First Reef

First Reef is a shore dive off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in Florida, where the first reef line sits closer to the beach than almost any other reef in the US. Divers gear up at the beach accesses, such as the ends of Hibiscus Avenue and El Prado Park, wade in and swim out. A dive flag is required in Florida.

The first reef line lies in 12 to 20 ft (4 to 6 m), with coral heads rising 3 to 4 ft (about 1 m) off a pockmarked, Swiss-cheese reef full of holes. The shallow depth allows long bottom times, and visibility often reaches 50 to 70 ft (15 to 21 m) on calm days. A second reef line in 30 to 50 ft (9 to 15 m) is about a 30-minute swim out and is more advanced, so most beginners stay on the first reef. Close to shore, a shipwreck snorkel trail in 8 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) has replica cannons, a large anchor and ballast stones.

Star, brain and finger corals and purple sea fans cover the reef, with grunts, snappers, parrotfish, sergeant majors, blennies, juvenile drumfish and trumpetfish around them. Sea turtles graze, nurse sharks rest under ledges, tarpon pass in schools, and stingrays, morays or an octopus turn up now and then. Manatees are seen occasionally from late winter to early spring, and lobster season runs through the summer.