southern diver/skin diver

MIAMI: WRECK DIVING CAPITAL

OF THE AMERICAS

Tourists from around the world may come to the Miami area for the eye candy along South Beach's neon-hot Ocean Drive, but the underwater sightseeing just offshore is even better. Miami has become the crossroads of the Americas for North and South America and for visitors worldwide, but it's also become a 'wreckreational' diving destination that is destined to become another Miami vice.

Many divers used to stop in Miami only long enough to transfer planes or to rent a car on their way to the famed Florida Keys. But veteran and new divers looking for something different are learning that, thanks to an active artificial reef program, they can also stay right in the Miami area for unusual diving, good conditions, and many topside attractions and distractions.

The wreck diving boomlet is following in the wake of the boom on South Beach, Miami Beach's sizzling Art Deco District. South Beach and other water-oriented parts of the Miami area serve as perfect places to stay and explore during a tropical wreckreational dive vacation.

Miami-area wrecks have a long legacy. During all of the Spanish period from 1513 to 1763, the British period until 1783, and another Spanish period until 1821, the only semi-permanent inhabitants were wreckers who made a living from salvaging wrecked ships on South Florida's reefs. One of the most famous rogue wreckers was known as Black Caesar and the area between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is still called Caesar's Creek.

MIAMI DIVING

With the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Everglades to the west, and the Florida Keys to the south, there are still many natural areas around Miami proper. It's a natural setting for lots of unusual artificial reefs.

Miami's coastal areas have a large variety of environmental habitats. Estuaries line the entire coast, with a combination of saltwater and freshwater providing a home for fish and shellfish. Barrier islands provide protection for the land masses and estuaries. Dunes along the coast and barrier islands provide a maritime forest for sea oats, more than 20 other native plant species, and lots of shorebirds. In addition, mangrove swamps feature more than 200 different types of fish and 180 bird species, as well as the endangered American crocodile.

Offshore, coral reefs extend 150 miles all the way from Miami to the Dry Tortugas, 65 miles west of Key West. The coral reef is the only living reef in the continental U.S. and is basically made up of living coral polyps attached to a limestone base. They started forming more than 7,000 years ago. Along with the reefs, the active artificial reef program has drawn a wide array of tropical fish and other sea creatures, making for a 'wreckreational' diving mecca in Miami.

DIVE SITES

In many ways, Miami was a perfect place to become an artificial reef mecca. Shipwrecks and other manmade items may not seem like natural 'reefs' at first, but it doesn't take them long to fit in quite well. Miami's weather and diving conditions made them a natural fit. Only Truk Bay Lagoon in the Pacific Ocean offers a more concentrated collection of diveable wrecks.

When Dade County initiated the Artificial Reef Program in 1981, there was just one dive boat operating in the Greater Miami area. Today, the program is recognized as one of the most successful artificial reef programs in the nation. The number of dive boats has increased to more than a dozen, providing everything from shallow water snorkeling on natural reefs to diving on boats, tanks, towers, and much more.

Ben Mostkoff was the 'founding father' of Miami wrecks and wreck diving. As the original coordinator of the active program, he was responsible for obtaining and coordinating the sinking of most of the wrecks.

There are ten designated offshore artificial reef sites, with five lying between the Dade/Broward county line and Key Biscayne and another five situated between Key Biscayne and Monroe County. Most of the best diving is in less than 130 feet of water and less than two miles east of Sunny Isles, Miami Beach, and the Key Biscayne shoreline.

The area contains more than 30 ships, two Tenneco oil platforms, a water tower, a pair of U.S. Army tanks, more than 650 concrete and limestone structures, and many other interesting artificial and natural reefs. It's enough to keep every level of diver interested for many Miami visits.

The Orion provides the perfect introduction to the vice of Miami artificial reef diving. Sunk in 1981, it was the first ship sunk by the Dade County Environmental Resources Management Artificial Reef Program and is still one of the best and most popular dives. The 120-foot ship was originally named the Trinidad and guided ships through the Panama Canal for almost 50 years before being sunk off Key Biscayne. As with most Miami wrecks, the ship has been stripped for safe diving and can be entered. It's a mature wreck with lots of marine life and coral growth.

