Liberty ships, tugboats, goliath grouper and hundreds of artificial reefs. And now the world's largest artificial reef is going down 22 miles offshore.
until the SS United States is scheduled to be sunk off Destin-Fort Walton Beach (Nov 12, 2026, weather permitting).
Heads up: we may earn a commission on some bookings made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Featured operators are marked. Full disclosure below.
America's fastest ocean liner is becoming Destin's signature dive. Launched in 1952, she still holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner, set on her maiden voyage: 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. Okaloosa County is sinking her upright, without explosives, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Her top decks sit within recreational range, while her hull and interior will challenge technical divers for decades.
Her two funnels and main mast were removed for a land-based museum about the ship planned in Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
Book your training now, before next season's rush. This is the usual path from never-dived to the ship's decks and beyond:
Guided reef and wreck charters, try-it dives and certifications from Destin Harbor.
Family-owned since 1986, running Gulf charters through Destin Pass to limestone ledges, artificial reefs and wrecks like the Miss Louise and the Thomas Hayward Liberty Ship, at 60 to 110+ feet. Beginner and advanced dives available.
Discover Scuba, full certifications, 1- and 2-tank charters, deep wreck trips, spearfishing charters, dives to the Underwater Museum of Art, plus swim lessons in a heated pool and youth programs.
The halfway point between snorkeling and scuba. You breathe through a long hose from an air tank on a raft at the surface, starting in shallow water from a Coast Guard approved vessel, then follow a guide on an underwater tour.
Charters, certifications, gear, rentals, air fills and repairs. Ask each shop about SS United States trips; several are already taking interest.
Since 1986 • SSI
Daily Gulf charters aboard the Sea Cobra from Heron Harbor Marina. Open Water through Divemaster. Equipment sales and rentals.
🚢 Has a "Dive the SS United States" page
Visit ScubaTech →
Since 1992 • PADI 5-Star CDC
Full-service dive shop: charters, night dives, deep wrecks, spearfishing, rentals and sales, swim school and kids' programs.
Since 1992 • PADI, NAUI & tech
Technical, cavern and cave training, Avelo system training, DPV (scooter) rentals, GI Bill-eligible courses, spearfishing tournaments and DAN insurance.
🚢 Plans a scooter tour of the SS United States (DPV certification required)
Visit Discovery Dive World →
Full-service dive center • PADI
Instructors with 30+ years of experience, Gulf dive boat trips every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and a full repair facility.
Small-group charters • Shalimar Harbor
Small-group reef and wreck charters near Destin Pass with a divemaster on every dive, tanks and gear ready when you arrive, and spearfishing or lionfish hunting on request.
No certification needed
Surface-supplied air from a raft, starting in shallow water. The easiest way to try breathing underwater, for divers and non-divers alike.
Okaloosa County has deployed hundreds of artificial reefs off Destin-Fort Walton Beach, funded by the local bed tax. These are the named wrecks divers ask for most, with published depths and coordinates.
| Site | Depth | Level | What's there | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS United States990-ft ocean liner • Nov 2026 | ~55–180 ft | Advanced Tech | The world's largest artificial reef: superstructure up top, decks and interior below | 22 nm SW of Destin-FWB |
| Destin JettiesEast Pass, natural rock | Shallow | Beginner | Shore and beginner dives by HarborWalk Village; best visibility at high tide | East Pass |
| Miss Louise95-ft push tug • 1997 | 60 ft | Beginner | Upright on sand; mackerel, barracuda, a resident goliath grouper. Good for novice and intermediate divers. | 30°22.282' N 86°25.315' W |
| Thomas Hayward Liberty Ship360-ft WWII Liberty ship • 1977 | 90 ft | Advanced | Up to 25 ft of relief south of the Okaloosa Island Pier; goliath grouper, barracuda, the odd loggerhead | 30°18.376' N 86°36.222' W |
| M/V Janet85-ft steel tug • 1997 | 93 ft | Advanced | Upright with 30 ft of relief and swim-throughs; snapper, triggerfish, amberjack, a resident goliath | 30°15.839' N 86°23.105' W |
| Chepanoc129-ft tug • 2005 | 107 ft | Deep | Upright with 28 ft of relief; swim through the pilothouse. French angelfish, barracuda, urchins. | 30°08.833' N 86°37.612' W |
| Tugboat ZuessSteel tug • 1992 | 107 ft | Deep | One of the county's early wrecks, with 15 ft of relief | 30°09.422' N 86°44.490' W |
| RV Dolphin191-ft research vessel | 120 ft | Deep | The county's second-largest deployed vessel, about 16 nm south of Destin | 30°07.634' N 86°24.131' W |
| Mohawk Chief93-ft tug • 2003 | 125 ft | Deep | Center of the Sand Dollar reef complex; pilothouse swim-through, amberjack, a goliath grouper | 30°08.807' N 86°43.075' W |
Depths and coordinates are from the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail and Okaloosa County. Conditions change: dive with a charter or verify before you go. Levels are a general guide: Advanced Open Water covers 100 ft, Deep certification 130 ft.
Destin is one of the easiest places in Florida to learn: calm summer water, shallow jetties for first dives, and wrecks to grow into.
Emergency procedures, the rules on the water, forecasts, coordinates and services: everything a working diver or serious hobbyist needs in one place.
How we checked. SS United States details come from Okaloosa County announcements and news coverage, wreck depths and coordinates from the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail, rules from FWC, the emergency steps from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach dive emergency procedure, and shop details from each shop's own website. All checked October 28, 2026. Confirm conditions, schedules and prices with your operator before you dive.