There are over 300 wrecks charted in the state of Florida, with Miami-Dade County boasting over 40 alone. Note these are “charted wrecks,” the majority of which were scuttled intentionally and documented by fishing clubs or county reef agencies. The true number of rocks, 50-gallon drums and old vessels. Controlwave Designer Software. Through the artificial reef program, we are not only creating additional habitat for various marine organisms and fish. Ships, concrete.

F l o r i d a d i v i n g ) BY LYNN SELDON Miami Beach's historic Art Deco district is neon-hot, thanks to trendy Ocean Drive, busy Lincoln Road, unique accommodations options, and some of the most creative restaurants in the U.S. But scuba diving off Miami Beach is just as hot, thanks to one of the best artificial reef programs in the world.

Miami Beach has been dubbed 'The Wreckreational Capital of the Americas' and rightly so, as divers from North and South America are converging on an area that is second only to Truk Lagoon in sheer numbers of wrecks. In many ways, Miami was a natural to become an unnatural artificial reef mecca. Shipwrecks and other manmade items may not seem natural 'reefs' at first, but it doesn't take them long to fit in quite well. Miami's weather and diving conditions make them natural fits for divers.

In 1981, when Dade County initiated the Artificial Reef Program, there was just one dive boat operating in the Greater Miami area. Today, the program is recognized as one of the most successful artificial reef programs in the nation. The number of dive boats has increased to more than a dozen, providing everything from shallow water snorkeling on natural reefs to diving on boats, tanks, towers, and much more. The 'founding father' of Miami diving is definitely Ben Mostkoff. As former coordinator of the active program, he was responsible for obtaining and coordinating the sinking of most of the wrecks. Without Ben, Miami probably wouldn't be the wreckreational dive mecca it has become.