Welcome to the area. Venice is known for finding shark teeth, both on shore and off. You can walk off the beach and swim out a bit or hop on one of the shark tooth charters in the area, Aristakat is a popular choice. Visibility is sketchy a lot of the time and I think the water temp is pretty cold right now.
I would suggest a place like Rainbow River in Dunellon to start. It is a nice lazy drift dive down a spring fed river. Crystal clear 72 degree water year round and plenty of wildlife to see. Depth varies from 5-25’. Many students get certified there so it can be busy on weekends, but still a fun time. I live outside of Tampa and can get there in under 2 hours, probably add 1.5 hours to that for your drive time. Search KP Hole State Park for more information.
If you are on Facebook search Next Level Dive Club Florida. Very active group of divers, started in Tampa but has exploded out all over the state, somebody is always going somewhere.