The site's structure is extraordinary. Divers are able to explore the wheelhouse 40 feet down. The deck is located at approximately 66' below sea level and contains accesses to cargo holds. The ship's toilet (head) rests on the sand outside the wreck. It has a smiley skull. The Warsaw Reef, which is nearby, has plenty of marine life.
Both beginners and experts can find excellent diving spots at Panama City Beach. You can find over 50 artificial coral reefs within walking distance of the World's Most Beautiful Beaches. This includes bridge spans, shipspans, bridges and hundreds of natural limestone coral reefs. They range in depths from 18 to 110ft.
Our threshold for offshore diving extends more than 8 mi from St Andrew's Pass. These sites require advanced certification. It is a good idea to get a nitrox cert. These trips don't run every single day because of their distance. For information on when the next trip will run, contact the dive shop.
Panama City Beach is the perfect place to take a drive or dive weekend from the South. You can drive home at night, dive Sunday morning, and still be able to meet your no-fly deadline.
The SS Tarpon is a historical shipwreck. In 1937, she sank and claimed the lives of 18 crewmembers, including Willis G. Barrow (captain). Adley Baker, one of the crew members, was able to swim 9 miles in gale-force wind to reach shore. It was a 25-hour marathon, but Adley Baker lived to tell it all.
St. Andrews State Park has the best beaches in the Emerald Coast. The channel side of West Jetty reaches 70 feet in places. The rocks attract and host a variety marine life, including red snappers, redfish, grouper and other tropical fish. It's possible to time your dive to catch an incoming tide.
Never tried scuba diving before? No problem. Panama City Beach is the ultimate spot to get your feet (as well as the rest of you) wet. Our dive shops are ideal to get you certified and on your way to the bubbly deep. For instance, Scuba Dive Panama City Beach is more than equipped to get you started on your new, aquatic lifestyle. A one-stop-shop, they have offered dive training, equipment rental and repair.
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.