We divers love to have fun, whether its underwater on a site that’s jam-packed with fish or on the boat, listening to a dive briefing that’s part safety orientation and part dive-site storytelling. When you’re on a dive excursion to one of the many popular sites off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Capt. Bill Cole, owner of Sea Experience, be prepared to be entertained.

Take for example, a dive at Tenneco Towers. The story behind this artificial reef is interesting— the towers were donated by the Tenneco Oil Company and sunk by the Broward County Artificial Reef Program in 1985—but it’s the marine life here, and the sounds they make, that are truly unique and the marquee attraction. “I always tell divers jumping in the water here to listen,” says Capt. Bill. “Lots of snap, crackle and pop sounds with all the crustaceans!”

Another popular site is Hog Heaven, a 185-foot barge that is upside down, creating several exploration-worthy swim-throughs. “There is a smaller barge about 300 feet to the north, which provides an excellent challenge for the adventurous scuba diver,” Capt. Bill says. “It has several concrete culverts and I beams from Interstate 595 construction, an airplane wing, and a radio tower called the ‘Jungle Gym.’” Jungle Gym is a place where both beginner and advanced divers can have fun, plus it’s a photographer’s paradise. “There’s hard and soft corals,” says Capt. Bill, “and we see goliath grouper, manta rays, turtles, nurse sharks, Atlantic spadefish and many other fish, large and small. It’s an excellent site.”

Related Reading: Ultimate Guide to Diving the Florida Panhandle

The shallow reef tract at Barracuda Reef is perfect for both training and as the second dive of a two-tank trip. “I always tell people to not just focus on what’s close but to also take the time to look up and around as there are always large schools of fish in midwater,” Capt. Bill says. “The reef is loaded with Atlantic tropical fish, and though we don’t guarantee it, we’ve even had dolphin encounters here.”

While the dive sites here are stellar, so too is the dive operation itself. Sea Experience won five 2025 Readers Choice Awards, including being named to the Top 10 lists for Best Overall Dive Operator, Quality of Staff and Quality of Facility. (More than 8,500 Scuba Diving readers and web visitors voted in the magazine’s annual survey.)

Sea Experience is a PADI Five Star Career Development Center (CDC) with a convenient beachside location at the Bahia Mar DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. When you choose Sea Experience, everything is at your “fintips”: The dive and glass-bottom snorkeling boats are at the resort’s marina, so the boats are just steps away from your room, as are the dive shop, gear rental facility, classroom and pool. The retail shop is open seven days a week.

As a PADI CDC, Sea Experience offers instruction from Discover Scuba—perfect for those who want to give scuba diving a try—to IDC Staff Instructor. The dive operation has launched the careers of thousands of dive professionals and it also supports U.S. military veterans seeking a new career opportunity.

Related Reading: What It's Like to Dive the USS Oriskany

Fort Lauderdale’s golden sand beaches and surprising dive sites are awaiting you, and you can have both by staying at Bahia Mar and diving with Sea Experience. There is no other dive shop in the area that offers so much quality, convenience and access. Plus you’ll get to hear Capt. Bill’s exciting and fun dive briefings. Isn’t it time you discover why so many Scuba Diving readers and web visitors chose Sea Experience as their favorite Fort Lauderdale dive shop?

Contact Info

(954) 770-3483, seaxp.com

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