Perhaps the most fanciful dive of all is the Spirit of Miami, a Boeing 727 jet aircraft. The jet was meticulously cleaned, disassembled for transportation over land, and reassembled for placement on a barge to be sunk. On the perfectly calm morning of September 8, 1993, before a live audience of NBC's Today Show, the jet was lowered intact to the bottom and anchored in place at a depth of 82 feet. Although damaged by Hurricane Gordon in the summer of 1995, the jet remains a favorite of Miami area divers.

The much more recently sunk Doc DeMilly has already become similarly popular with divers and fish. Situated just east of the Pacific Reef Lighthouse, the 287-foot steel freighter was built in 1949 as the Nuevo Rio. It was renamed to honor a legendary area veterinarian and pioneer. Sunk in 1986, area jet fighters dropped concrete 'bombs' on her and remote-controlled chargers took her to the bottom. Though it sits in 150 feet of water, the huge ship has a 70-foot profile and is already very much a living reef.

Another popular dive destination (especially for new divers) is a trio of sites just off North Miami Beach that has been dubbed the 'Wreck Trek' by local operators and divers. An underwater trail connects the sites with steel stakes anchored to the sea bottom as markers. The trek includes the 85-foot tug Patricia; the 100-foot steel fishing vessel Miss Karline; and the unusual Radio Antenna, an old Radio Mambi antenna that was welded into 19 pyramids to make an unusual dive site. There are also some other smaller boats in the area, making this an easily repeatable underwater trek.

In keeping with the theme of unusual structures, the Tenneco Oil Rigs are another unusual and popular spot. Though they are located off of Hallandale to the north, these former Gulf of Mexico oil platforms are very popular with Miami dive operators. Donated by the Tenneco Oil Company, five platform sections were sunk in 95-190 feet of water in 1995. The three within safe diving limits make a lively and mature artificial reef.

Local dive shops are also fond of the Tarpoon, which was sunk in 1988 in memory of local diving pioneer Mike Kevorkian, the founder of Miami Beach- and Hialeah-based Tarpoon Dive Centers (his daughter, Valerie, still runs the shops). The 175-foot former grain carrier sits in 70 feet of water just south of Key Biscayne. There's a commemorative plaque on the bridge. A victim of 1992's Hurricane Andrew, the Tarpoon was violentely torn asunder by the storm and is now in many pieces.

In 1994, just two miles east of the Eden Roc Resort & Spa, two U.S. Army tanks (complete with their huge gun turrets) were sunk in just 50 feet of water. As you can guess, this created the ultimate Miami 'two tank' dive.

Nearby, the 1995 sinking of the 180-foot freighter Tortuga (renamed Fair Game) brought the artificial reef program even more publicity. Sunk as part of the Cindy Crawford/Billy Baldwin movie by the same name, the huge ship is easily penetrated and has already attracted lots of barracuda and other marine inhabitants.

Another interesting dive in relatively shallow water is the Rio Miami, sunk by Hugh Downs, an avid diver, during a 20/20 television segment on artificial reefs in 1989. The 105-foot tug is in just 80 feet of water.

In addition, Artificial Reef Program personnel were responsible for placing more than 650 concrete and limestone structures in barren habitats offshore in 1996, with another 400 coming in 1997. The specifically designed structures used in Miami are 6 feet wide, 9 feet long, and weigh about 17,000 pounds. They were designed by Mostkoff to be a cost-effective and functional replica of a small patch reef, with emphasis given to creating a habitat catering to the needs of post-larveal recruits and juvenile fish.

This spring, a former Miami Beach water tower that had become something of a landmark was sunk about 1 1/2 miles due east of the Westin Resort Miami Beach. The brightly-painted 70-foot 750,000-gallon water tower is quickly becoming another artificial haven for marine life and divers.

Of course, there are many other interesting dive sites in the Miami area. Heading from north to south, the possibilities include: the Narwal (steel freighter); the Andro (originally a private yacht); the C-One (a Navy tug boat); the Crane Wreck (an old steel crane that apparently fell off a barge or ship); the Biscayne (a great shallow ship dive and night dive); the Proteus (a huge and shallow steel freighter); the Sheri Lyn (another huge steel freighter); the Sarah Jane (actually a combination of seven different boats); Belcher Barge #27 (a large barge and more than 500 tons of concrete pipe); the Belzona Triangle (a trio of tugs); the Ultrafreeze (a long steel freighter); Emerald Reef, Flamingo Reef, and Fowey Light Reef off Key Biscayne; and, finally, the Almirante (another huge steel freighter).

