For both experienced and beginners, Panama City Beach is home to many great dive spots. More than 50 artificial reefs are within reach of Panama City Beach, which is home to the World's Most Beautiful Beaches.
Panama City Beach was directly hit by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. It is a Category 4 storm. It was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Panhandle, with sustained winds of 154 mph. Hurricane-force winds affected over 650 artificial reefs.
Even if it is impossible to travel the globe, we hope you will find some escape through our website. Keep your spirits up, and your hands free. You will soon have the opportunity to travel.
The Black Bart (180') is an artificial reef that was built in 1993. Vulcano del Golfo is a memorial to Charles' Black Bart’ Bartholomew. He was the Navy Supervisor of Salvage captain who drowned in a dive off Panama City Beach in 90. His contributions include the rescue of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as leading the Navy’s cleanup of Exxon Valdez, an oil rig supply vessel.
St. Andrews State Park is home to some of the most beautiful beach dives on the Emerald Coast. The channel side, on the west jetty, has depths of 70 feet. The rocks at St. Andrews State park attract and hold many sea life species, including octopus red snapper redfish grouper and other tropical fish. It is possible to get the best diving conditions if you are able to spot an incoming tide.
You will find many historic wrecks scattered all over the area. These wrecks and many other artificial reefs make Panama City Beach the "Wreck Diving Capital of the South".
Expect visibility of 30-50 feet with water temperatures ranging between 60s in the winter and 80s during summer. Hands are recommended for sharp edges on wrecks. You also need to bring gloves and a knife in the event of a line being pulled.
Never hold your breath
As every good entry-level dive student knows, this is the most important rule of scuba. And for good reason — breath holding underwater can result in serious injury and even death. In accordance with Boyle's law, the air in a diver's lungs expands during ascent and contracts during descent.
As you become a qualified scuba diver, you learn the basics of an essential scuba system. A cylinder, weights, an exposure suit, regulators, BCD gauge and timing device, mask and fins are the bare essentials.