The Gulf site is located directly south of
the Sea Oat pavilion. This is the furthest
southeast parking area of the park.
Follow the boardwalk to the beach and immediately head east approximately 100ft.
The Gulf Reef has 78 structures and is marked (on shore only) by four large PVC posts positioned on the sand dune and is 340ft south of the mean tide line. It is immediately beyond the second sand bar..
The east sound side reef is the smallest of the three sites located north-west of Sandpiper pavilion.
This site is the most accessible of the three sites and is identified on all four corners with pilings marked with ""SNORKELING REEF" "NO MOTORIZED VESSELS".
The site is about 150ft from shore and consists of 28 structures spaced 10ft apart in 12ft of water with the tops at 7ft below the surface.
To get to this reef, take the first left after entering the park. It is located directly north of Red Drum pavilion and the Navarre Beach Science Station.
The site can be seen from the beach.
This site is more conducive for diving than for snorkeling and is identified on all four corners by pilings and marked with ""SNORKELING REEF" "NO MOTORIZED VESSELS".
The east sound side reef is the smallest of the three sites located north-west of Sandpiper pavilion.
The Gulf site is located on the Gulf of Mexico 2,000ft east of the fishing pier directly south of the Sea Oat pavilion.
The west sound side site is the largest of the three sites with a footprint approximately equal to a football field.
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A great location for diving, the park contains pavilions with complete facilities:
- paved parking
- restrooms
- fresh water showers
- Dive at NO COST from sunrise to sunset!
- Lifeguards during certain times of the year
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The sites are close to shore and are shallow enough
- You do not have to be a diver to enjoy the reefs
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From Pensacola/Gulf Breeze ( FL-30 E/US-98 E )
- Turn right onto FL-399 N
- Turn left onto Gulf Blvd
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From Destin/Ft. Walton ( FL-30 W/US-98 W/Miracle Strip Pkwy SW )
- Turn left onto FL-399 N
- Turn left onto Gulf Blvd
Q: My son and I are new to diving and have a couple questions on diving this site.. First can you explore east and west on 1 tank or are they too far apart. Second do we need to consider tides and such when diving the gulf site? Ie We where going to dive Fort Pickens one time and was told we had to be in the water an hour before high tide. Just wondering if this is the case here also.
A: For the Sound Side reefs, you can usually do both on the same tank but you will need to exit from one and go to the other and re-enter unless you want to do a long fin transit on the surface. Sound side visibility is better in the fall and winter when the algae decreases but if you like to see the small stuff on the reef you can still do a good dive. I would check out the smaller east side reef first if you plan to dive the sound, it is shallower and closer to shore. Tides are not a factor in the Sound side. For the Gulf, Tides are not a factor but sometimes currents are. The reefs are close to shore and easy to find most of the time (October is a very good diving month).
You might find the following websites helpful.
navarrebeachmarinesanctuary.com
