Diving Hammerhead Reef in Fort Lauderdale

When people ask me, “what’s your favorite dive site in Fort Lauderdale?” The answer is simple: Hammerhead Reef! The stunning scenery will always show you something new every time you dive. So if you haven’t already, add “diving Hammerhead Reef” to that bucket list of yours!

Diving Hammerhead Reef in Fort Lauderdale:

Diving Hammerhead Reef Overview:

The reef tract in South Florida consists of three layers of coral reef:

• The first is closest to shore and sits in about 15 feet of water. These sites can usually be accessed simply by swimming from the beach.
• The second is farther east and rests between 20 – 30 feet of water. The prominent sections of this reef are designated with mooring buoys (i.e Barracuda Reef, The Caves, the Oakland Ridges).
• The third is farthest from shore at about 45 – 60 feet before dropping off into much deeper, offshore waters.

Hammerhead Reef is one of the most prominent sections of the third layer of reef. Truly, it’s one of the deepest natural coral reef sites in South Florida.

If you dive with a local shop, this may be the first dive of the day and is treated as a drift dive. The current here can be mild to moderate which will allow you to cover more area while conserving air and energy.

When I dive this site, I like to guide people to the east first. Spur and groove formations are important to the health of all the coral reef in Florida and it’s important to show divers these structures.

After exploring the deeper portions, we head to the west to check out the shallower wall. This is where you’ll see most of the marine life on Hammerhead Reef. Enjoy!

The video above was taken at Hammerhead Reef in Fort Lauderdale! It’s a great spot to hunt for lionfish!

Navigation and Layout of the Dive Site:

Running on South Florida’s typical north and south axis, this reef can be broken into two sections: east and west.

East Section of Hammerhead Reef

The eastern portion of the reef is what we call a spur and groove formation. Spur and grooves are more prominent in the Florida Keys but often make their presence known in South Florida, as well.

Typically, these formations can be found on most barrier reef systems worldwide (i.e. Great Barrier Reef in Australia, MesoAmerican Barrief Reef in Belize, and the Florida Reef Tract from Key West to Palm Beach).

These formations are from thousands of years of wave action carving out small grooves between reef structures. Luckily for divers, these grooves provide an immense amount of habitat for marine life making spur and groove formations one of the best reef systems to dive on!

The east section of this reef will go as deep as 60 feet. Any deeper (farther east), you won’t see much.

West Section of Hammerhead Reef

Closer to shore on Hammerhead Reef runs a 10+ foot wall/ledge sitting in 45 feet of water. This section of the reef is truly breathtaking. Honestly, I can’t think of a coral reef in South Florida with more life than this area.

Navigating the wall is easy: head north or south, depending on current. Stick to the wall, we promise you’ll see plenty of marine life! We always see something new!

This is a good section to explore towards the end of your dive.

10/10 would recommend!

What Dive Shops go to Hammerhead Reef?

• American Dream Dive Charters behind the Hilton on 17th Avenue just south of downtown Fort Lauderdale. They run a great, clean, and basic operation aboard their Newton Dive Boat. Don’t hesitate to book with their crew!
• Sea Experience in Bahia Mar Marina on Fort Lauderdale Beach. This is a full dive shop with classes, charters, retail, and guides. If you’re a new open water diver, we suggest booking with Sea Experience to ensure everything is taken care of. If you want a dive guide, call and request for either of us, Andrew or Laura, and tell them we sent you!

Resources for Diving in Fort Lauderdale:

When available, we highly recommend Reef Smart Cards for any dive. They create beautiful waterproof cards that play a critical role in your dive plan. Their book (shown below) is a great reference for most dive sites in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Help Protect the Coral Reef During Your Dive

Sunscreen! Shocking, I know! In fact, many popular sunscreen brands contain extremely harmful chemicals to our coral! Specifically, oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Because of this, we’ve partnered with our favorite brand of reef safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea! We want to get YOU discounts so you can help save our coral reefs with reef safe sunscreen!