{"id":9388,"date":"2018-09-10T09:08:12","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T15:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acqualinaresort.com\/?p=9388"},"modified":"2025-09-26T15:06:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T20:06:17","slug":"beneath-the-surface-diving-miami-with-dara-creutz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acqualinaresort.com\/blog\/sports-culture\/beneath-the-surface-diving-miami-with-dara-creutz\/","title":{"rendered":"Beneath the Surface: Diving Miami with Dara Creutz"},"content":{"rendered":"

With its turquoise waters and undersea reefs, shipwrecks, and manmade installations, South Florida isn\u2019t just a diving paradise for those trying the sport for the first time. Home to some of the best dive sites in the world, the region has long been a premier destination for divers of every skill level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel at home in the ocean,\u201d says Dara Creutz, a Master Scuba Diver Trainer at Miami\u2019s Squalo Divers<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s very addictive, scuba diving. Just the feeling of being underwater when it\u2019s completely quiet and you can only hear your breath. I can\u2019t really imagine my life without it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dara has been diving since age 15 when she first obtained her PADI Open Water certification in Maui. After taking a Dive Master course in Koh Tao, Thailand, seven years ago \u2013 where she met her now-husband in her dive instructor \u2013 Dara taught diving in Hawaii, Mexico, and the Virgin Islands before settling in the Miami area.<\/p>\n

\"PADI

Part of the appeal of diving in the area is its diversity. From reefs in Miami to wrecks in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano, every day is different for Dara, who leads pool sessions, shore dives, and boat dives everywhere from Tigertail Lake to Key Largo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice being able to go out from multiple locations using different dive operators and different boats,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause it gives us a lot of flexibility with what we can do and what we can offer for people.\u201d<\/p>\n

For first-time divers, the most popular option for exploring South Florida\u2019s underwater world is a PADI Open Water course, which includes three days of practicing skills in a pool and diving in the open ocean. (PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors.) Participants need to be physically fit to dive \u2013 although, as Dara says, \u201cnot marathon runners\u201d \u2013 with the requirements being that you must be able to float or tread water for 10 minutes and be able to swim 200 meters.<\/p>\n

Children as young as eight can sign up for a pool session to begin learning the necessary skills for diving, while those ages 10 and up can take the PADI course. (On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dara has taught divers as old as 87.)<\/p>\n

\"PADI

The performance-based PADI course provides new divers with the knowledge and training to safely dive in locations around the world and includes a self-study session, pool training, and open water training \u2013 consisting of four guided dives over two days. And when guests of Acqualina sign up for the course through the resort\u2019s Acqua Experiences, they can even complete some of it in the resort pool.<\/p>\n

There are also courses for first-time divers that require less commitment, like Discover Scuba Diving, a one-day course that includes a pool session and, if you\u2019re interested, an afternoon of boat diving with an instructor. (\u201cIt\u2019s not a certification course,\u201d says Dara, \u201cbut it\u2019s a really great way to see if you enjoy breathing underwater without buying the gear and making the commitment.\u201d)<\/p>\n

The places you dive will depend on the conditions of the day, but you can almost always expect to see an abundance of marine life. Some of the most common sightings include green moray eels, southern stingrays, spotted rays, various shellfish, flamingo tongue snails, Caribbean reef sharks, all manner of sea turtles, and an array of fish from trumpetfish to angelfish. Sometimes Dara will spot the occasional eagle ray or camouflaged scorpionfish, and there are usually lionfish \u2013 an incredibly beautiful but non-native species hunted because of the destruction it poses to the reef.<\/p>\n

\"PADI

Among her favorite dive sites in South Florida is Neptune Memorial Reef, which is actually an underwater cemetery. Those who choose to be \u201cburied\u201d there have their ashes mixed with cement and formed into a feature of the reef, like coral or a sea star, accompanied by a plaque.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like your memorial,\u201d says Dara. \u201cAnd because it\u2019s an artificial reef, the fish and the coral come and grow all over it. The whole premise is creating life after life. There\u2019s nothing really like that anywhere in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those who complete the PADI Open Water course can enjoy diving throughout the region, as well as in sought-after spots around the world. With a certification, you can sign up for a dive trip with Squalo Divers to visit one of more than 50 different dive sites in South Florida, and you can also excel in advanced courses and hobbies like underwater photography. (According to Dara, most students come back for more.)<\/p>\n

As for Dara, there is still much more to explore underwater.<\/p>\n

“I fell in love with cavern diving in Tulum,” she says, “and Florida has some of the best cave diving in the world, so I can\u2019t wait to do my full cave course.”<\/p>\n

——<\/p>\n

Learn more about Scuba Diving with Dara and other Acqua Experiences<\/a>. Alternatively, you may have Master Scuba Diver Trainer Alejandro Otero as a dive instructor. Alejandro has been diving for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With its turquoise waters and undersea reefs, shipwrecks, and manmade installations, South Florida isn\u2019t just a diving paradise for those trying the sport for the first time. 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