Golden sunsets over turquoise blue waters. Panama City Beach is both a great vacation spot and a great dive destination. It's even more convenient to drive from many locations. Divers of all levels of experience will find many reasons to come back time and again. Their families will be grateful for their efforts.
We hope you find the site a relaxing escape from the real world. Keep your spirits high and your hands clean. Soon enough, there will be an opportunity to travel. SCUBA diving can be an amazing experience and we are excited to share it with you.
Historic shipwreck, the SS Tarpon. The ship sank in 1937, killing 18 crew members including Willis G. Barrow, her captain. Adley Baker, a crew member, managed to swim the 9 miles to shore under gale-force winds. Although it was a long 25-hour journey, Adley Baker survived. It takes 6-8 hours to reach the Grey Ghost, which is an offshore dive. Although she is only a 105-foot vessel, the amazing diversity of aquatic life makes this dive extraordinary.
Dive Locker, Florida's premier full-service dive center and aquatic training facility, is the best. The beautiful Panama City Beach location gives divers direct access to miles upon miles of white sand beaches and shipwrecks as well as freshwater springs and natural reefs.
Check with your dive shop for the latest trip information. Or, plan a trip with well-qualified friends. They might be able put one on the calendar. The area around Panama City Beach has a large collection of artificial reef materials. There are many materials available, including bridge pilings, old piers and specially designed reef habitat.
You can also dive into the Gulf of Mexico, where you will find marine life and beautiful underwater scenery. If you are a snorkeler and want to learn more, our scuba dive classes are the right choice. Our Discover Scuba class can be used by anyone who is just starting out in scuba diving. You are the best time to learn how to scuba dive, and begin a new adventure.
This is a great place to take a weekend trip or for a longer stay. Below is the Panama City Beach dive map. Each pin contains more information about each dive site. We strive to be accurate, but this map is not meant for navigation.
An Average Diver, at an Average Depth, With an Average Tank
Based on personal experience, an average open-water certified diver using a standard aluminum 80-cubic-foot tank on a 40-foot dive will be able to stay down for about 45 to 60 minutes before surfacing with a safe reserve of air still in the tank.
So just to reiterate: don't grab animals, don't hold them for photo ops, don't go for rides on dolphins or turtles, and don't force puffer fish to inflate (it can be fatal to them).