Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, and was named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. Today Deerfield is known amongst Scuba Divers as a great dive destination.
Scuba Diving in the Deerfield Beach area arguably offers some of the best diving in North America. Situated very close to an ocean inlet, which gives quick access by boat to the stunning reef and several wrecks laying just a mile off shore Deerfield also offers a great climate. The water here is warm and clear. Most of the dive sites are within 15 minutes of the inlet. Weather-wise the area has a Tropical monsoon climate with hot summer days, frequent thunderstorms in the summer, with rain less frequent in the fall, and the occasional cold front during winters.
Deerfield is highly popular with Scuba Divers because there is something here for almost every kind of diver, from shallow protected reefs for beginners to ripping drift diving in the Gulfstream’s currents. There are also wrecks aplenty that should keep even the most diehard wreck divers satisfied. The Gulf Stream comes closest to Florida’s shoreline here. It causes an average current of about one knot running parallel to the reef line. Most divers & snorkelers travel to Pompano Beach to access Deerfield Beach dive sites from the Hillsboro Inlet.
Some of the popular dive-site in the area include:
North Rocks
Deerfield Beach North Rocks has a maximum diving depth of around 6.7 m / 22 ft and is suitable for all divers. This is a great beach dive for beginners and those learning to scuba dive as it is easy to get to and easy to dive when there is a low to mid range current. The average visibility is 10-20 meters and access to the dive site is a short distance from the shore and so shore diving from the beach is the best way in. The site comprises of the reef that runs parallel to the shore, and has a wide variety of marine life inhabiting the reef which makes this a great site for underwater photography as well.
Angels Reef
Angels Reef also known as Separated Rocks is another popular dive site off Deerfield Beach. This reef is a series of coral islands with two submerged angel statues commemorating fallen divers. The site is Located south of Deerfield Beach and can be accessed by Boat. The maximum depth is 15.2 m / 49.9 ft, and visibility is good ( 10 – 30 m), mostly a 1 knot current in the area so drift diving is recommended. The main attractions apart from the sectioned reef are the Angel statues that are both spectacular to behold and strangely out of place in the depths.
Ancient Mariner – Wreck
This is a beautiful wreck dive off the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale coast of Florida. It’s worth diving because it is a recreational dive and contains plenty of coral and fish. The Ancient Mariner was sunk in 1991 as an artificial reef. Max depth on this site is 21.9 m / 71.9 ft and visibility is fairly good. The wreck is located In front of Hillsboro Beach and is Accessible only by boat.
Sea Emperor – Wreck
Approximately one mile SE of the Boca Raton Inlet the Sea Emperor is a hopper barge 171′ long and 45′ wide which has settled on the sea bed upside down. Inside the wreck and to the east lie 1600 tons of concrete drainage culverts which were its cargo. The barge is also home to Goliath Groupers, eels, stingrays, nurse sharks and hundreds of other fish. Max depth at this site is 21.9 m / 71.9 ft ,and current is often quite strong ( > 2 knots)
United Caribbean – Wreck
The Caribbean is a steel cargo ship 147′ long which rests at 50 feet. The residents of the wreck are the same as those of the Sea Emperor, lots of Groupers, eels and tiny fish. The was a part of the Palm Beach Artificial Reef Program and was deliberately sunk on August 22, 2000, and so it makes a great wreck to dive.
