viziatoUnderwater Visibility Forecasting

Florida Keys dive sites

Viziato pins 30 well-known Florida Keys boat dive sites on its map, from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas: coral reefs and wrecks, including ships sunk as artificial reefs. The visibility forecast for each site is in the app.

The tables below list every Florida Keys site in the app, grouped by area and ordered from north-east to south-west, with the names used in the app. The notes give depths, lengths and dates from the published sources listed at the end of the page. Sites from Key Biscayne north to Jupiter are on the Southeast Florida dive sites page.

Upper Keys: Key Largo to Islamorada

Upper Keys dive sites in Viziato (16), north-east to south-west
SiteTypeNotes
Carysfort ReefReefEast of Key Largo, marked by the Carysfort Reef Light, completed in 1852.[1]
Elbow ReefReefDive depths of 10 to 45 ft.[2] Site of the City of Washington, an iron-hulled former steamship 300 ft long, which ran aground in 1917 while towed as a coal barge and lies in 25 ft of water.[3]
Christ of the AbyssReefBronze statue placed in 1965 in about 25 ft of water near Dry Rocks, about six miles east of Key Largo.[4]
Spiegel GroveWreckFormer Navy dock landing ship, 510 ft long, sunk as an artificial reef in 2002. Top deck at about 60 ft; hull as deep as 135 ft.[5]
BenwoodWreckFreighter that sank in 1942 after a collision. Lies in 25 to 45 ft between French Reef and Dixie Shoals.[6]
French ReefReefCaves and arches in a spur-and-groove formation.[7] Swim-throughs at 15 to 40 ft; named sites on the reef include Christmas Tree Cave. Dive depths of 20 to 45 ft.[8]
Molasses ReefReefSoutheast of Key Largo, with depths of 6 to 60 ft.[9]
USCGC BibbWreckCoast Guard cutter, 327 ft long, sunk in 1987. Lies on its side in about 130 ft.[10]
USCGC DuaneWreckCoast Guard cutter, 327 ft long, built in 1936 and sunk in 1987. Sits upright in 120 ft, 1 mile south of Molasses Reef.[11]
Pickles ReefReefBarrel-shaped concrete objects lie on the reef; a 2008 analysis found the cement was a Portland cement produced between 1890 and 1923.[12] Depths of 5 to 30 ft.[13]
Conch WallReefDeep wall reef at Conch Reef, outside the research zone around the Aquarius underwater laboratory.[14] The top of the wall is in about 45 to 55 ft, sloping to over 100 ft.[15]
Davis ReefReefDepths of 15 to 30 ft. A Sanctuary Preservation Area, designated to protect its gorgonians.[16]
Crocker WallReefWall at the south end of Crocker Reef, from 30 ft to nearly 80 ft. Run as a drift dive when a current flows along the wall.[17]
Hen and ChickensReefShallow reef off Plantation Key, about 2 miles offshore, 10 to 20 ft deep, with brain and star coral mounds up to 15 ft tall.[18]
EagleWreckFreighter, 287 ft long, sunk in 1985. Lies on its starboard side in 110 ft; Hurricane Georges broke it in half in 1998.[19]
Alligator ReefReefNamed for the Navy ship USS Alligator, which ran aground on the reef in 1822.[20] The Alligator Reef Light was first lit in 1873.[21] Depths of 10 to 25 ft.[22]

Middle Keys: Marathon

Middle Keys dive sites in Viziato (3), north-east to south-west
SiteTypeNotes
Coffins PatchReefAbout six patch reefs roughly 4 miles off Marathon near Key Colony Beach, about 5 to 25 ft deep.[23]
ThunderboltWreckLaunched in 1942 to plant and tend coastal minefields for the U.S. Army; later used by Florida Power & Light for research on lightning. 189 ft long, sunk as an artificial reef in 1986; sits upright in 120 ft.[24]
Sombrero ReefReefSpur-and-groove reef about 4 to 5 nautical miles off Marathon, about 5 to 30 ft deep.[25] The Sombrero Key Light was built on the reef in 1858.[26]

Lower Keys and Key West

Lower Keys and Key West dive sites in Viziato (8), east to west
SiteTypeNotes
Looe KeyReefSouth of Big Pine Key. Named for HMS Looe, which ran aground and sank on the reef in 1744.[27]
Adolphus Busch Sr.WreckCargo ship, 213 ft long, scuttled as an artificial reef off Looe Key in 1998. Rests upright; maximum depth 110 ft.[28]
Western SamboReefSouth of Boca Chica Key, on the southern edge of the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve.[29]
USNS VandenbergWreckFormer missile range instrumentation ship, 522 ft long, sunk as an artificial reef in 2009.[30]
Joe's TugWreckShrimp boat, 75 ft long, sitting upright in 65 ft.[31]
Cayman SalvagerWreckSteel-hulled buoy tender, 187 ft long, sunk in 1985. Sits upright in about 95 ft.[32]
Eastern Dry RocksReefSeven miles southeast of Key West.[33]
Sand KeyReefSouthwest of Key West, south of the Sand Key Light.[34]

Dry Tortugas

Dry Tortugas dive sites in Viziato (3), east to west
SiteTypeNotes
Texas RockReefCrevices, caves, a swim-through, pinnacles and a large anchor, at 20 to 60 ft.[35]
Windjammer WreckWreckThe iron-hulled Norwegian ship Avanti, 261 ft long, built in 1875 and wrecked on Loggerhead Reef in 1907.[36] Parts of the ship reach the surface; depths to 21 ft.[35]
Sherwood ForestReefIn the Tortugas North Ecological Reserve.[37]

Visibility forecasts for these sites

Viziato’s forecast is recalculated every day for about 3.6 million points of ocean, and every site on this page is pinned on the app’s map.

