Scuba Duba Diving PCB

The Jetty at St. Andrew St. Park is the best diving in the area other than under the Destin Bridge. Panama City Dive Center on Thomas drive is near the entrance of the park. They will rent you tanks and what ever else you need, they will also tell you the best time and how to dive the jetty. You want to go when the tide is coming in or slack. My favorite way to dive them is walk through the north end of the kiddy pool and find a gap in the rocks, swim through then swim south along the jetty. You are required to have a dive flag. If you go on a weekend they'll be other divers there. During the week it will be less crowded. Don't worry about going to Shell ISland the Diving is better on the west side of the pass.

Ditto on diving the jetties. Had many great dives there, back in my day....Enjoy and tell me how it is now. Thanks...

I thank you both for the info. I have been diving at the Jetties in Destin. Is it similar? Can one snorkel there also?

Any other hot dive spots?

Thanks again
G

Gidget, it is the best place to snorkel in PCB in addition to being a great dive. I take my students (I'm a PADI instructor) there for their openwater checkout dives too. Just follow the advice about catching it at peak high tide for best vis and no current. The only complaint I have is that its such a long walk from the parking area to the water.... but then again I am mostly a boat diver and a whiner to boot!

You may also enjoy diving any of the wrecks offshore in the Panhandle, its more expensive to charter a dive boat to get you there than the shore dives but it is worth it to me. In the interest of full disclosure, I should also add that I run a dive charter in Panama City though.

There's a lot more to see at the Pananma City jetty, we've seen rays, sharks, jew fish, angel fish, spade fish, octupus, little tropicals . Theres coral on some of the rocks. Destin jetty is like a black and white movie Panama City Jetty is in color. Depending on your air usage you maybe able to rent a small tank, makes it easier to walk to the jetty. I bought a 50 tank just to walk out to the Destin Jetty.

Gidget, we do the St. Andrew Jetties also, just make sure to check the tides and try and hit them at high tide. The Destin Jetties has what is called the walk of death, St. Andrew is not near as bad.

Also PCB has several boats that will take you out, capt. Pat has a very good dive charter( mater of fact a group from here is going to be on his boat this weekend, weather permitting), we also use better bottom time


Scuba Diving Panama City Beach

You can get set up with them at divers den in PCB and other dive shops.

By the way, was in Key Largo last week and the diving was off the charts great!!!

Gidget,

I have been diving the Destin and PCB area for years both shore dives and boat dives. We dove with Pat Green in July and had the best dive trip ever with him! Very professional and flexible as to your desires depending on group size. Both the Destin and PCB jetties are cool, but offshore PCB has some of the best wreck dives in the continental US.

There's a lot more to see at the Pananma City jetty, we've seen rays, sharks, jew fish, angel fish, spade fish, octupus, little tropicals . Theres coral on some of the rocks. Destin jetty is like a black and white movie Panama City Jetty is in color. Depending on your air usage you maybe able to rent a small tank, makes it easier to walk to the jetty. I bought a 50 tank just to walk out to the Destin Jetty.

Wow thanks! I know that the East Pass jetties are only good at high tide. Is it the same with the jetties at PCB? If so, do you have chart link?

Thanks again!

G

EDIT: Ok I read that it should be high tide. Not sure what chart shows that! Thx

Gidget,

I have been diving the Destin and PCB area for years both shore dives and boat dives. We dove with Pat Green in July and had the best dive trip ever with him! Very professional and flexible as to your desires depending on group size. Both the Destin and PCB jetties are cool, but offshore PCB has some of the best wreck dives in the continental US.

Seriously! Wow - I am super excited!!!!!

Thanks so much!

G

By the way, was in Key Largo last week and the diving was off the charts great!!!

LUCKY YOU!! I am happy you had such a great experience!!!!


G

Still trying to google for best tide chart. Question: at Destin jetties it is best to try and dive when tide is at least .6 - the higher the better. Same for PCB?

And is it best to go right at tide or a little bit prior?

Thanks guys so much for helping me!!

G

Gidget, Here is a link to the tides : Tide Region Selection, just click on the Fla. Gulf Coast and go from there.

The destin jetties is a tough walk, St. Andrew is not bad at all.

