Home Dive Spots Shore Dives Destin Jetties
Destin Jetties PDF Print E-mail

 

Destin Jetties:

 

The Destin Jetties is an an excellent dive with one minor exception...... The Walk! Honestly, I'd dive this spot a lot more often if it wasn't for the walk. Also, this spot is very tide dependent and many a careless diver has found themselves racing toward the gulf and needed to be picked up by a passing boat. I can't express enough that this dive has to be made around a low or High Tide!

WARNING!!!!!
CHECK THE TIDE SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU DIVE
The currents can be very strong in either direction when not at slack tide. Even at high tide the current can be strong enough to make you hold on to the rocks. The best time to dive for viz and currents is from about an hour before high tide until two hours past high tide.


Address :
Gulfshore Drive - Destin Florida

Overview:
The Jetties are piles of rocks placed in the mouth of the Destin (East) Pass between the Choctawhatchee bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There are two long Jetties and one finger Jetty. The finger jetty is where most diving is done.

Dive Type:
Beach dive

Directions:
From Highway 98 turn south on Gulfshore Drive. Pass through one traffic light and at the third stop sign past the light there will be an "S" curve. At the stop sign make a right and then follow the road to the left through the "S". The entrance to the Jetties is about 0.5 miles (from the stop sign) on the left side of the road. It is very hard to find the entrance, please see the pictures below for help finding it.

What's There:
Wild life on the Jetties changes all the time. There are a few residents that are always there but many visitors drop by from the gulf. The bottom is sandy where the rocks end. The deepest the water gets is 55' to the south of the point near a large anchor. The anchor is sometimes buried in the sand. Many large dead sand dollars collect in the trough between the rocks and the sand bar that surrounds the finger Jetty. Most other shells have somebody living in them but you can find some to collect.

Parking:
Parking is free. It is parallel parking along the marina on the right side of the road. It can get crowded so get there early.

Amenities:
Only a shower head for rinsing located at the entrance. No restrooms or changing areas and no food. Two local dive shops are west on Highway 98. Emerald Coast Scuba is on Melvin street but also has an entrance on Hwy 98 to their new building. ScubaTech Is directly on 98. Both are great.

Look for the entrance and the beginning of the parking across the street from eachother.

 

Look for the Osteen Public Beach Access sign on the left (shower head and trash can can also help).

 



Go past the signs and straight to the water. Turn left at the water and walk on the sand between the water and the dry sand for best energy conservation during the long walk.

 

 

 
Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary
 
This feed shows recent marine weather observations from Station PCLF1.
NOAA - National Weather Service
  • Station PCLF1 - 8729840 - Pensacola, FL
    May 20, 2012 7:06 pm CDT
    Location: 30.403N 87.212W
    Wind Direction: WSW (240°)
    Wind Speed: 5.1 knots
    Wind Gust: 8.0 knots
    Atmospheric Pressure: 30.01 in (1016.2 mb)
    Air Temperature: 80.6°F (27.0°C)
    Water Temperature: 82.2°F (27.9°C)

Dive Site Poll

Favorite Pensacola Dive Site