Recreation

A large percentage of Santa Rosa county citizens are boating enthusiasts. Currently, boat owners must use the Pensacola Pass or the East Pass in Destin to access the Gulf of Mexico. Ironic is the fact that they trailer their boats to Pensacola or Destin so that, once launched, they can then drive their boats back to Navarre to fish the timber holes (a favorite off-shore fishing area for charter boats and private owners alike). Currently, Santa Rosa County is claim to one of Florida’s highest rated boat ramp facilities, located just next to Juana’s Pagodas. How convenient would it be to complement those great facilities with a Pass less than 1/4 mile away?

One of the most popular dive areas in our region are the jetties at the East Pass. The deep water and the rocky jetty has become habitat to many reef fish and crustaceans absent elsewhere along the coast. This underwater ecosystem is an added benefit that could be planned into the construction of the Navarre Pass jetties to provide “safe water” for tourists and locals to snorkel, and for dive instructors to give lessons and certify future SCUBA divers.