West Palm Beach, FL area scuba dive briefing | 1 minute orientation for divers | Down to 60

The West Palm Beach area of Southeast Florida is famous for some of the best ocean diving in the US. It typically has very clear, warm, and lively waters due to the Gulf Stream running essentially along the shore here. With typically very blue water, endless coral reefs and plenty of shipwrecks, this is Florida’s year-round gateway to tropical diving. There’s often a sporty current, so remember this will all be “drift diving” around a mile (give or take) offshore from a boat. The current is stronger on the surface compared to the bottom, so it’s best jump in and get down to the bottom quickly so you land on the dive site. Get as close to the bottom or the shipwreck as you can (without touching coral). Good buoyancy and ability to descend at a decent pace are pretty important here, particularly when the current is stronger. With organized trips through dive charters, the dive leader floats a dive flag the boat can follow, and be right there to pick you up when you’re done. Although the first time or two can seem a little rushed at the surface, it can also be very convenient to let the current just cruise you along, allowing you to see much more. It's crucial to get comfortable with your diving and equipment, but once you do this is actually an easy way to dive. It’s important to note that sometimes the current can be nonexistent or very mild. It can change even over the course of a single day, so the captain will usually know once the boat is near the dive site. Out of Palm Beach inlet, head south to find the big coral reefs, like Breakers, Turtle Mound, Paul’s, Flower Garden, Horseshoe, and others. Nearly all are in the 40 to 60 foot range, which makes the “Breakers” reef area ideal for new divers or students. You’ve also got a few shipwrecks and artificial reefs, such as the “Toybox”, Playpen, and Governor’s Walk. These are closer to the inlet so be sure and carry a dive flag or have a safety sausage (surface marker buoy) with a reel you can deploy well ahead of your ascent. BONUS TIP: If the waves are calm, the Breakers Resort has a mooring ball over a shallow, white sandy bottom that’s great for swimming and snorkeling during the surface interval. Head north from the inlet and the good diving gets a tad deeper, ranging from 70-100 feet for most sites, making it ideal for advanced divers or advanced students. Dive the ledges or the famous “corridor” of shipwrecks including the Ana Cecilia, Mispah, Amaryllis, and the Danny Tugboat - all loaded with swim throughs, Goliath Grouper, and big time wildlife like Moray Eels, Sharks, Turtles, Rays and plenty of other heavy hitters! The Lemon Shark Dive is also done in this area, usually just a little further out. Go on incoming tide to maximize clarity, especially if diving north of the inlet. Boats require you to dive with a safety sausage for any offshore diving (for good reason), although some may have them available as rentals just in case. Most people are happy with a rash guard or nothing at all in the summer months, with the coldest months usually needing a 5mm-7mm at the most. As a comfort prep dive OR as a chaser dive, visit Blue Heron Bridge (Phil Foster Park) at high tide for an epic shore dive! Down to 60 Blue Heron Bridge Dive video link here:    • How to dive Blue Heron Bridge | 1 minute o...   Shark Dive video link here:    • How to go Shark Diving in South Florida | ...   Special thanks to Black Flag Charters for accommodating the Sweetwater Scuba team. Visit them here: https://www.piratelifefl.com Also a big thanks to Jonas Key for pulling acrobatics while shooting (and then catching) the drone. Produced by https://sweetwaterscuba.com Voiced by Jonny Green (Jonny also volunteered in parts of the video as shark bait) Visit his channel here:    / jonin60seconds   Giant Stride gracefully conducted by Simon Dowling with https://www.ecokohtao.com Additional shoutouts go to Captain Tony, Zach Creson, Katie Reich, Eric Yarborough, Carson Piansky, and Jonas Key Video and script by Kenny Dyal