SOUTH FLORIDA

A smorgasbord of wrecks and reefs ensures you’ l l never run out of photo ops in these warm waters

- JENNIFER IDOL

The astounding variety of diving in South Florida offers an ocean of hope and adventure for all divers. With so many dive sites, shops and charters to choose from, the biggest challenge can be identifying what dives to plan. Count on finding somewhere to dive year-round, though summer provides the most reliable weather.

When visiting South Florida sites, I prefer to begin in West Palm Beach, where the most notable shore dive in the United States is found. Blue Heron Bridge is open year-round during high tide, and is protected from winter waves.

Macro photography dominates at the bridge because it’s a nursery that brings in a wide variety of tropical life, from seahorses to pufferfish and frogfish. Manatees and sharks can be seen on early morning dives, and schooling angelfish provide another wide-angle opportunity.

After shore diving, head offshore with charters from operators like South Florida Diving Headquarters in Pompano Beach to dive wrecks such as the Lady Luck, a large sludge tanker decorated as a casino. This is one of the largest wrecks in South Florida’s artificial reef system. Book a charter with Sea Experience to tour Fort Lauderdale’s wreck trek, a drift dive between the Jay Scutti and the Merci Jesus.