Diving in Panama City Beach, Florida

SCUBA Diving is interesting as it is classified by some to be as tranquil and serene anything on the planet and by others to be an extreme sport. Either way diving is a widely loved recreational activity. Since so many people enjoy this activity in so many different places, quite a few norms have evolved from one location to another. What follows is a guide for my part of the world here in the Florida panhandle.

Local sites
Visibility is commonly 30-40'. Water temperatures vary throughout the year from 55*F in the deep Winter to 85*F in the late Summer. Most area dive sites are artificial reefs. These include about 2 dozen ships intentionally sunk to create diving and fishing attractions. While the shipwrecks are popular dive sites there are also bridge spans, oil-rigesque navy stages, reef balls, fish havens, industrial steel pipes, and various piles of concrete bridge rubble. The only shore dive in Panama City is from the St. Andrews State Park Jetty. Make sure you catch it at peak high tide for best visibility and calm water!

Divemasters
Panama City dive operators expect divers to be able to dive without needing assistance beyond a site and conditions briefing. Meaning once the DM has surfaced and given his or her report, the "pool is open" and buddy pairs are free to dive the site at their own pace. They do also offer escorted dives with a Divemaster for divers who may be a little rusty.... provided they are notified ahead of time and a fee usually applies. Otherwise the divemaster is expected to stay on the boat and standby to render assistance as needed from the surface and monitor the divers location by watching their bubbles. This a marked contrast with many dive operations in the Caribbean where divers are led in a single file line by a Divemaster and everyone surfaces when the first person gets low on breathing gas. The nature of wreck diving in Panama City is fundamentally different from the coral reef diving of other Carribean dive sites. Local divemasters also tie the dive boat into the site and scout it briefly before returning to the and delivering the pre-dive brief to the divers and are expected to troubleshoot any gear problems that may come up as well as be generally educational and entertaining. Gratuitity to the divemaster is both customary and appreciated.