The Road to Wrecks

The plane banked over Northwest Florida’s coastline, treating me to a view of sugar-white beach sand and water the color of a glimmering oyster shell, first green then blue then deepening to purple. Here, at last, was the Emerald Coast, the setting for my week-long drive-and-dive wreck trek.

I knew my trip would begin on the 911-foot-long USS Oriskany and end at the Underwater Museum of Art, but I had no idea what to expect in between as I’d left my diving plans up to the people who knew best—the local dive shops and operators, and those involved in turning the Florida Panhandle into what is quickly becoming America’s top wreck diving destination, with well over 40 wrecks and counting.

Pensacola

My first stop is Dive Pros, one of Pensacola’s local dive shops. Co-owner Kerry Freeland sets me up with tanks and suggests I rent a 5 mm wetsuit—my Sharkskin might not cut it in May’s chillier waters. Then he tells me how to get to the marina, where I’ll meet Captain Andy and spend the next two days diving with Niuhi Dive Charters.

It turns out Freeland is correct. Fifteen feet below the surface, my dive computer’s temperature reading drops from 78 to 68. It’s also murky, a pea-green color that makes my vision feel a little blurry, as though I forgot to take my contacts out before a night of sleep. Below, the 180-footlong Pete Tide II barge is covered with snapper, butterflyfish and triggerfish, a testament to the fact that these wrecks, deployed as artificial reefs, are doing their job. I enjoy wending through the open holds and wheelhouse, and even stop to photograph a goliath grouper that hovers unperturbed a few feet from me.

The following day, we hit a site full of pyramid-shaped structures, the Avocet—a former clamshell dredge sitting in the sand at 115 feet—and finally, the Oriskany. For many, this sunken aircraft carrier is a bucket-list dive. It’s also a more advanced dive, mostly thanks to the depth of the wreck, which starts at 81 feet and drops to a whopping 212. Even the extensive flight deck lies below the reach of recreational divers at 146 feet.

As I descend the mooring line, I am reminded once again why I love diving wrecks. It’s all about that initial descent, the moment the wreck appears from out of the dark, transporting me into a time and place few others can access. The feeling is addictive.

The Oriskany, at 911 feet in length, is impossible to see in full from stern to bow, especially in the murkier springtime waters. Much of the tower is covered in bright-yellow coral. Though the wreck is staggeringly large, the area we can explore is small. I spend a good amount of time photographing other divers as they make their way around the bridge and dip in and out of the tower’s swimthroughs. More than anything, it’s how the ship rises from the dark below that mesmerizes me.

At the end of the day, after three deep dives, I’m exhausted and find myself wishing I’d picked a hotel closer to Destin, or at least given myself a half-day break.

Need to Know

Must Dive

1 USS Oriskany

2 Avocet

3 Pete Tide II

4 Ocean Wind

5 Brass Wreck

6 YDT- 1

Where to Eat

For a great, vegan-friendly post-dive lunch, head to End of the Line Cafe. If a dinner splurge is on your itinerary, hit up Agapi for cocktail flights and creative eats, or the Grand Marlin for a killer view, fresh seafood and Southern charm.

More to Explore

Explore the historic Pensacola Village as well as the National Naval Aviation Museum. For a great beach, head to Pensacola Beach and Fishing Pier or Gulf Islands National Seashore. If time permits, try tubing on Coldwater Creek during the warmer months.

Operators

» Dive Pros

» Niuhi Dive Charters

Destin - Fort Walton Beach

I spend the next couple of nights at the Island Resort on Fort Walton Beach. Though I’m far too tired to partake in a beachfront cocktail at the hotel’s Tripp Tide Beach Bar, I do watch others drink and enjoy the live music as I drift ever closer to sleep.

The next morning I head to local dive shop ScubaTech to find out where I’ll be headed for the day. I’m fortunate to have Okaloosa County’s resident artificial reef deployment guru Alex Fogg as my guide. A fisheries biologist by training, Fogg is the county’s natural resources chief. He’s responsible for reviving not only Okaloosa County’s artificial reef deployment programs but also programs that involve multiple counties coming together to purchase and deploy wrecks, such as Deep Stim III, a 239-footlong research vessel, now the county’s second largest divable artificial reef.

Ian Popple, co-founder of Reef Smart Guides, tells me Destin-Fort Walton is a bit of a hidden gem. What sets it apart is not only the fact that Fogg and his team are constantly dropping wrecks but that they also invest in mapping these resources to publish on Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s official website. “They’ve developed one of the largest free databases of 3D wreck models in the world, to my knowledge,” Popple says.

Over the next couple of days, I spend time diving with Fogg and his colleague Jessica Valek, natural resources manager for Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach and also head of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol team. She tells me that when I return to the area (because I will), I can join her on early morning sea turtle patrols. Both she and Fogg are deeply passionate about what they do and are clearly driving forces for both tourism and conservation in the area.

