Water Tower

The Water Tower Reef (or South Beach Water Tower) is a deeply contrasting artificial reef site located significantly farther offshore from Miami Beach, resting in much deeper waters than the Radio Towers. The site was established on June 27, 1997, when the city decided to submerge a retired, 320-ton Art Deco water tower—originally built in 1926 by pioneer developer Carl Fisher—by mounting it on a 195-foot hopper barge ballasted with 500 tons of concrete and limestone. While it was initially intended to settle at a depth accessible to recreational divers, the structure unexpectedly slid into much deeper territory. Today, the massive 750,000-gallon steel tank sits completely on its side on the ocean floor at a maximum depth of approximately 170 feet (52 meters), with the top of the adjacent barge reaching up to about 143 to 153 feet. Because of these extreme depths, strong offshore currents, and dense structural support debris remaining inside the barge, it is considered a hazardous environment. Local charters strictly classify the Water Tower as an advanced technical deep-air or trimix dive site and urge traditional recreational open-water divers to avoid it entirely.