Additional dive sites
Beyond those that are part of the Shipwreck Trail, there are at least a dozen more dive sites within 30 miles of Pensacola. These are a mixture of shipwrecks, oil rigs and limestone reefs.
We’ve listed them here, from those closest to Pensacola Pass to those furthest away. Except for the Joe Patti Memorial Reef, all of these sites qualify as deep dives.
The following links will let you jump to a specific site. Otherwide, you can just scroll through the entire list at your leisure.
- Joe Patti Memorial Reef
- Tex Edwards Barge
- Greens Hole
- Paradise Hole
- Ocean Winds
- Chevron Rig
- YDT-15
- Avocet
- Antares
- Timber Holes
- Tug Born Again
- Tenneco Rig
Joe Patti Memorial Reef
Despite not being part of the Shipwreck Trail, the Joe Patti Memorial Reef is among the most popular Pensacola dive sites. This 175-foot barge was donated by the family of Joe Patti, a fishing captain and founder of the Joe Patti Seafood Company.
The barge rests in 50 feet of water just three miles from Pensacola Pass. The top of the barge is 35 feet from the surface. These shallow depths help explain the site’s popularity.
Among the things making this site unique are the metal sculptures welded to the deck. These were created by local artist Kevin Marchetti, The Renaissance Man.
The site teems with fish. It is sometimes hard to see the wreck as you descend because of all the fish surrounding it. Local residents include baitfish and Spadefish. Seashells and sand dollars line the bottom.
Tex Edwards Barge
The Tex Edwards Barge was scuttled in 1982 as part of the artificial reef program. Today, she lies in 75 feet of water, six miles south of Pensacola Pass.
This largely intact barge rises roughly 15 feet off the bottom. She is home to a wide variety of fish, including snapper, triggerfish and amberjack.
Greens Hole
Greens Hole is a limestone reef lying eight miles from the Pensacola Pass in 95 to 115 feet of water. This natural limestone reef resembles a table top.
Greens Hole is a natural limestone reef resembling a tabletop. There are scattered ledges, overhangs and coral heads.
Paradise Hole
Paradise Hole is yet another natural limestone reef located eight miles south of Pensacola Pass. Its various sections are spread over a wide area. Depths range from 80 to 110 feet. There is usually one to three feet of relief.
Ocean Winds
Tugboats seem to make excellent wrecks. From 2012 to 2016, the 82-foot Ocean Winds would tow artificial reef candidates to their final resting places.
Now she lies among them, ten miles south of Pensacola Pass in a little over 80 feet of water.
Chevron Rig
In 1979, Chevron Oil donated two offshore oil platforms to the Rigs to Reef program. These were scuttled in 135 feet of water, 18 miles from Pensacola Pass. You can find the top of the rigs starting around 85 feet.
As these have been down more than 40 years, considerable coral growth has taken place. This not only enhances the rigs’ beauty, it attracts large schools of fish.
YDT-15
The YDT-15 is the sister ship to the YDT-14. Both ships have similar histories, and both ended up joining one another on the bottom, 18 miles south of Pensacola Pass in 100 feet of water.
Unlike her more famous sister, the YDT-15 has not stood up well to the ravages of time. Most of her bridge is missing, and much of the wreck is now debris scattered across the bottom. The sand has also buried her up to her decks.
Avocet
The Avocet is a 2,640-ton clamshell dredge built in 1943. She was 247 feet long with a 40-foot beam.
In 1991, she joined the artificial reef program. Her resting site is 20 miles from Pensacola Pass in 120 feet of water.
The once-intact structure has since split in two. The shallowest point is approximately 70 feet down.
Antares
At one point, the Antares was among the largest intact artificial reefs in Florida. Since her sinking in 1995, however, a series of hurricanes has turned much of the 387-foot freighter into rubble.
She currently lies in 140 feet of water, 21 miles from Pensacola Pass. Only the stern remains intact. The top of the stack begins at 70 feet, with the balance of the stern beginning at 90 feet. Penetration of the wreck is possible but considered very risky.
Timber Holes
The Timber Holes site is a natural limestone ledge similar to others in the area. What makes it unique are the numerous holes that puncture its surface. Scientists believe ancient trees created these openings but have long since rotted away.
The site is 22 miles from Pensacola Pass. Depths range from 120 to 130 feet, making it a very advanced dive.
Tug Born Again
Here is yet another tugboat wreck. The 65-foot Born Again was scuttled in 1991, 25 miles from Pensacola Pass. She currently sits in 95 feet of water, with her upper sections beginning at around 65 to 70 feet.
What makes the Born Again unique are the 21 steel pipes that fill her hold and extend over the decking. These pipes are around 18 feet long and provide a home for eels, lobsters and other aquatic creatures.
Time is taking a toll on this site. Nevertheless, it remains a fantastic dive.
Tenneco Rig
The Tenneco Rig is another pair of former oil platforms repurposed as part of the Rigs to Reefs program. This was, in fact, the first time complete oil platforms joined the artificial reef program back in 1982.
To get to their current location, 22 miles southeast of Pensacola Pass, the rigs were loaded onto a barge and towed 275 miles. They now sit in 175 feet of water, with the tops of the rigs accessible at around 90 feet.
After four decades on the bottom, the rigs are covered with growth. This, in turn, attracts large schools of fish and other aquatic life.