There are many excellent diving spots in Panama City Beach for both novice and advanced divers. There are more than 50 artificial reefs within a few miles of the World's Most Beautiful Beaches. These include bridge spans, ships, barges and hundreds of natural limestone coral reefs. They range in depth from 18 to 110 feet. St. Andrews State Park's jetties offer some of the best beach diving on the Emerald Coast.
Panama City Beach was directly affected by Hurricane Michael, which was a category 4 hurricane in October 2018. It made landfall in the Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 154 mph, and storm surges exceeding 10 feet. Hurricane-force winds impacted over 650 artificial islands.
Rental equipment is cleaned professionally and checked for safety each time they are returned. Check out our collection of free dive resources, downloads, and more to make sure you are more relaxed before you take your first plunge. Discover our top dive spots, as well as information about historic landmarks only accessible underwater.
The reef near the Varmar, which is not shown on the dive map due to its location off Mexico Beach, had the greatest impact. It was only 25 feet deep and contained 35% of the original reef material. The artificial reefs in deep and moderate water were unaffected.
Panama City Beach is a great place to drive or dive from the South. It's possible to dive Sunday morning and return home on time. Visibility is between 30'-50ft with water temperatures in the 60s and 80s during winter. For boat trips, you should bring gloves to protect your hands from the sharp edges of the wrecks and a diving knife for fishing line.
Below is a list of all inshore dive spots in Panama City Beach along with the associated bottom depths. Our threshold to dive offshore is greater than 8 miles from St Andrew's Pass. These sites require advanced certification. Nitrox certification is a good idea. These trips aren't available every day because of the distances involved.
Panama City Beach has been the most popular spot for scuba diving in North Florida for many years. It is second only behind the Florida Keys to be the most popular dive spot in the state.
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).