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The Best Shore Dive in FloridaThe favorite shore dive for customers at Fill Expressare the waters off Datura Avenue beach. Datura Avenue is regarded by many as the "Best Shore Dive in Florida." The REEF survey database (www.reef.org) includes 266 species and 64 families of fish living within reach of every Datura Avenue diver. This site is ranked #5 in species diversity for the Tropical Western Atlantic; the first four are shore dives in Bonaire. |
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Shipwreck Snorkel Trail off Datura Avenue |
Created in 2002 because of Datura Avenue's popularity among divers, the Marine Archeology Council (MAC) and South Florida Reef Research Team (SFRRT) spent four years obtaining the permits necessary to place the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail just before the first reef line. This site is a replica of what would be left from a shipwreck in the early 1800s. All artifacts are within a 100' x 20' area. A set of two concrete replica cannons is on the North side and three on the South side of the site.
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Dive PlansA: Out and Back South (Novice Dive)
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Swim out on your back 10 feet past the buoy. You should see the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail below you.
Descend and swim due East. You will see the hard bottom for 75 feet, an area that looks like "Swiss Cheese" for 50 feet, and then patch areas for 25 feet. That is the first reef line. Then you cross 75 feet of pure sand. The sand will turn into rubble and shells as you get closer. Then the second reef line will appear.
Hard corals the size of garbage cans will be in front of you. Note your pressure and the time it took you to swim out there! Add 400 psi to that amount for safety and subtract it from the gas you have left.
Take half the remaining gas to swim South along the edge of the reef. Typically, a North current makes your swim home easier. When you reach your turn pressure, head back North.
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| B: Out and Back North (Intermediate Dive) |
| Start the same as for Plan "A."
Swim out on your back 10 feet past the buoy. You should see the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail below you.
Descend and swim due East. You will see the hard bottom for 75 feet, an area that looks like "Swiss Cheese" for 50 feet, and then patch areas for 25 feet. That is the first reef line. Then you cross 75 feet of pure sand. The sand will turn into rubble and shells as you get closer. Then the second reef line will appear.
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| C: 1st and 2nd Reef Combo (Advanced Dive) |
Swim out on your back 10 feet past the buoy. You should see the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail below you. Descend and swim to the South group of three cannons. From there, take a heading of 150 degrees (SE) across the first reef line until you reach the "Swiss Cheese"
then turn South and follow that edge. You should hit a large group of four coral colonies that have grown together. Continue South for 1000 psi or 25 minutes. Then turn East and swim across the rest of the first reef and the sand to the second reef edge. If you make it a block South, you will find an excellent section of hard coral.
Now turn North and ride the current while you explore the second reef line edge. There is a second "Alien Probe." You can distinguish between the two as the Southern one has soft corals and sea fans growing on top of it. It is very decorated. It's a nice easy 20-minute swim between the two probes. You will pass several car tires embedded in the reef along the way. Once you reach the second probe, turn West and head back in to Datura Avenue. Your first time, you might want to keep the dive to an hour, swimming 20-minute legs. As you get better at estimating your gas consumption, you can expand the dive to cover more ground.
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Returning to Shore |
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Walk up the beach and sit down on the wall next to the shower. Rinse your gear while breaking it down. Please share the shower with beach goers. Get ready for questions! "Did you see any sharks?" "What did you see out there?" "Is there anything out there?" " How many lobsters did you catch?"
Now that you're there, enjoy the day. There are plenty of shops and restaurants on the corner of Commercial and El Mar Drive. |
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| Most of the content for this article was contributed by Matthew Hoelscher. Matt and Andrea conduct monthly fish surveys off Datura Avenue. All photographs are copyright 2004 by Matthew Hoelscher. |
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