Diving in Sarasota

An Undersea World of Natural Beauty!

If you’re looking to go diving in Sarasota we definitely have some great diving spots near shore and further offshore to give you the underwater experience of a lifetime.

In fact we don’t have just “some” dive spots we have a multitude of them if that's why you've come.

Whether it is wrecks or natural or artificial reefs, there are dive spots all throughout the offshore area stretching from Anna Maria Island through Sarasota to Venice, Florida, the shark tooth capitol of the world, where you can even go on a chartered sea hunt for shark’s teeth.

You never can predict the creatures or adventures you will encounter on your Sarasota scuba diving excursion.

There have been reports of divers encountering whale sharks off of Sarasota in recent years.

In June, 2011, about 25 miles off of Longboat Pass at Fin Barge, a 300 foot long wreck, 85 feet deep, divers encountered a 25 foot whale shark that they said just “hung out” with them for a while.

And the divers were fortunate enough to have their video-cam with them. What an outstanding experience and adventure of a lifetime that must have been.

This was not the first report of whale sharks, gentle giants of the sea, being spotted in the Gulf of Mexico off of the Sarasota area.

There are numerous diving charters with local diving experts that you can line up in advance for your Sarasota diving adventure.

However, if you want to wait until after your arrival to scope out the local scene, there are a multitude of local dive shops to check out.

What will you see on your Sarasota diving adventure? Well, you will see abundant sea life and fish. You might see a whale shark, but that would be rare. Not impossible, but rare.

You may also see a Goliath grouper; there are also eagle and manta rays in these waters. I know because I have seen them with my own eyes while looking into the water from above on the Venice fishing pier.

There are also amber jack, pompano, many species of turtles from leather backs to kemps ridley to hawks bills and more that you might discover while diving in Sarasota. There are also sharks and cobias, barracuda, jewfish and too many more species to mention.

Scuba diving in Sarasota waters means that you will find the waters are clear and warm most of the year, with surface temperatures ranging between 74 and almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August according to NOAA, the National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration.

On a good day visibility may be as much as 100 feet or more. That combined with the water temperatures, abundant sea life, under water scenery, reefs and beautiful corals will all serve to make your Sarasota diving adventure truly one to remember.

Click here for a map and detailed list, with latitude and longitude, of all the artificial reefs in Sarasota County.

Contained on this page is a listing of guides to lead you around Sarasota Bay.

Here is a listing of artificial reefs throughout the state of Florida.

For even more information on local diving click here to visit the Suncoast Reef Rovers diving club.

Wishing you safe and happy diving in Sarasota!

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