Panama City Beach · United States · Drift · Night
St. Andrews State Park Jetties
Shore entry from the car, with drift and night dives on the channel side
Photo: Thespis377 · CC BY-SA 2.0
The jetties at St. Andrews State Park are Panama City Beach's shore dive. Divers pay the $5 park fee and dive straight from the car, with the park's facilities on hand. Shallow water and boat-free zones suit divers of all levels, while the channel side drops to about 21 m (70 ft) and is dived as a drift and at night.
Also known as Saint Andrew's State Park.
Where it is and how deep
30.1242° N, 85.7315° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers kit up and go in straight from the car inside the Florida state park, after paying the $5 fee. On weekends the park gets crowded, so an early start helps. The jetties have shallow water and boat-free zones, which make them the easy option for newer divers and for a first dive in the area, with no boat traffic to watch for.
The channel side of the jetties goes deeper, down to about 21 m (70 ft), and it is dived both as a drift and at night. The jetties are rated as suiting divers of all levels, but a drift on the channel side takes more planning than the shallow water, starting with an agreed exit point before going in.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Panama City Beach: April to October is the main diving season; January and February bring water down to about 15 °C (59 °F).
Know before you go
- The channel side runs as a drift dive to about 21 m (70 ft); divers agree on their exit point before entering.
Photos from St. Andrews State Park Jetties
Thespis377 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Thespis377 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Episode 13 - DIVING THE JETTIES - ST ANDREWS STATE PARK, PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA. Sep 16, 2023 · The Descent Line on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep are the St. Andrews State Park jetties?+
The channel side drops to about 21 m (70 ft); elsewhere the jetties have shallow water and boat-free zones.
Is there a fee to dive St. Andrews State Park?+
Yes. Divers pay the $5 park fee and can then dive straight from the car, with the park facilities available.
Sources
- Dive Locker — Dive Locker
- Saint Andrew's State Park — Scubago
Photo credits
- Blue angelfish with long yellow-edged fins swimming past an encrusted rock in green water by Thespis377, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- Translucent moon jellyfish drifting under the surface with sunlight rippling above by Thespis377, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- Leopard toadfish with mottled brown pattern under orange and yellow sponges by Thespis377, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
More dive sites in Panama City Beach
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A three-storey structure with swim-throughs from 21 to 30 m
Wreck
A 1908 steel-hulled tug from Pensacola, lying in 21 m of water
A war-veteran minesweeper broken in two, with a swim between its halves
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