My husband and I have become passionate about scuba diving. We used to snorkel a lot but scuba diving allows us to get a closer look at the beautiful interesting sea creatures and to see them in action. Discovering them hidden in the crevices of the reef is a lot of fun too!
For more recent pictures, see our Life on the Reef Gallery
POMPANO, FLORIDA
Diving the United Caribbean off Pompano Beach
NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA
See our South Florida Dive Sites Page
SUNNY ISLES, FLORIDA
Sometimes the boating conditions aren’t ideal and even if the dive trip isn’t cancelled the dive site might get changed at the last minutes. This was the case that time and we couldn’t dive the C-One wreck—it was too risky so we dove on the reef closer to shore. Many small creatures were hiding in the crevices around the pipeline.
That day our second dive got scrubbed because the wind, waves and surf had picked up while we were below. The ocean conditions had worsened during our first dive and we surface 5-6 and even 8-footers waves. Getting back on the boat was sporty to say the least; it was also dangerous! One could get knocked out and it would be extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, to get an unconscious person back on board. This is what it looked like when we surfaced…
On another day the dive conditions were excellent and we dove on the C-One wreck. This 120- foot tugboat was purposely sunk to create an artificial reef. It’s a haven for sea life and has multiple entry points—there is always something to see and the tilted angle gives it an interesting look.
Another dive on North Miami’s reef…
A few days after Hurricane Matthew passed 100 miles from the coast of Miami we went diving. Visibility wasn’t great but we still had fun. Stingrays were everywhere!
Post Hurricane Diving—Hunting for Treasures
That day our dives consisted of the C-One—a 120-foot tug boat that was sunk in 1990. The vessel is at about 60-70 feet of depth and is in one piece with lots of growth and full of sea life. The fact that it’s tilting over at almost 45 degrees makes for many interesting photos. Our visibility was about 40-50 feet so a little hard to get the whole tug into a good shot but it was a fun dive.
Our second dive was on the reef just outside of Sunny Isles beach and from the surface we could see many of the familiar buildings that we usually see from our from home. The reef is in about 25-30 feet of water and approximately a ½ to 1 mile out from shore—too far for a shore dive.
KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA
Our first dive site was the Dema Trader, which looks like a wreck but is in reality an artificial reef. The 165-foot freighter was sunk on purpose to create a habitat suitable for a variety of marine life. For extra hiding places, concrete culvert pipes and junction boxes were added into the cargo hold. Sections were removed to create an opening large enough to enter into the steering cabin for a great photo op!
When we dove the site, conditions were not ideal and visibility was only in the 20-25 foot range. This was primarily due to bad weather from previous days. That said, it was still a spectacular dive and well worth doing. The reef colors are vivid but at 75 ft. the use of a spotlight is necessary in order to bring them out. I also used a red filter on my GoPro.
For our second dive that day, we were taken to Emerald Reef, which is a shallow (approx. 25ft) reef. Here too, visibility was not ideal for photos, but it was still a lot of fun to be in the water and to dive.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
We dove right off the beach in the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was our first beach dive and the quiet cove was ideal for this type of dive. It’s also great for swimming and snorkeling. Due to bad weather, visibly was pretty limited (maybe 15 feet) and not ideal for pictures but the old bridge was nice to see.
BIG ISLAND, HAWAII
The Manta Ray Night Dive should be on every scuba diver’s list. It was amazing! The huge mantas come to feed on plankton that’s attracted by the lights from the divers down below and the snorkelers above. It’s an incredible show, the mantas are so close you could touch them but don’t—it’s bad for them and also illegal in Hawaii.
OAHU, HAWAII
See our post about Oahu
COZUMEL, MEXICO
https://youtu.be/tIMZ87bKsX
Related post: Scuba Diving Vacation in Cozumel
ROATAN, HONDURAS
Diving the Graveyard of the Caribbean in Roatan
BELIZE
MAUI, HAWAII
See our post about Maui
THAILAND
At the time we didn’t own an underwater camera and we had to rely on the generosity of others — these photos were taken by our dive guide. A few weeks after we had invested in a camera of our own and we hope one day to return to Thailand for more diving.
ZANZIBAR
Snorkeling in Zanzibar was incredible. We decided to get certified shortly after this…
Let’s keep the ocean clean and protect this natural resource…
For more resent pictures and information please have look at our
Life on the Reef Gallery and South Florida Dive Sites
Related: South Florida Beach Guide and Travel Destinations