Pirates Cove Watersports

Home to Americas only underwater hotel, this site is great for confined and open water training. There is a shallow platform at about 6 feet (depending on the tides) and the deepest point is about 25 feet. There are 3 downlines and 3 exit points. Visibility is typically around 10 feet.

This site is part of the Florida State Park system and has protected status. It’s also home to the Boy Scouts of America SeaBase camp program. With shallow, clear water, plenty of reef life, and easy access just offshore, this site is a great dive for beginners and also snorkelers.

The Coral Restoration Foundation Nursery can only be visited with special permissions. Divers can take classes with the Coral Restoration Foundation and volunteer to help at the coral nursery.

This patchy reef site sits just north of the famous Christ of the Abyss dive site, offshore from Key Largo and is one of the most diverse dive areas in the Keys.

Banana Patch is on the southern end of the Grecian Rocks area. The reef gets its name from a long sloping ledge that bends around like a banana as it heads out to sea. The top of the ledge is about 10 feet, and it runs off into about 40 feet. There are healthy hard and soft corals, and the colors are very bright.

One of the many wrecks of Elbow Reef, the Hannah M. Bell was for many years known as Mike’s Wreck. The shallow side is about 18 ft deep with the deeper side being about 30 ft. Perfect for reef divers, new divers, and a relaxing dive on an iconic wreck.