Oakland Park Reef – Fort Lauderdale Shore Diving

At the end of Oakland Park Boulevard lies one of Fort Lauderdale’s premier beach dives: Oakland Park Reef. Just steps off the beach, you can find a whole different world waiting for you below the surface.

Diving Oakland Park Reef Beach Site:

We’ve broken this reef down into two sections: north and south. The northern end is referred to as Oakland Park Reef. The southern end is referred to as Vista Park reef. This dive guide is in reference to the northern portion (yellow area on the map).

Beach Dives in Fort Lauderdale: Oakland Park Reef Overview

Beach diving in Fort Lauderdale is truly unique. In fact, the reef itself is a small portion of the Florida Reef Tract, the third longest barrier reef system in the world! In South Florida, the reef tract consists of three tiers:

• 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. Shore diving at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is an example of this reef.
• The second is farther east and rests between 20 – 30 feet of water. Examples include The Caves, Oakland Ridges, and Barracuda Reef.
• The third is farthest from shore at about 45 – 60 feet before dropping off into much deeper, offshore waters. This is our favorite section, with Hammerhead Reef being a great feature.

Oakland Park Reef is part of this first tier, which also makes it an ideal location for snorkeling!

The reef is also one of the best for lobstering, hunting lionfish, and new open water divers/students!

Additionally, no public bathrooms or facilities are available but it does have a freshwater shower to rinse yourself and your gear afterwards!

Getting to Oakland Park Reef

Accessing the reef is best done by parking at Earl Lifshey Ocean Park. The parking lot is a short walk away from the beach so we recommend dropping off your gear at the park first.

Proceed to the beach and into the water. Approximately 400 feet out you’ll find yourself in 15 feet of water with a dazzling coral reef beneath you!

A NOTE ON SAFETY: You MUST use a dive flag here.

Navigation and Layout of Oakland Park Reef:

Like all other reef tracts in Fort Lauderdale, the reef runs north and south. Go too far east: sand. Go too far west: sand. The reef is a few hundred feet wide (east to west), though. So going too far shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re REALLY kicking.

Our advice: treat it like a drift dive! Roam around and check out anything that looks interesting! Just keep a general north and south direction.

What you may see at Oakland Park Reef:

This dive site isn’t as highly trafficked as other beach dives in Fort Lauderdale, like Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Thus, increasing your chances of seeing something cool! We find lobster, nurse sharks, lionfish, octopus (at night) and more all on this reef!

For more on what you might see, check out our articles below:

• Common Sharks Seen While Diving in Florida
• Sea Turtles of Florida
• Coolest Ocean Animals in Florida

Resources and gear for this dive:

This dive requires a dive flag! The link brings you to Amazon and the exact flag we use on our dives. Don’t forget a reel, too!

For More: 9 Essential Scuba Accessories for Shore Diving

Dive Planning Resources for Shore Diving in Fort Lauderdale:

As far as guides, Reef Smart Guides has a handy book that we use for all of our diving in the area.

For More: 23+ Dive Planning Resources for South Florida

What Dive Shops are near Oakland Park Reef?

Up the road in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea are two additional shops:

• Gold Coast Scuba
• Deep Blue Divers

We honestly don’t have a preference of one or the other. It’s just whatever is most convenient for you!

For more: Dive Shops in Fort Lauderdale

More Photos of Oakland Park Reef Shore Dive in Fort Lauderdale:

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!