Tybee Island, a highly accessible barrier island located along Georgia's Atlantic coast, is just 18 miles east of downtown Savannah. Vacationers come by the droves during warm weather months to enjoy all of the aquatic recreation Tybee has to offer, scuba diving being among the most popular. Divers of all experience levels are exposed to an underwater adventure that includes vast artificial reefs, dramatic escarpments, a wealth of marine life and numerous shipwrecks just ripe for exploration.

Water Characteristics

Coastal waters along Tybee Island flow up from the Caribbean so they are characteristically warm throughout most non-winter months. By May, temperatures in the 70s are not uncommon and can even reach the mid-80s by August. Visibility, which is typically not as good as its Caribbean cousins to the south, ranges anywhere from 10 to 40 feet depending on one's proximity to shore. High tide along the shoreline offers the best chance for visibility as clearer water is pushed inland. Currents can be strong around Tybee, with tides ranging from 6 to 10 feet on average.

Marine Life

The Tybee coast teems with diverse underwater plant and animal life common to the southeastern U.S. Divers may witness schools of cnidarian creatures like the Portuguese man-of-war, reef floors layered with giant pink barnacles or blue crabs molting and mating in the beds of sargassum seaweed. Endangered loggerhead sea turtles are common during their nesting season of May to October, while red lionfish, clown fish, diamondback terrapins and bottlenose dolphins frequent the area year-round. The fossilized remains of ancient shark teeth and other maritime predators are bounteous, offering a glimpse into marine life of the past.

Wreck Dives

History buffs enjoy several wreck dives along the Tybee Island coast, primarily comprising ships from the Civil War and World War II. Three Union barks – the Peter Demill, the Cossack and the South America – were sunk in December of 1861 to serve as jetties and wharves for Union soldiers. In March of 1864, the Arletta, a British schooner, was run ashore by the USS South Carolina near Tybee's southern tip while carrying a cargo of coffee and whiskey. Then, in December of 1865, a U.S. schooner, the Israel R. Snow, was beached after its cargo caught fire. The G-reef south of Tybee near Cumberland Island boasts a WWII Liberty ship called the Nettleton.

Getting There

Divers who don't have their own boats will have to charter one. Fortunately, a handful of charters are located in the Tybee area: Georgia Offshore (georgiaoffshore.com), Mako Dive Charter (makodivecharter.com) and Barnacle Bill Offshore Charters (no website; 912-353-8428). Georgia Offshore caters more to experienced divers, requiring them to have Advanced Open Water Certification, while Mako is open to all skill levels and features scuba instruction for novices. As an alternative, athletic types can rent kayaks from Sea Kayak Georgia (seakayakgeorgia.com) right on the island and paddle out to a dive site of their choice.

Equipment Rentals

Two shops on Tybee Island sell very limited scuba and snorkeling accessories during the summer season: Step to the Beach (no website; 27 Tybrisa St.; 912-786-0900) and American Beachwear (no website; 17 16th St.; 912-786-9954). For a more extensive selection of equipment, serious divers make the short trek to either Fantasia Scuba (fantasiascuba.com) or Diving Locker Ski Chalet (divinglockerskichalet.com), both in Savannah. Common pieces of gear are usually rented by the day and include wet suits, weight belts, buoyancy compensators, regulators and 80-cubic-foot air or nitrox tanks.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Slider images:

  4. Attribution: Michael Sennello; License: public domain
Suggest an Article Correction