Scuba Dive Panama City Beach restricts dive trips to only 14 divers to ensure everyone is comfortable and has enough space. Our charters can be accessed by the public, provided there is enough space. We typically run two trips per day during season.
Panama City Beach is home to the world's largest population of bottlenose dolphins, white sand beaches and outstanding seafood. This is a great place to take a weekend trip or for a longer stay. Below is the Panama City Beach dive map. Each pin contains more information about each dive site. We strive to be accurate, but this map is not meant for navigation.
The SS Tarpon is a historic shipwreck. She sank in 1937 and took the lives of 18 crew members, including her captain – Willis G. Barrow. Remarkably, one crew member, Adley Baker, survived by swimming the 9 miles to shore in gale-force winds. It was a 25-hour ordeal, but he lived to tell the tale.
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The Black Bart is a 180-foot boat that was built as an artificial coral reef. Vulcano del Golfo was established in 1977 to honor Charles' Black Bart Bartholomew who was Navy Supervisor of Salvage Capt. Bartholomew died while diving off Panama City Beach on September 30, 1990. His feats include leading the Navy in the cleanup of Exxon Valdez's oil spillage.
Shore diving in Panama City Beach starts with the St Andrew’s Park Jetties for good reasons. It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the beach, and soon you’re in the water. The beach-side is shallow, with no boat traffic. Make sure you bring your dive flag if you cross over to the channel side. You’ll find plenty of tropical fish living in the rocks of the jetties. The visibility and current are much better during high slack tide, which is the ideal time for this dive. St Andrew’s Park jetties are also one of the best places for snorkeling in Panama City Beach.
Scuba Dive Panama City Beach, another outstanding charter option, is also available. Their US Coast Guard-certified captains can take you on the dive or spearfishing trip you want. What will you choose? A natural limestone reef or an artificial fighter jet one? Would you like an underwater bridge to explore? You are free to choose.
Panama City Beach can be both a vacation and diving destination. The fact that you are able to drive there from so many places makes this even better. Divers of all skill levels will find plenty to love about coming back, as will their families.
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.