Also, here is a good link to read up on the local diving stuff:

Deep Dixie Divers - ScubaBoard

Any charters that will take you to snorkel some of the wrecks? We have kids and have done the Destin jetties snorkeling and that ok, but not a whole lot to see. I would love for them to have a better experience.

Gidget, Here is a link to the tides : Tide Region Selection, just click on the Fla. Gulf Coast and go from there.

The destin jetties is a tough walk, St. Andrew is not bad at all.

Also, here is a good link to read up on the local diving stuff:

Deep Dixie Divers - ScubaBoard

St. Andrew Bay

• St. Andrew Bay Channel entrance
• Panama City
• Panama City Beach (outside)

So which of these would I pick in order to get tide for jetties? The first one?

Thanks so much and btw, is that a pic of you diving at Pennekamp?? Did you dive Molasses Reef? It is my fav!

G

St. Andrew Bay

That is me at the Chirst of the Deep.

This pic is of a Goliath Grouper taken off the #14 bridge span. Not a great pic because the fish was moving away!!!



We did Molasses Reef, key largo dry rocks, Benwood,snapper ledge, pickles reef. We did molasses reef two days, really like it also.

Any charters that will take you to snorkel some of the wrecks? We have kids and have done the Destin jetties snorkeling and that ok, but not a whole lot to see. I would love for them to have a better experience.

Not that I know of, but you may try the shell island boat trips, thats good snorkling and kids get a lot of shells!

I've got a new video upcoming, probably to be put on sowal by tomorrow. I'm waiting to see about putting an audio track on it.

Anyway, look at it and see if you like what you see. I'm sure you'll agree, there is plenty to see in the Gulf. I'd sure like to learn more about the various underwater opportunities out there, but what I've seen so far is top flight.

The new video will be called 'The Gulf Is Alive and is the latest video in my 'Another Walk with Mike' series.

Be sure to check it out and tell me what you think. I put the videos under the thread catagory, Nature/Environment and in my blog.

I've got a new video upcoming, probably to be put on sowal by tomorrow. I'm waiting to see about putting an audio track on it.

Anyway, look at it and see if you like what you see. I'm sure you'll agree, there is plenty to see in the Gulf. I'd sure like to learn more about the various underwater opportunities out there, but what I've seen so far is top flight.

The new video will be called 'The Gulf Is Alive and is the latest video in my 'Another Walk with Mike' series.

Be sure to check it out and tell me what you think. I put the videos under the thread catagory, Nature/Environment and in my blog.

I LOVE the video and also the latest you posted the other day!!! I can't tell where the heck you are because when I go out I see NADA in the gulf. Ok a few little fish, but NO octopi, etc.... nothing exotic. You need to be a tour guide!

Meanwhile, I snorkeled the PCB jetties. It was so funny because this guy told me that it was the same on the kiddie pool side as on the other side. NOT SO! I saw moray eel, angel fish, grouper, barracuda, and I am sure had I started on that side I would have seen more. I should have re-read these posts prior to going. BUT now I know the tide chart, etc... and plan on going again.

Thanks again all for the info.

Here's a snapshot of yours truly having a great relaxing time at PCB Jetties

Fun to play with these programs btw

Glad you had a good time Gidet. Oct. is a great month to go to the Jetties and dive also,still plenty of time to get in the water.

I've dove Destin and really enjoyed it......except for toting my tank through silly sand.
I've not dove PCB, but have heard fabulous things about it just as the previous posters state! Have funn and let us know how you like it!

It's pretty weird that there are five new threads that appeared on scuba diving all at once.

That being said, the only place I have done that is in Bermuda. OMG, you are swimming in the clear water with the most beautiful and colorful tropical fish ever! It is magnificent.

We stopped doing that because I got worried about getting HIV from rental equipment (mouthpieces, etc.). Yikes! If we ever do it again, we will buy our own equipment (except the flippers).

I dove PCB a few years ago. Took a boat out to the old bridge spans that were sunk to create artificial reefs. There wasn't a huge amount of wildlife, quite a few spiny lobsters and some really swift currents, but fun nonetheless. If I remember correctly, some people were spear fishing, which was interesting to me. I had never been on a dive where people fished. I gave up deep-sea fishing to go down and actually swim with the fishes.

The visibility was quite low, my advice would be to check conditions before booking a trip. Have fun!