Greater Fort Lauderdale

Reefs and Wrecks

Greater Fort Lauderdale's three-tiered natural coral reef system begins in 20 feet of water, and in some cases, dive spots start 100 yards from shore. The combination of the natural reefs and many wrecks creates over 100 dive sites, with a variety of diving including drift, ledge and wall, night, technical, sport, glass bottom boat, and beach diving featuring beautiful patch reefs close to shore.

Over the past 20 years, the artificial reef programs of Broward County have placed more than 75 artificial reefs on the ocean floor as magnets for fish and reef life. Divers will encounter barracuda, grouper, yellowtail, mackerel, jacks, snappers, hogfish and much more. Many of the sites are equally appealing to snorkelers, as well as those just learning to dive. A sampling of popular wrecks includes The Ancient Mariner in Deerfield Beach, USS Copenhagen in Pompano Beach, and Wreck of the Jay Scutti in Fort Lauderdale. Visit sunny.org/scuba to dive deeper.

Here fishy, fishy

The waters off Greater Fort Lauderdale are a marvel of biodiversity. Mother Ocean decorates the sea bottom with a painter's palette of colorful hard and soft corals, sea whips and purple fans. The reefs teem with riots of colorful tropical fish. And divers thrill to encounter large marine life such as sea turtles, nurse sharks, stingrays, barracudas, huge angelfish and giant green morays.

Say Goodbye to Long Boat Rides

The dive sites are close, no more than a mile from shore. Hop a dive boat on the Intracoastal, and your captain zips you out the inlet to the ocean. 20 to 30 minutes from the dock, and you’re already drifting down onto a reef or wreck where underwater visibility averages a respectable 30 to 50 feet year round. From May to October, divers experience moments of astounding water clarity, when viz ranges from 60 to 100 feet+ on the deeper reefs. And because the Gulf Stream swings so close to shore, the waters are always warm. We’re talking total immersion 12 months a year.

Rock the Lobster Season

Grab your share of this year's bounty during Florida's official 2014 two-day lobster mini-season, July 30th -31st. The craze for crustaceans throttles back to a dull roar when “regular” season opens a week later on August 6th.

2-for-1 Summer Savings

Whether you're seeking excitement above or below the surface, you'll ﬁnd it all here with 2-for-1 deals on water activities, dining, nature and the arts & culture of Greater Fort Lauderdale. For an entire list of 2-for-1 deals and other diving info, visit sunny.org/summer