This site is unique because of its structure. Divers can explore the wheelhouse from 40 feet below. The deck is located at 66 feet down and has access to the cargo holds. On the sand, the ship's head (toilet), can be seen outside the wreck. It is adorned with a smiling skull. You can also find plenty of sealife at the nearby Warsaw Reef.
A 100' long Navy hovercraft sank in 1985. The twin aluminum pontoons are still in good shape and rise 10' off the ocean floor. Although the hovercraft is unusual, it probably wouldn’t be a feature dive site, except it’s so close to the Black Bart. It’s still fun to swim laps around the structure and float up and down the stairs.
St Andrew's Park's and Shell Island's beautiful snow-white sugar-sand beaches are simply breathtaking. You will find dolphin cruises all over the island, as well as attractions like Pier Park, Shipwreck Island or Ripley's Believe it or Not. Firefly's she-crab soup, which is the best seafood we've ever had, is available at night. the golden sunsets that rise above the turquoise blue water.
Members of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association and Florida Wildlife Commission generated a report assessing the impact to the reefs. They discovered that the reef adjacent to the Varmar (not shown on our dive map because it’s off Mexico Beach) experienced the most impact since it was in 25' of water, with only 35% of the reef material remaining in the original reef patch. However, the artificial reefs in moderate and deep water remained undisturbed. Below is a graphic from that report showing the path of the hurricane through the reefs and wrecks of Panama City Beach.
Panama City Beach is known for its white sand beaches, excellent seafood and large population of bottlenoses. It's an excellent destination for a weekend or week-long vacation. Below is our Panama City Beach dive plan. Each pin provides more information about the dive locations. Although we endeavor to provide accurate information and navigation, this map does not represent navigation.
Scuba Dive Panama City Beach, the newest dive shop, is another asset. This is also the best place to get certified with PADI, which is the largest scuba certification organization in the world. Your confidence and knowledge will increase with their experience.
Scuba Diving Magazine names Scuba Dive Panama City Beach one of the best dive operators! Scuba Diving Magazine has ranked Scuba Dive Panama City Beach among the Top 100 Readers Choices for 2011.
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.