At Scuba Dive Panama City Beach we limit dive trips to just 14 scuba divers to ensure comfort and space for everyone. All of our charters are open to the public if there is space and we usually run 2 trips a day during the season.
Inshore diving can be defined as being less than 8 mi from St Andrew's Pass. This is more accessible to open-water divers. Red Sea, an 125-foot tug boat, was built in 2009 and is a notable dive. Also, the wreckage of the E. E. Simpson Tug which sank back in 1929 are also noteworthy. Stage 2 (a Navy platform which was demolished and rebuilt in 1984), Fontainebleau's Boxcars (two boxescars and related reef material) and two Voodoo planes that are anchored in Seltzer Reservoir make for interesting dives. Below is a list of all inshore dive locations in Panama City Beach, with their bottom depths.
She is a three-story high vessel with an unbelievable amount of sea life already finding a home there. As of our last trip, you could still see the “Happy Holidays” unknown townsfolk painted onto her deck for all the cars to see passing over the bridge.
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.
Panama City Beach offers more than diving. It also has outstanding seafood and the largest number of bottlenose dolphins anywhere in the world. This beautiful spot is perfect for a weekend getaway or a long-term trip. Below is our Panama City Beach dive map. You can find more information on the individual pins by clicking on them. This map, while we do our best to ensure accuracy, is only for informational purposes and not for navigation.
I love this boat crew, shop and dives! Since many years, we have used their services and had great fun and memorable dives. There is a wide range of gear available to rent or purchase. Everyone is friendly and willing to help.
In October of 2018, Panama City Beach took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, a category 4 storm. With maximum sustained winds 154 mph and over 10 ft storm surge, it was the strongest storm on record to make landfall in the Panhandle. Over 650 artificial reef patches experienced hurricane-force winds.
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.