Many people who are avid divers enjoy sharing their favorite place to scuba dive. For those who like warm water, fantastic sea life encounters, and the opportunity to see all manner of exciting shipwrecks – few sites compare to diving in the Florida Keys.
From Key Largo to Key West, divers can encounter everything from turtles to moray eels at hundreds of excellent dive sites throughout the area. Here are five reasons why scuba diving in the Florida Keys is the best:
1) The Weather is Perfect
One of the keys to enjoying a great dive is the weather. The climate in this area is one of the most consistent places in America – if not the world. The warm waters help keep divers comfortable without having to worry about getting chilly.
The near-perfect conditions found in Florida’s Keys are typically due to the Gulf Stream – which helps regulate the temperature of the sea life-filled area by bringing in slightly warmer waters from further south. Divers who enjoy visiting Key Largo have smooth seas with little wave action and clear skies on most days throughout the year.
2) There are a lot of Dive Sites to Explore
The Florida Keys are a haven for divers from all over the world. Divers who enjoy exploring sunken ships can choose from dozens, including famous wreck dives such as the USS Spiegel Grove – which rests at a depth of 130 feet and is made up of 20-ton steel plates that were dumped onto it to sink it during target practice by the U.S. Navy back in 1962.
Other popular dive sites in the Keys include Lions Roar, The Eden, Boilers, and Tree Patch, to name a few.
3) The Sea Life is Amazing
Dive sites throughout Florida’s Keys offer divers a wide array of sea life encounters. Many popular locations are home to sea turtles, barracuda, moray eels, octopi, reef sharks, tarpon, and grouper.
The sea life in these waters is not isolated to one type of ecosystem. Many divers enjoy visiting the reefs to marvel at the bright colors offered by corals and sponges. Others prefer exploring wrecks that contain everything from coral growing on anchor chains to schools of fish darting about the area.
The Atlantic Ocean borders both sides of Florida and stretches northward to Canada. As a result, there are hundreds of spots where you can dive underwater today. While many divers prefer a few select favorite locations, others enjoy exploring new sites each time they travel to a different area – which is easy when there are so many different ones to choose from.
4) The Keys are Filled with Dive Operators
Key Largo is home to hundreds of well-known and highly regarded dive operators who offer everything from private boat charters to one-day group trips out of local area waterways. Some tour companies specialize in diving while others cater to snorkelers or fishing enthusiasts – making it easy for divers to find an adventure that fits their budget and needs wherever they choose to spend their time in paradise.
5) There are so Many Activities to Do After Diving
The Florida Keys is filled with an incredible array of adventures – both under and above the water. There are deep-sea fishing excursions that will allow you to cast a line in some of the most popular locations throughout the area, like the Gulf Stream.
Other popular underwater activities include snorkeling trips at dive sites like Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, glass-bottom boat tours, dolphin encounters, shark dives, and wreck diving charters. Visitors can also enjoy other activities like kayaking, surfing lessons, eco-tours, sunset cruises, like the Key West Sunset Cruise, jet skiing, and parasailing trips over the Atlantic Ocean to make it easy for everyone of all skill levels and budgets to find what they’re looking for.
There’s something exceptional about Florida’s Keys that has made it a destination for scuba diving enthusiasts from around the world. The sunlight, warm weather with plenty of sunshine, and a variety of dive sites, activities, and adventures make it the perfect place to enjoy an underwater escape!
