Diving & Snorkeling

Scuba diving off Panama City Beach is truly world-class! The Gulf waters near St. Andrew’s Pass feature rare natural limestone reefs alongside some of the most iconic artificial reefs in the northern Gulf, offering unforgettable underwater experiences for divers of all skill levels.

Panama City Beach’s reputation as a premier dive destination is anchored by signature wrecks like Black Bart, which delivers a classic wreck-diving experience with expansive swim-throughs and thriving marine life. Nearby, the Black Pearl offers a dramatic, large-scale wreck dive that has quickly become a diver favorite, featuring interactive elements such as a spinning ship’s wheel, cannons, and a plank along with rapid colonization by reef fish!

ReefSmart AccokeekSmartReef Red Sea

ReefSmart Black Bart

SmartReef ChippewaSmartReef Jeff A HovercraftSmartReef Twin Tugs

ReefSmart Bridge SpansReefSmart Tarpon

Reefsmart Deep Stim

ReefSmart USS StrengthReefSmart St. Andrew's Jetty

 

Public Diving Artificial Reefs - use your curser to navigate the map; click on reef icons for more information.

 

Which waypoints do I need?

New Users:

A user that is beginning from “ground zero” to add Bay County public reef waypoints to a GPS should import the appropriate “2026_Master_Bay_Public_Reefs” file below into the waypoint management software or directly into the GPS (most modern GPS units and/or waypoint management software programs can read .gpx files).

Existing Users:

A user that has uploaded a previous “2026_Master_Bay_Public_Reefs” file into their GPS or waypoint management software does not need to import the current “2026_Master_Bay_Public_Reefs” file on this page. The user can import the file(s) corresponding to the year(s) since the last installation of the previous “2026_Master_Bay_Public_Reefs” file.  

For example, if a person downloaded the Master File in 2026 they would need to upload the appropriate files of 2027 and 2028 (files for each year after download of the last Master File).