Reef
down to 8 m
Christ of the Abyss (Key Largo Dry Rocks)
A nine-foot bronze Christ statue in about 20 ft of water, surrounded by brain, staghorn and elkhorn coral.
- Open Water
- Nurse sharks
Florida Keys
Diving in United States
12 documented dive sites, 8 of them for Open Water divers. Known for nurse sharks, turtles and eagle rays.
- Best months
- May–Aug
- Water
- 22–29 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- EYW
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Florida Keys in October
Good season- Sea
- 28 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 28 °C
- 26 °C at night
- Rain
- 120 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 21 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving is year-round. scubadiving.com rates May–September best (calm seas, good visibility) except during storms; September is the historical hurricane peak (Sea Dwellers), so it is shown as good. Winter fronts can stir up chop and cut visibility on shallow reefs, although SSI (Key West) says visibility is most reliable November–May, so winter is shown as good, not off-season.
Dive sites in Florida Keys
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m8 sitesWreck
down to 15 m
Benwood
A leisurely shallow wreck dive, max about 40 ft, with schools of porkfish, goatfish and schoolmaster snapper.
- Open Water
- Snappers
Reef
down to 30 m
Looe Key Reef
- Open Water
- Reef sharks
Reef
down to 15 m
Sand Key
Calm, shallow Key West reef where SSI says you will meet turtles, angelfish, lobsters and healthy elkhorn coral.
- Open Water
- Turtles
Drift
down to 24 m
Molasses Reef
- Open Water
- Nurse sharks
Macro
down to 8 m
Pickles Reef
- Open Water
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m2 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SilversidesSource: scubadiving.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Silversides: Jun–Aug
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Nurse sharks
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Tarpon
- Crustaceans
- Goliath groupers
- Moray eels
- Snappers
- Corals
- Lemon shark
- Reef sharks
Where is the Florida Keys?
- Nearest airport
- EYW
Somewhere quieter?
Florida Keys is one of the busiest dive hubs in the world. These destinations dive in a similar way and see far fewer divers: Grenada, Fernando de Noronha and Utila.
See all alternatives to Florida Keys →Florida Keys: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Florida Keys?
- The best months to dive Florida Keys are May–Aug. Diving is year-round. scubadiving.com rates May–September best (calm seas, good visibility) except during storms; September is the historical hurricane peak (Sea Dwellers), so it is shown as good. Winter fronts can stir up chop and cut visibility on shallow reefs, although SSI (Key West) says visibility is most reliable November–May, so winter is shown as good, not off-season.
- Is Florida Keys good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 8 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Christ of the Abyss (Key Largo Dry Rocks), San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve and Benwood. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Florida Keys?
- The water is usually between 22 °C and 29 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Florida Keys?
- Divers regularly see nurse sharks, turtles, eagle rays, stingrays, barracuda and tarpon.
- How do you dive Florida Keys?
- The nearest airport is EYW.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash