“Hi, I’m Florida. I heard you were looking for some diving.”

Many divers across the Northern Hemisphere, especially in these cold winter months (as I write this, I am in shorts and a t-shirt ), are thinking, “I’m getting pretty sick of this low-visibility quarry and this dry suit.” Their diving fantasies are reaching fever pitch, imagining a place where the sun is shining, the only temperature they can find in the 30s is that of their mixed drink, and the underwater world provides rich, colorful vistas, chock full of coral and teeming with tropical fish.

Welcome to my home. Believe it or not, I am not describing the Bahamas, or even the Mediterranean. In fact, most of you reading this don’t need a passport or to spend a full day on a plane to get here.
Welcome to Florida.

Most divers know there is some diving here, and have probably heard of the Florida Keys- North America’s only barrier reef, and the third largest in the world.

What you may not know is that Florida is home to a wide variety of diving environments and attractions.
From the world famous Molasses Reef in Key Largo (great for snorkelers, too!), to 3 of the largest artificial reef shipwrecks in the world (the Oriskany, Vandenberg, and Spiegel Grove), to the excellent spearfishing of the both east coast and the Gulf Coast, we have it all.

Then there are the crystal-clear freshwater springs of North Central Florida. The next time you pick up a room-temperature bottle of spring water, imagine diving in that. With that visibility and temperature. Year round. Add in some manatees, a gentle-giant type mammal, or even some real life mermaids (don’t believe me? Search for Weeki Wachee Springs)!

If you’re a technical diver you will love the aircraft carrier Oriskany with the flight deck at a depth of 145 feet. It has a fitting home off the coast of the Panhandle city of Pensacola, near the Navy’s flight school. Or there is always the hundreds-of-miles-long Wreck Treck – a veritable all-you-can-dive buffet stretching the entire length of the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West.

In Florida, you can’t get farther than 100 miles from the ocean, and that doesn’t even consider any of the plethora of natural freshwater springs scattered around the state. And from snorkelers to experienced cave and technical divers, we have something for everyone.

So come on down, we’d love to have you. And bring the family- with plenty of zoos, museums, malls, and theme parks all around the state(there’s a mouse and some of his friends that are fairly popular with children who live around here) there is plenty to keep divers and non-divers alike of all ages happy.
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Article Written by:

FloridaDiveTravel.com is owned and operated by Devon Grimmé, a dive instructor based in Gainesville, Florida. He has logged hundreds of dives in Florida waters, and knows the state like the back of his hand. Realizing that there was not a single place where divers could find reliable information and help for planning vacations here, he saw an opportunity to showcase his home state. Replicating the successful DiveConcierge.com model for international dive vacations, FloridaDiveTravel.com is the local expert for everything underwater in Florida. Visit our site, and visit our state!

The Ocean Awaits,

Devon

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