Take Your Adventure Under Water
Explore our incredible scenery hiding beneath the waves – that's The Way to Beach!
The Pensacola Bay Area's emerald waters provide many scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities. Enjoy casual below-the-surface trips just off the beach, or gear up for a visit to the USS Oriskany, the world's largest artificial reef. Our water temperatures range from the mid-80s in summer to the mid-60s in winter, when visibility is generally at its best, making diving a year-round activity.
Dozens of ghostly shipwrecks and underwater structures teem with sea life in our pristine Gulf waters and beg to be explored by scuba divers and snorkelers.
List-Worthy Dives
![The Great Carrier Reef](https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/diver-metal.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=b0deae730eea202fd39e8435ccd32738 320w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/diver-metal.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=ede79cba4ca444e196d39a49aa93cfed 540w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/diver-metal.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=5361bb9e0570c56d1997ddc03f27af88 768w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/diver-metal.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=471c5344a26117a051a6b4949916d74b 864w)
The Great Carrier Reef
In 2006 the 872-foot aircraft carrier USS Oriskany took her final voyage over the Gulf of Mexico to become the world’s largest artificial reef — about 25 miles south of Pensacola Beach.
Sailors called the USS Oriskany “The Mighty O" when she served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Today she makes natural history as The Great Carrier Reef, the flagship of the Panhandle Shipwreck Trail.
The Oriskany sits upright on the bottom in 220 feet of water. The bottom sits well beyond the depth for recreational divers, but its tower reaches up to about 84 feet below the surface. The island superstructure, including the bridges, is above the recreational diving limit of 130 feet. Technical divers can land on the flight deck at 145 feet, and the cavernous Hangar Bay beckons at 175 feet.
![Joe Patti Reef](https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=48ed6665c653e7550d4a8179cfe6a5b5 320w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=8435f16c5eb402c46edb5ee912d84c76 540w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=96ad7e43b29365c62dbdb0dd208f7b46 768w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=73738bf4db768f9bf65196a15ed75426 1024w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=54f12fac57224ecae9f81fabc68c45f3 1200w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/joe-patti-reef.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=ef566c8a47337a38a606576a3f7271b1 1430w)
Joe Patti Reef
In 2013 the Joe Patti Reef was deployed in approximately 50 feet of water just three miles east of the Pensacola Pass on Pensacola Beach. This 175 x 80-foot barge acts as an underwater art gallery, covered in artwork depicting famous Pensacola landmarks and businesses like the iconic Pensacola Beach marlin sign, Joe Patti’s logo sign, Blue Angels flying in their famous Diamond Formation, the Casino Beach Ball, and more. Artist Kevin Marchetti created 120 stainless steel memorials and sculptures, some of which contain the ashes of loved ones. The wreck even has a mock Flora-Bama bar with bar stools and colorful beer mugs welcoming divers to take a break.
![The San Pablo](https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/turtle-dive.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=16cced075904277808616c720880ebba 320w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/turtle-dive.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=44bde919fc118afe4fcdacefa026a464 540w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/turtle-dive.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=03d5701ca8afe063b42eb58c7a057fea 768w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/turtle-dive.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=759d8525600ac52f3da44daf49043a99 936w)
The San Pablo
This mysterious ship has wowed divers for decades. The San Pablo, also called “the Russian Freighter,” hauled fruit until it was sunk by a U-Boat near Central America. It was re-floated, only to be sunk again off Pensacola Beach in 1944 by the U.S. as part of a top-secret weapons test. A radio-controlled boat packed with 3,000 pounds of explosives scattered the San Pablo across the seafloor. Today, divers can explore boilers, refrigeration coils, and huge sections of twisted metal, all home to an impressive array of marine life.
Pete Tide II
Even a lowly supply boat makes a magnificent sight on the seafloor. Sunk in 1993, the Pete Tide II looks like it’s ready to set sail. It stands eerily upright from 100 to 60 feet of water, luring divers to explore the bridge. Three runaway coal barges scuttled during an emergency in 1974 are home to sea life at 50 feet — a favorite for divers to hone their skills.
USS Massachusetts
Considered the oldest battleship still in existence, the USS Massachusetts has spent the past 97 years rusting at the mouth of Pensacola Bay. In 1920, the retired battleship served as target practice from the battery at Fort Pickens. After weeks of cannon fire, she finally sank in 26 feet of water.
Now an Underwater Archaeological Preserve managed by the state of Florida – the USS Massachusetts takes you back in time more than a century. Her wreckage is a popular shallow diving spot as it is well lit by the sun and swarming with marine life. It is possible to snorkel the Massachusetts at times, as the top of her wheelhouse still breaks the surface at low tide.
IMPORTANT: When diving or snorkeling the Mass, caution is advised. Because of her location in the pass, the current rips through her wreckage at a high velocity, except during slack tide. Arrive at the tail end of high tide, and prepare to dive in the slack hour or two before the water starts rushing back out of the pass.
Remember, diving is an adventure sport. Please pay attention to your local dive providers and heed any warnings and/or directions from local authorities.
You'll find hundreds of dive sites to experience, including wrecks, natural bottom, and artificial reefs. Dive into all that awaits.
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