While I love diving the M/V Courageous, a 130-foot-deep wreck that lies torn in half as the result of a military training exercise, it’s the RMS Atlantis that steals my heart. As Fogg and Valek flit about bagging lionfish, I explore and photograph. On the wreck, giant barnacles hide small but curious fish, and shimmering veils of krill make it tough to get clear shots. The wreck is teeming with life, and I find myself distracted by small octopuses in holes on the deck, as well as a couple of giant grouper that swim by. Even the water column is rich with critters you’d typically see on a blackwater dive—salps and siphonophores, drifting and glittering in the current.

Need to Know

Must Dive

1 RMS Atlantis

2 M/V Courageous

3 R/V Manta

4 R/V Deep Stim III

5 USAF Big Dawg

Where to Eat

For a quick and delicious lunch, the Local Market serves up gourmet sandwiches and fresh salads. Vibe Vegan Bistro should also not be missed if you like quality plant-based food. When dinner rolls around, Harbor Docks, renowned for its Gulffresh seafood and exceptional sushi bar is a must-visit.

More to Explore

Paddle along Turkey Creek, a serene waterway perfect for kayaking or floating. Nature enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Henderson Beach State Park and Rocky Bayou State Park.

Operators

» ScubaTech

» Emerald Coast Scuba

» Fort Walton Beach Scuba

Walton County

My explorations in Walton County center on Grayton Beach, a town that bills itself as funky, eclectic and artsy. It’s perhaps no wonder then that it’s home to the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), where human-height seahorses meet a skull the size of a small car. These points of interest are larger-than-life sculptures designed by artists from all over the world and installed to create an artificial reef. Reefs like this are essential for providing marine habitat as 95 percent of the coastal waters off Walton County are barren sand flats.

It’s here I meet Walt Hartley, owner and dive boat captain of Dive30A, and Ian Towne, our deckhand, resident marine biologist and freediving aficionado.

UMA is less than a mile from the Grayton Beach State Park shoreline. Hartley and Towne launch the inflatable boat on the beach, and just minutes later we are in position to back-roll off the boat and drop. Though the water is a little green, the statues, just 55 feet deep, quickly become visible.

They’re bizarre and utterly fascinating. Two hold me rapt and I can’t help but take picture after picture—a gigantic magic lamp and some sort of cetacean rib cage so large you can swim through it. There are dozens of these statues over at least 100 feet of seafloor, and we move from one to the next, all the while looking into the nooks and crannies to suss out critters that would otherwise have no habitat to exist here. On ascent, three reef sharks follow, each circling and watching us curiously from a distance. I find myself wondering if they think me as interesting as I do these statues.

Had I not been pressed to change plans earlier that week due to weather, I would have had time to see and dive Morrison Springs. I’m told it’s the local backup dive site for when offshore conditions get a little rough and a training hub for many local dive shops who head here to teach scuba classes. Nearby Vortex Springs is a possible stop too, though it gets very busy on weekends and is best avoided then.

Though Walton County isn’t a wreck diving destination, it’s a great diversion for those wanting something a little different—crystal-clear springs and great art. Don’t believe me? The town’s unofficial motto should tell you all you need to know: “Nice dogs, strange people.”

Related Reading: How to Succeed As a Scuba Instructor

Need To Know

Must Dive

1 The Underwater Museum of Art

2 SWARA Super Pyramid Reefs

3 Morrison Springs

Where to Eat

For a funky dive bar, head to the Red Bar. If it’s breakfast you need, Crackings or Black Bear Bread Co. are the places to go. Later, stop at Chiringo for an openair dining experience or Grayton Seafood Co. for fresh seafood. If vegan try Hibiscus Cafe.

More to Explore

Rent a paddleboard with YOLO Board and Bike at Grayton Beach State Park, then head to the coastal dune lakes for a unique paddleboarding experience. Stroll through Seaside’s picturesque streets— famously featured in The Truman Show—and explore boutique shops, art galleries and local markets.

Operators

» Dive30A

Panama City Beach

Though I never had the chance to explore Panama City’s wreck diving scene, I did have an hourlong call with Patrick Green, boat captain and co-founder of Panama City Diving.

For Green, the magic of the Panhandle is biomass. “It’s unheard of anywhere in the Caribbean, whereas in the Panhandle, you get to swim around with multiple 600-pound grouper, big schools of amber jack, red snappers and baitfish.”

For Green, the magic of the Panhandle is biomass. “It’s unheard of anywhere in the Caribbean, whereas in the Panhandle, you get to swim around with multiple 600-pound grouper, big schools of amber jack, red snappers and baitfish.”

Along with renowned wrecks like the Empire Mica, the USS Accokeek and the Red Sea, Green recommends diving the old bridge spans.

“They’re not shipwrecks, but they are the best artificial reefs for seeing anything and everything.” They’re also very different from the bridge dives the other cities offer. The ones in Panama City are actually upright metal structures that look a bit like railroad trestles. For Green, Span 10 is the best of the lot. “It’s on a chunk of natural reef. Where they dropped it, there’s a lot of natural limestone and as a result a lot of habitat. It’s very fishy.”

After speaking with Green I knew I needed to return to dive Panama City. If you’re planning your own driveand-dive trip, don’t make my mistake and miss it. Tack on a couple more days of diving. From frogfish and nudibranchs to whale sharks and even manatees, Green tells me everything here is possible. I’m going to hold him to it.