Today’s conditions at each site are free, rated from Very Poor to Outstanding; the visibility scale page explains the ratings. The free daily Top 10 ranks the ten clearest of the included dive sites by forecast visibility. Viziato Pro adds the exact visibility in feet or meters, the full 9-day forecast with its trend chart, and visibility alerts at saved spots.

The home page has a sample map of South Florida and the Bahamas, a list of the app’s features, and a summary of how the forecast is made. Forecasts are estimates for informational use and are not for navigation or safety decisions.

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Today’s forecast map is free. Exact visibility, the full 9-day forecast and visibility alerts require Viziato Pro, a monthly or yearly subscription; the yearly plan starts with a one-week free trial for accounts that have not used one before. The trial becomes a paid yearly subscription unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before it ends. The plans are compared on the home page.

Sources

The depths, lengths and dates in the tables come from these sources. Where sources give different figures, each note gives the figure from the source cited beside it.

  1. Wikipedia, “Carysfort Reef Light”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carysfort_Reef_Light
  2. Rainbow Reef Dive Center, “Elbow Reef”. Archived copy (Internet Archive)
  3. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Shipwreck Trail, “City of Washington”. https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/shipwrecktrail/cityofwashington.html
  4. Wikipedia, “Christ of the Abyss”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_of_the_Abyss
  5. Wikipedia, “USS Spiegel Grove”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Spiegel_Grove
  6. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Shipwreck Trail, “Benwood”. https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/shipwrecktrail/benwood.html
  7. Wikipedia, “French Reef”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Reef
  8. Rainbow Reef Dive Center, “French Reef”. Archived copy (Internet Archive)
  9. Wikipedia, “Molasses Reef”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses_Reef
  10. Wikipedia, “USCGC Bibb”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Bibb
  11. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Shipwreck Trail, “Duane”. https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/shipwrecktrail/duane.html
  12. Wikipedia, “Pickles Reef”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickles_Reef
  13. Rainbow Reef Dive Center, “Pickles Reef”. Archived copy (Internet Archive)
  14. Wikipedia, “Conch Reef”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_Reef
  15. Rainbow Reef Dive Center, “Conch Reef and Wall”. Archived copy (Internet Archive)
  16. Islamorada Dive Center, “Florida Keys dive sites”. https://www.islamoradadivecenter.com/florida-keys-dive-sites
  17. Islamorada Dive Center, “Crocker Wall”. https://www.islamoradadivecenter.com/florida-keys-dive-sites/crocker-wall
  18. Islamorada Dive Center, “Hens and Chickens”. https://www.islamoradadivecenter.com/florida-keys-dive-sites/hens-and-chickens
  19. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Shipwreck Trail, “Eagle”. https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/shipwrecktrail/eagle.html
  20. Wikipedia, “Alligator Reef”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_Reef
  21. Wikipedia, “Alligator Reef Light”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_Reef_Light
  22. Islamorada Dive Center, “Alligator Reef”. https://www.islamoradadivecenter.com/florida-keys-dive-sites/alligator-reef
  23. Captain Hook’s, “Coffins Patch”. https://captainhooks.com/coffins-patch/
  24. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Shipwreck Trail, “Thunderbolt”. https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/shipwrecktrail/thunderbolt.html
  25. Captain Hook’s, “Sombrero Reef”. https://captainhooks.com/sombrero-reef/
  26. Wikipedia, “Sombrero Key”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sombrero_Key
  27. Wikipedia, “Looe Key”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looe_Key
  28. Wikipedia, “MV Adolphus Busch”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Adolphus_Busch
  29. Wikipedia, “Western Sambo”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Sambo
  30. Wikipedia, “USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_General_Hoyt_S._Vandenberg
  31. DeeperBlue, “Scuba Diving Key West”. https://www.deeperblue.com/scuba-diving-key-west/
  32. Captain Hook’s Dive Key West, “Wreck Diving Key West”. https://divekeywest.com/wreck-diving-key-west/
  33. Wikipedia, “Eastern Dry Rocks”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Dry_Rocks
  34. Wikipedia, “Sand Key (reef)”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Key_(reef)
  35. National Park Service, Dry Tortugas National Park, “Mooring Buoys”. https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/drtomooringbuoys.htm
  36. National Park Service, Dry Tortugas National Park, “The Windjammer Wreck”. https://www.nps.gov/drto/learn/historyculture/windjammer.htm
  37. NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, mooring buoy data layer (PubFKNMSBuoy2025), sanctuary region field. https://services2.arcgis.com/C8EMgrsFcRFL6LrL/arcgis/rest/services/PubFKNMSBuoy2025/FeatureServer/0

Sources accessed October 4, 2026; the Rainbow Reef pages are archived copies. The site names are those in the Viziato app’s dive-site list.