PHOTOS: Diving in Florida's Backyard

One of my favorite perks of working in the dive industry is the amount of time I get to spend with people who have the same passion for diving that I do. I’m fortunate to spend a lot of time on a dive boat, meeting divers from all over the world, striking up conversations and sharing stories of our travels throughout the world. A couple of years ago when I moved to Pompano Beach, Florida, I knew it was not well known in the dive community as a whole and certainly not recognized as a premier dive destination. Most divers wouldn’t think twice about bypassing Pompano Beach to head north toward the famed Blue Heron Bridge, or south on US-1 toward the Keys. But as I spent more time on the dive boat, watching the excitement of divers after coming out of the water after seeing their first batfish, or high-fiving each other about the turtle that swam so close by, or hearing them squeal after seeing a lizardfish swallow his lunch whole, it occurred to me that we have something special right here in our own backyard.

Pompano Beach has a three-tiered reef system that runs just offshore and boasts some of the warmest and clearest waters in South Florida, thanks to a bend in the Gulf Stream that brings it close to the coast. Both of these components rewards us with an aquarium-like setting for divers.

For me, one of the coolest things about diving is ... well, diving! Even after logging thousands of dives, the anticipation of what I might see on any particular outing has never left me. Looking for variety? No shortage here — even if a diver thinks he knows what to expect. Something that has always puzzled me is a diver saying he doesn’t want visit a particular site because he’s already been there. That’s like throwing a deck of cards in the air on a windy day and saying they’ll land in the same order each time!

In a previous blog, I shared with readers the incredible experience of a 30-foot whale shark visiting Pompano Beach ... I wonder how many people expected that when they started out that Sunday morning? On any given day here, divers can see dolphins, sharks, turtles, lobster, massive schools of colorful fish, stingrays, moray eels ... the list goes on and on. The downside of never knowing what you might encounter? As a photographer, it's that you might not have the correct setup for the encounter or scene you want to photograph. One day, I set up for macro and, of course, a hammerhead shark came within yards of me, and another day, I set up for wide-angle and I saw a tiny yellow-headed jawfish hovering above the sand right next to me.

I was recently taken out of the water for a couple of weeks due to an ear injury. During my time on land, I heard people talk about the sites I dive all of the time and it made me realize how lucky I am to live and dive where (and as often) as I do and to be a part of this wonderful sport. Sometimes we feel like we need to get on planes and travel long distances to enjoy world-class diving, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve found it in my own backyard.

_Craig Dietrich is the photo pro for Pompano Dive Center in Pompano Beach, Florida. To see more of Craig's work, visit his website Dietrich Underwater Photography. _