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.
Our definition of inshore diving includes less than 8 miles from St Andrew's Pass. Open water divers are generally safe here. Red Sea, a 125 foot tug boat that was constructed in 2009, and the E. E. Simpson Tug wreck, both of which were notable dives. Stage 2 (a Navy platform) was demolished in 1984. Fontainebleau boxcars (two container cars and associated reef material) are also interesting. A pair of Voodoo aircraft anchored in Seltzer reef is another example. Below is a table that shows the locations of inshore diving in Panama City Beach along with their bottom depths.
Divers are the ideal choice if you're looking for a memorable and unique vacation experience in Panama City Beach. A second world awaits below the surface of our turquoise waters. It is a different kind of of paradise. There are many historic shipwrecks throughout the region, including sea turtles, goliath grouper and bottlenose dolphins that frolic on the beaches.
Take a look at our videos. Scuba Dive Panama City Beach is a great place to have the adventure of your dreams, regardless of your level of experience.
St. Andrews State Park's jetties offer some of the best beach diving on the Emerald Coast. The channel side of St. Andrews State Park's west jetty is 70 feet deep in some spots. The rocks are home to a variety sea life including red snapper, redfish and grouper. It doesn't get better if you dive just in time to catch the incoming tide.
With water temperatures between the 60s and 80s in winter, visibility can be expected to range from 30'-50'. To protect yourself from sharp edges and to prevent you getting into fishing lines, gloves are a must. A safety sausage is also a good idea since you will be on a boat trip.
Panama City Beach is an excellent place to go on a weekend drive and dive. You can dive Sunday morning, return to your hotel in time for bed and not worry about your no fly schedule.
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.