S. Fl snorkeling spots anyone?
- Thread starter Elan L.
- Start date
roblack
Active member
There's a beach dive that is just south of the pier in Ft Lauderdale, I believe it is around Commercial Blvd. Sure it would be good for snorkeling on a good day, I enjoyed diving there and remember it getting very shallow at times, think it was low tide. Saw all kinds of coral there (even acros), nurse shark, turtle, and lots of small fish.
philter4
New member
I'm not sure the name of the beach, but if you take sunrise to the beach and go north around 14th or 16th court. It is between Sunrise and Oakland Park Blvd. Park there and swim about 75 yards past the bouys. You need a flag, it is FL law. The depth is between 12 and 15 ft and most days the vis is good. If you scuba there is a ledge that drops to almost 30 ft but it is a long swim to get out from the beach. We've done it, sometime on the surface then drop down (we scuba) and I've done it on the bottom, but it takes more than 1000 lbs of gas to get out there. If snorkeling there are great coral heads and a lot of life on the ledge, sometimes the wall is more then 10 ft tall and has lots of fish and inverts. The acrapora field they are talking about is in between the marker bouys and the drop off.
streetjudge79
Active member
The rocks In Sunny Isles are behind 19201 collins ave. Not 189 street, But how are they? I haven't snorkeled them yet.
Hollywood and Dania Beach have the first reef line off the beach.North of Sheridan Street up to Dania Pier. It's been years since I've dived it but it was really nice there.
Hollywood and Dania Beach have the first reef line off the beach.North of Sheridan Street up to Dania Pier. It's been years since I've dived it but it was really nice there.
Elan L.
New member
When i looked at the sign of the street it said 189th but it is pretty long. I loved it. they have amazing damsels there, some gobies, i saw lobster shells (or whatever theyre called) but no actual live lobsters. I also saw a small octopus and a flying fish (i just thought that was really cool to see one under water.
wolfie2012
New member
I love this shore dive. It's apparently ranked #5 in species diversity for the tropical western atlantic (http://www.reef.org/db/reports/diversity/TWA/top) with 317 reported species of fish! 
streetjudge79
Active member
Elan L. were you behind the Ramada Marco Polo hotel? If so that is 19201 Collins Ave. I wasn't aware ,maybe there are more rocky areas at 189th street, I thought it was just the one that they put in behind Ramada. I'll have to check it out.
maxheadroom
Clownfish Farmer
Breakers
jnb
Premium Member
Lauderdale by the Sea as mentioned above - but I don't think anyone described the big picture.
Starting in Pompano Beach going South all the way past the Port's pass (so we are talking about miles) is a string of white mooring balls (which can easily be seen from shore once you spot one) spaced about 60 meters from each other about 1/4 mile off shore - this is a reef line ranging from 14-30 feet. I dive it at least once a month from a small boat - but often see people snorkle it from the shore - you do need the floating dive flag so I don't run over you. It is a great place to go - but for snorkleing - I guess I am spoiled because when I do snorkle it, I am dissappointed that I can not get closer for longer.
If you want real snorkling on a great reef that is not this deep - go to Biscayne Underwater Park (call them) and take their snorkling trip ask to see Virginia Reef (but they have others just as good I guess) - really nice place, water is usually more clear, it has shallow areas where you can be on top 3 feet from the coral. And is a place no commercial boats can go - so it is less trampled then for example Key Kargo Christ Statute snorkle/dive (which is not half bad either)
Starting in Pompano Beach going South all the way past the Port's pass (so we are talking about miles) is a string of white mooring balls (which can easily be seen from shore once you spot one) spaced about 60 meters from each other about 1/4 mile off shore - this is a reef line ranging from 14-30 feet. I dive it at least once a month from a small boat - but often see people snorkle it from the shore - you do need the floating dive flag so I don't run over you. It is a great place to go - but for snorkleing - I guess I am spoiled because when I do snorkle it, I am dissappointed that I can not get closer for longer.
If you want real snorkling on a great reef that is not this deep - go to Biscayne Underwater Park (call them) and take their snorkling trip ask to see Virginia Reef (but they have others just as good I guess) - really nice place, water is usually more clear, it has shallow areas where you can be on top 3 feet from the coral. And is a place no commercial boats can go - so it is less trampled then for example Key Kargo Christ Statute snorkle/dive (which is not half bad either)
saintperez
New member
For those that are in terested in the S. Palm Beach area near Boca there is a really nice beach called Red Reef Park just N. of Palmetto Park Road. Nothing major but lots of rocks with quite a few different fish. No COrals though.
saintperez
New member
What's better about Peanut Island? I hear it's overcrowded on the weekends with a bunch of drunk boat drivers. I don't think I want to be snorkeling around that.
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