Scuba Diving
in Panama City Beach

Panama City has a wide array of sites perfect for scuba diving, from natural reefs to shipwrecks that have been settling in
the silt of the Gulf floor for centuries,
just waiting for you.

"Under the sea," - that's where most of the Earth's surface is. And that's what makes for a scuba diving paradise. But unless we have special equipment, we'll never see what lies beneath the waves.

That's where diving comes in! And offshore of Panama City Beach is one of the best places to do it.

Why?

Due to an abundance of natural, historical, and artificial reefs, Panama City Beach is known as the "Wreck Capital of the South."

A few historic shipwrecks that lie off the Panama City coast include a 441-foot World War II liberty ship; a 220-foot tug, the Chippewa; a 160-foot coastal freighter, the S.S. Tarpon; the 100-foot tug, the Chickasaw; and the 110-foot tug, the Grey Ghost; as well as the Gulf of Mexico's most famous wreck, the 465-foot Empire Mica.

The Panama City Marine Institute has developed 50 artificial reefs off of Panama City Beach, in addition to the numerous natural reefs already abounding only a few miles off the coast!

The natural reefs range in depth from 80 to 100 feet, and vary in height from three to eight feet.

Sea turtles, giant manta rays, puffer fish, sand dollars, blue marlin, horseshoe crabs, small corals, and colorful sponges all call this oceanic playground home.

April through September is the best time for diving in these emerald waters.

Parties of up to 30 people can take part in these exciting and amazing adventures, traveling on 32 to 48 foot long customized crafts, all of which carry U.S. Coast Guard approved safety equipment.

Explore the world that lies beneath the waves, and be awed at the rainbow of beauty that awaits you when you go scuba diving in the warm waters of the Panama City coast.