All of these varied sites may make you think you won't have much time to explore anything topside. But most of the sites are conveniently close, as are the operators and their boats. You also probably need to stay in the area longer than first planned. The land is (almost) as fun as the sea.

SURFACE INTERVALS

With the nation's largest Art Deco historic district, the trendiest of accommodations options, creative chefs in varied restaurants, designer shopping, and the nonstop action of the ever-so-wide beach, the aqua Atlantic, and Ocean Drive's people-watching, SoBe is the place to be. It's like visiting a movie set (a la Birdcage), but this setting is ever so real.

Miami Beach's South Beach is the ideal base for divers, with additional excellent possibilities including the Surfside and mid-Miami Beach areas to the north, downtown Miami, and Key Biscayne to the south. Many operators and hotels now offer land packages specifically for divers through the WaterSports Marketing Council of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce (see below).

The dining scene is just as interesting as the choice of hotels. First and foremost, you have to eat at least once at famed Joe's Stone Crab. Along Ocean Drive, three excellent picks (among many) include Les Deux Fontaines, News Cafe, and The Pelican Cafe. Up on Lincoln Road, try Pacific Time, Van Dyke Cafe, Norma's On the Beach, or Yuca. On restaurant-rich Washington Avenue, head to Astor Place Bar & Grill or China Grill.

South Beach is enjoying a tourism and economic boom that springs from the refurbishment of the area's Art Deco District. From cafes and clubs along Ocean Drive, Washington Avenue, and Lincoln Road to the hot hotels and restaurants everywhere, South Beach is sizzling with the vibrant colors of Art Deco architecture and style.

One of the best ways to tour the Art Deco Historic District is through a walking tour run by the Miami Design Preservation League or another organized tour by foot, bike, car, or bus. With a tour, you'll get a true sense of the history and flavor of the buildings, providing a perfect introduction for returning later to favorite buildings for closer inspection.

Once you've explored the colorful buildings of South Beach, you can pursue as little or as much as you desire. The choices include: swimming, sunning, and people-watching on the wide beach; strolling, biking, or roller-blading along Ocean Drive and Lummus Park; shopping until you drop; finding a favorite restaurant; or dancing the night away in one of many hot nightclubs. You'll never be bored in South Beach.

Post-dive afternoons are a good time for some culture or shopping. Though some would say that South Beach's culture is limited to people-watching on Ocean Drive, there's much more to this vibrant area, thanks to many creative minds and souls.

Some possibilities for those in-the-know include: the numerous art galleries on Lincoln Road; the Bass Museum of Art, an Art Deco building, with 14th to 20th century art; the Wolfsonian, a huge and eclectic collection of virtually anything from the late-19th to mid-20th centuries; and the Sanford L. Ziff Jewish Museum of Florida, with an interesting overview of Jewish history in Florida.

You may also want to head up to the Holocaust Memorial, a stirring memorial that includes a bronze sculpture that depicts Holocaust victims crawling up a huge open hand to freedom, pictures from concentration camps, and the etched names of many victims. It's just across the street from the helpful information counter and shop of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Of course, the rest of the Miami area also has much to offer. Downtown Miami's Bayside is a great place for shopping, dining, and tours of Biscayne Bay. Sightseeing and activity possibilities include: the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum; Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne; Fairchild Tropical Gardens; the Miami Metrozoo; the Miami Seaquarium; Monkey Jungle; Parrot Jungle and Gardens; Villa Vizcaya.

All of these possibilities on and off Miami Beach may seem to leave little time for diving. That just means you need to stay in the wreckreational dive capital of the world even longer.

TRAVEL DETAILS

Miami International Airport is one of the busiest in the U.S. and has connections from practically anywhere in the world. It's just ten miles from Miami Beach.

Rental cars are readily available, as are metered taxis. Most hotels can arrange bus tours. There is generally good public transportation throughout the Miami area.

Summer temperatures range in the high-80sF, while winter temperatures are in the high-70sF. Water temperature varies from 70-80F. Underwater visibility ranges from 10 feet to more than 100 feet, depending on the location and weather conditions.

For more specific information about diving and dive packages, call (888) SCUBA MB. They can also help with other hotel and travel recommendations. For more information the Miami area in general call the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 283-2707. For more information about Miami Beach specifically, call the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce at (305) 672-1270. You should also get a copy of Joel Auerbach's Dive Miami through your local dive shop or call (305) 944-9055.