Dive is the best way to have a memorable vacation in Panama City Beach. There is a second world below the turquoise waters, a different kind paradise. You will find many historic shipwrecks scattered around the area, including bottlenose dolphins, goliath groupers, and sea turtles.
PCB is the wreck capital of the south! Our interactive map to scuba dive Panama City Beach has almost 150 locations, with over 50 wrecks submerged as artificial reefs. Eight feature dive sites are included. Here's the scoop for scuba fans all across the Florida Panhandle.
Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association and Florida Wildlife Commission compiled a report on the effects of human activity on reefs. The report found that the Varmar Reef, located near Mexico Beach, experienced the most impact as it was in 25 feet of seawater. There were only 35% remaining of the original reef materials. The artificial reefs that were in deep and moderate waters remained unscathed. Below is a graphic that was taken from that report and shows how the hurricane traveled through Panama City Beach's wrecks and reefs.
Scuba Dive Panama City Beach is a new dive shop that can be a great asset for divers. You can also get certified by PADI, the largest scuba certification agency in the world. You will be a better diver and more confident thanks to their expertise.
The jetties at St. Andrews State Park offer the best beach dives available along the Emerald Coast. Depth on the channel side of the west jetty hits 70 feet in spots, and the rocks attract and hold a variety of sea life, including octopus, red snapper, redfish, grouper, and other tropical fish. If you time your dive to catch an incoming tide, it doesn’t get any better.
The El Dorado is Panama City Beach’s newest wreck. Hurricane Michael blew the ship ashore in October of 2018. She sat derelict off the Hathaway Bridge as a constant reminder of the storm’s deadly wrath through winter and spring. In May of 2019, she started her life as a premier dive site.
Check out our collection of free downloads, resources, and more to make sure you are more relaxed before you take that first plunge. Also, you can explore our favorite dive spots and learn about historical landmarks that only exist underwater.
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.