Need to Know

Must Dive

1 Empire Mica

2 USS Accokeek

3 Red Sea

4 Bridge Span 10

5 Black Bart

Where to Eat

For lunch, head to Finns Island Style Grub or Squared Grouper. Finns does a great job of putting local fish on the table. Squared Grouper is a food truck on a beautiful waterfront. It does burgers, grouper sandwiches and more. For dinner, head to C Level. It’s the only place in town that buys and serves lionfish sourced by divers.

More to Explore

You can’t miss Man in the Sea Museum if you’re a diver as it’s dedicated to preserving the history of diving and how underwater technology has changed over time.

Operators

» Panama City Diving

» Red Alert Diving

» Diver’s Den

SS Unites States

An Iconic Wreck in the Making, Move This One to the Top of Your Florida Diving Bucket List

Okaloosa County and its natural resources chief Alex Fogg are on a mission to make Destin-Fort Walton Beach the No. 1 wreck diving destination in America. And with the soon-to-be-sunk SS United States, the area is well on its way to claiming a new title: This 990-foot historic ocean liner will succeed the USS Oriskany as the largest purpose-sunk artificial reef in the world.

The wreck will be sunk in approximately 180 feet of water, making it much more accessible to recreational divers. The top of the structure will be about 55 to 60 feet deep. This means more than 650 feet of the vessel will be within recreational diving depths, providing endless opportunities for exploration.

The project also includes support for a land-based museum that will highlight the ship’s rich history. Visitors can immerse themselves in the United States’ storied past, exploring numerous artifacts and the ship’s iconic funnels, which will be removed before deployment and preserved on land. This museum will offer insights into the vessel’s legacy, making the experience accessible to both divers and nondivers.

Though the entire project will cost the county millions of dollars, there’s little doubt divers will flock from all over the world to explore a ship that still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner, set in 1952.

The sinking of the SS United States will not only enhance the county’s appeal as a premier wreck-diving destination but also contribute significantly to ocean conservation by creating a massive artificial reef that in years to come will no doubt be teeming with life.

Need to Know

How to Plan a Panhandle Drive and Dive Trip

Though those idyllic white sands and emerald waters make Northwest Florida look weatherproof, the truth is both weather and underwater visibility can change on a dime. Be prepared for the possibility, and have backup plans if it happens.

The best time to dive the area is between May and October. “It’s a combination of good calm sea state, usually, and clear water,” says local dive shop owner Patrick Green.

That said, there are some things you can do to better prepare yourself for Northwest Florida diving.

1. Pack the Right Exposure Protection

I’ll admit, showing up in May with only a Titanium 2 Sharkskin might not have been the best plan. Especially when the thermocline was 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Thankfully the local dive shops had a 5 mm wetsuit I could borrow.

Water temperatures in Northwest Florida range from 60 degrees in winter to 86 in summer. Depending on how cold you get (and how comfortable you want to be on a dive), I’d recommend a 3 mm wetsuit in summer and a 5 mm or 7 mm wetsuit in the colder months. If tec diving, a drysuit is the best option.

2. Know How to Use an SMB

In areas like the Florida Panhandle where you may be heading far offshore, it’s a good idea to have one. Currents are rare here—certainly nothing like they are on Florida’s Atlantic coast—but so much of the diving is miles offshore. If you haven’t practiced deploying your surface marker buoy in a while, head to your local lake or quarry and get comfortable doing so. A good spool and SMB are a must. Some boats also require you have one as they might offer live boating. That is, the boat captain will drop you off, you’ll do your dive, and then once you’ve inflated your SMB and done your safety stop, they’ll head over to pick you up.

3. Respect the Spearfishing Pole Spear

While spearfishing isn’t for the camera-toting likes of me, many divers who visit the Panhandle partake in this activity. Often dive charters will include a mix of recreational divers and divers hunting, usually for lionfish. Personally, I don’t love back-rolling next to someone holding a long spear. What if they roll on me, or I roll on them? Be aware of your surroundings if spearfishers are part of your dive group. No harm in it (well, except for the fish), just don’t get too close!

4. Have a Backup Plan

In Destin, I had to abort a day of diving due to weather. Luckily, my guide to the area had a backup dive in mind—Destin Bridge, one of his favorites. The springs in and around northern Walton County are also a great option as they’re more inland and not held hostage to Gulf conditions. Don’t forget this area has a rich maritime history and museums abound. Food here also has its roots in many different cultures. If you’re a food-loving diver, you’re in the right place.

Related Reading: An Unforgettable Dive: So Many Sea Turtles in Panama

What to Bring

Northwest Florida diving may require being comfortable with longer boat rides, lower visibility depending on the time of year you dive, and live boating.

Here are some things you’ll want to pack:

• A good SMB you know how to use

• A Nautilus LifeLine or Garmin inReach

• Seasickness medicine

• A warm boat coat for post-dive comfort

• A bag for lionfish catch if you’re spearfishing

• A dry bag if you’re diving the Underwater Museum of Art