LBTS has a reef about 100 yards from the shore, a second reef about 100 yards farther and a third around another 100 yards beyond the second.  Datura street beach access is a popular dive place, it is a block south of Commercial street and Anglin Pier on Commercial street.  

The first reef isn't like Key Largo but it is still good diving.  Everything is smaller at LBTS with less vertical relief, smaller fish, smaller coral formations, etc.   The depth of the first reef is only 16 feet so your air lasts longer than at Key Largo and you see more colors too.  Early mornings tend to be calm with better visibility than later when the wave action is stronger.  Diving goes on from sunrise to well after dark, you have to tow a dive flag in Florida, even snorkeling, and flags are seen over the first reef almost all the time.  Stay away from Anglin Pier, 100 yards is the law, if you see fish line on the bottom you are too close.

All the fish and sights are out there on the first reef, more or less, but you won't see all of them on any one dive.  I got to swim with a big sea turtle and got to look at many other good sights including a couple dish plate sized sting rays.  A big manta ray came in, I didn't see it but it swam towards my wife near shore and then turned away, lots of divers saw it too, just not me cause I was out on the reef.  Keep you eyes open on the swim out and back in from the reef, many interesting things swim by.

The Windjammer is on the corner of Datura and El Mar, it's backyard beach is a great place to dive from.  The rooms are very clean and have everything you will need, parking space is one slot per room and is very tight for a Camry sized vehicle.  The Beach Hotel is a block walk from Datura beach access and is half the cost of the Windjammer.  Deep Blue Divers is about two blocks from the Windjammer and they are pretty fast with the fills.  The worlds worst Burger King is across from Deep Blue, the staff seems to be very angry and hostile toward white customers and extremely incompetent too, maybe on purpose, maybe not.  This very rude anger and hostility seems to be common in Florida, it's a shocking contrast to friendly San Antonio.  A block from Datura and El Mar is the Commercial Ave. and El Mar intersection, it seems to be the hub of LBTS, you can get $30 breakfasts and $60 lunches and dinners for two there in places with friendly or at least indifferent staff.  Traveling west on Commercial toward I-95 there are lots of other places to eat.

If your looking for Wham Poon or her sister  Thai Mi you won't find them at LBTS.  We did see them on Miami's South Beach though.  

Florida looked pretty prosperous to us, lots of expensive cars, Harleys and at least a couple Triumph Bonneville style bikes.  Ft. Lauderdale just south of LBTS appeared to have more money and quite a few semi-trophy wives.  LBTS had quite a few 50'ish men who looked like they'd like to have trophy wives or at least get lucky.

Well that's it, LBTS is slow paced, relaxing and it has good, cheap and easy diving.

There's another good spot on the north edge of Hugh Taylor park and there is Red Reef in Boca which is really shallow and great for snorkeling, especially for the youngsters.  

Another spot is opposite where the Howard Johnsons used to be, it's farther out though and probably better for float diving.  You're at the best beach dive.  In the old days lots of turtles would come up and lay their eggs all along that stretch of beach

South of Port Everglades in Dania on the beach south to Hollywood are lots of other spots as well.  Any of the dive shops can fill you in.

Southern Florida has a triple reef system that runs from Ft. Lauderdale to south Miami.  There is a ton of great diving there to do.  Plenty of reefs, wrecks and other stuff to see.