Dive Sites

We’ve listed several scuba diving sites here located throughout the
southwest. This page presents a quick reference to the various sites.
It includes information on scuba diving in several Florida fresh water
springs, as well several fresh water sites in the southwest, the Sea of
Cortez, and San Diego. Click on the individual sites using the drop
down menu at the top of the page to view more detailed information on
each of the sites. We have added a certification recommended column
for the Florida dive sites. Some of the sites that we recommend cavern
certification do allow OW divers to dive there. However, we strongly
encourage anyone to dive those sites to take a cavern course and get
the overhead training. Please dive within your training limits. If
you still think you might want to check out the overhead environments
without the proper training, take a look at the videos on this page.

__________

Location
Visibility
Depth
Temp
Entry type
Rating
Training/ Cert. level

Florida


Florida Springs
200′ 130′+ 68-72 Shore/ Boat Excellent diving OW through Cave
Alexander Spring
200′ 30′ 72 Shore Very good diving OW
Blue Grotto
200′ 110′ 72 Shore Average diving OW through Cavern
Blue Springs/ Orange City
200′ 130′+ 72 Shore Very good diving OW through Cave
Bozell
200′ 120′ 68 Boat Excellent diving Cave
Cow Spring
200′ 110′ 72 Shore (private access) Excellent diving Cave, must be CDS member
Ginnie Springs
200′ 55′ 72 Shore/ Boat Very good diving OW through Cave
Jackson Blue Spring
200′ 95′+ 69 Shore/ Boat Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
King Spring
200′ 55′ 72 Boat Average diving Cavern
Little River
200′ 110′ 72 Shore/ Boat Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Maddachalk
100′ 40′ 68 Boat Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Madison Blue Spring
200′ 100′ + 72 Shore Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Merritt’s Mill Pond
10-60′ 100′ + 55-69 Boat Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Morrison Spring
200′ 85′+ 69 Shore/ Boat Excellent diving OW through Cavern
Orange Grove
200′ 85′+ 72 Shore Excellent diving OW through Cave
Paradise Spring
200′ 110′+ 72 Shore Very good diving Cavern through Cave
Peacock Springs
60′ 80′ 72 Shore Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Promise Sink
40′ 130′+ 69 Shore Excellent diving Cavern through Cave
Rainbow River
200′ 25′+ 72 Shore/ Boat Excellent diving OW
Troy Spring
200′ 80′+ 72 Shore/ Boat Very good diving OW
Vortex Spring
60′ 110′+ 69 Shore Average diving OW through Cave
USS Oriskany
20-100′ 225′ 60-85 Boat Above average diving Tech
Destin Jetties
0-25′ 25′ 60-85 Shore Average diving OW
St. Andrews Jetties
0-25′ 70′ 60-85 Shore Above average diving OW
Florida East Coast
0-25′ 130′ + 60-85 Shore/ Boat Very good diving OW
Fort Lauderdale
20-50′ 15-130+’ 60-85 Shore/ Boat Above average diving OW

Arizona


Apache Lake, AZ
mud 80′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Don’t bother
Bartlett Lake, AZ
5-10′ 100′ + 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Canyon Lake, AZ
5-10′ 100′ + 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Fool Hollow Lake, AZ
5′ 30-40′ when full 50-85 Shore Poor diving
Lake Havasu, AZ
3-20′ 60 feet 40s-80s Shore/ Boat Can be good diving
Imperial Reservoir, AZ
less than 3′ unknown 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Lake Martinez, AZ
less than 3′ unknown 50-85 Not worth it Not worth it
Lake Mary, upper and lower, AZ
mud 20′ when full 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Lake Mohave, AZ
30′ 100′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Very good diving
Mormon Lake, AZ
mud 20′ when full 50-85 Shore Poor diving
Parker Canyon Lake, AZ
5′ 80′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Okay diving
Lake Patagonia, AZ
mud 80′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Pena Blanca Lake, AZ
5′ 80′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Lake Pleasant, AZ
20-30′ 260′ when full 50-85 Shore/ Boat Above average diving
Rose Canyon Lake, AZ
3′ 20′ 50-75 Prohibited No diving allowed
Saguaro Lake, AZ
mud 120′ 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
Does have submerged vehicles, though.
San Carlos Reservoir, AZ
worse than mud unknown, almost drained 50-85 Not worth it Not worth it

Nevada


Lake Mead, NV
5-30′ 500′ + when full 55-85 Shore/ Boat Above average when the lake level if full

New Mexico


Santa Rosa Blue Hole, NM
80′ 86′ 64 Shore BTDT
Perch Lake, NM
5-15′ 50′ + 55-80 Shore Average diving

California


San Diego, CA
5-25′ 130′ + 45-75 Shore/ Boat Above average diving

Around the U.S.


Dive Valhalla, TX
60′ 130′ 60 Stairs to platform BTDT
Dutch Spring, PA
60′ 100′ 45-75, 10 degree thermocline every 30′ Shore Good diving
Outerbanks, NC
20-100′ 130′ + 40-75 Shore/ Boat Excellent advanced diving
Round Valley, NJ
15-25′ 160′ + 40-75 Shore/ Boat Good diving

Around the World


Aruba
40′ 95′ + 83 Boat Very good diving
Bahamas
200′ 130′ + 75-85 Boat Very good diving
Belize, C.A.
120′ 130′ + 75-85 Boat Very good diving

Mexico


Kino, MX
10-20′ 30′ average 60-85 Shore/ Boat Good diving
Himalaya Bay, MX
14-30 40′ average 60-85 Shore Good diving
Puerto Aventuras, MX
20-50′ 80′ 70-85 Boat Average diving
Puerto Penasco, MX
10-20′ 30′ average 50-85 Shore/ Boat Poor diving
San Carlos, MX
5-80′ 130′ + 60-85 Shore/ Boat Very good diving
Cenotes of Mexico
20-80′ 76 Shore Excellent diving

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