Fantasea Scuba Dive Shop Southwest Florida
 NAUI PRO PLATINUM CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER
 

3781 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, Florida
Tel: (941) 627-3888 Fax: (941) 627-0089
Email: Fantasea

 
Florida Local Gulfcoast scuba diving trips and chartersThe South West Coast of Florida offers many exciting dive opportunities.  Unlike the East Coast, known for its expanses of coral reefs, we more than compensate with large and diverse fish populations.

 
Local Diving is coordinated with Legacy Dive Charters.
Trips run on a monthly rotation, weather permitting.  The captain will choose the particular sites to dive each weekend based upon water and weather conditions.    Divers must show proof of certification before boarding the boat!

For local accommodations try Manasota Key Beach House

First and Second weekend of each month: Sites like Novak Reef, Tremblay Reef, the Palm Island Ferry.  Depths are 30-60 feet.

Third Weekend of each Month: We'll run to deeper sites like the Bayronto or the Hopper Cars.  These deeper dives are for advanced (or higher) certified divers.

Fourth Weekend of each month--the  Sharktooth Dive! Come with us to dive the "Boneyard", the world famous Venice fossil beds.  The 25-foot depth will allow any Open Water Certified scuba diver to participate in this exciting hunt for a variety of ancient marine and terrestrial fossils, including teeth from megalodon, prehistoric ancestor of the great white shark.  Want to experience a night dive?  We'll do a two-tank ledge dive at the Sharktooth Gardens by moonlight on Saturday evening.
 

  • All dives will require two tanks of air or Nitrox;
  • Morning trips leave Eldred's at 8:00 a.m.  As a courtesy to  your fellow divers, please arrive at the marina between  7:30 and 7:45 so that we may load and leave promptly;
  • Remember to bring appropriate certification cards.  We must have proper ID, and assurance that you are properly trained to make the planned dives before you board the boat.
  • All dives are subject to change or cancellation based upon weather and diving conditions.
     
 
The Gulf is shallow and primarily sand.  It is dotted with natural habitat like reefs (hard bottom) and ledges as well as artificial reefs.  These areas attract fish in massive numbers.

Dive charters in our area are primarily "six pack" (six diver boats). This enables them to range out faster as the 50-60 foot sites are 12-14 miles off shore.

Beach dives are very popular on the small reefs at Boca Grande and just to our north at Venice Beach, the "shark tooth capital".  Searching for shark's teeth and other fossils is extremely popular here.  We also offer a charter just off shore to an area known as the "Bone Yard", which has been very productive for large shark-teeth.

As you would expect, our water temperatures in summer are "tropical" (80's). However, if you are visiting in the winter months, don't leave that heavy suit at home as we commonly see the temperature drop into the 50's (yes, we do use dry-suits in Florida!)

During the winter months our area is greatly affected by strong winds brought about by each cold front that passes. Consequently, our diving is accomplished between them. The winter winds can also have a negative effect on near shore visibility as the wave action stirs up the bottom.
 
 

 

 

 

Dive the wreck of the Bayronto Gulf of Mexico scuba diving
Gulf of Mexico Florida Southwest Tremblay Reef Scuba Diving

Dive the Hopper Cars in the Gulf of Mexico Florida

Palm Island Ferry Gulf Diving Southwest Florida

Power Pole Reef Gulf of Mexico Southwest Florida