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Scuba Diving in Florida with www.godiving.org

Being America, Florida offers an large number of dive sites, each operating large numbers of dives every day. What less would you expect of the USA - and the self appointed international diving centre of the world?

The main diving centres around the Florida Keys. The Florida National Marine Sanctuary maintains strickt regulations to improve the marine environment, and the visitors' experience. This 200 mile strip along the Keys has strickt regulations on both hunting and mooring.

In the sanctuary, buoys are located next to the dive sites to prevent anchor damage to the environment. This protects the areas well resulting in excellent reefs with large shoals of fish.

Liveaboards service the dive sites at the more remote Keys, alowing you access to dive sites that would otherwise entail long, but possible, boat journeys.

Within the marine park are also some good examples of the Florida artificial reefs, with ships sunk deep for first dives and shallower ones to suit second dives. These include an opened landing ship dock and a massive radar tracking ship as a rival.

Around Florida, outside of the marine park, other artifical reefs abound for divers. You could choose to dive on ships, aircraft or tanks. Look out for a Boeing 727 and a section of bridge, and A6 Intruder attack bombers. All have been cleaned and purposely sunk for the enjoyment of divers.

Not all of Florida's wrecks are artifical reefs - the avid diver can also choose to explore some accidental wrecks. Popular sites for diving include a British steamship and the oldest US battleship still existing - even if under water!

Aside from the wrecks and reefs, shark feeding dives once used to draw in these wonderful animals. Now banned, but still Caribbean Reef Sharks, bull, hammerheads and sandtiger sharks are sometimes found to visit these dive sites. The withdrawal of the feeding means that sightings are no longer certain, but there's a good chance with the right diver operators.

The water is warm and the weather generally good and prices attractive. Diving within the marine park will provide plenty of aquatic life, but outside of the marine park Americans fulfill their lust of food and hunt with spearguns for lobsters and more.

Amy Slate's Amoray Dive Resort Bayside, Key Largo, Florida.
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Key West Scuba Olivia Street, Key West, Florida.
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Cave Diving at its Best Box 111-C1, Lake City, Florida.
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Sea Dwellers Dive Centre of Key Largo Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida.
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American Dive Center Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Florida.
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Looe Key Dive Center , Ramrod Key, Florida.
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Scuba School and Dive Center East Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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All details believed to be correct. Please check with dive centre before booking. Listing of dive centres on this web site does not guarantee any levels of service.