in reserves. One of the most interested places to visit is Blue Springs where you can watch the manatees migrate, an incredible lifetime experience. Other favorite diving sites in Florida include Turtle Reef with a depth of 25 feet, Carysfort Reef that has a diving range up to 70 feet, Carysfort South with a diving depth of 20 feet, the Elbow, as mentioned, which is up to 35 feet deep, and the Dry Rocks in Key Largo, with a depth of 25 feet. For deeper dives, you could visit Adolphus Busch with 110-foot depth, Outside Reefs up to 210 feet depths, and Western Dry Rocks up to 120 feet deep, The Aquanaut, which measures up to 75 feet deep, and Joe’s Tug, which goes to 65 feet deep.