Dive Report 31 May

A GOLIATH GROUPER UNDER THE BIG BRIDGE! Really! Honest! I couldn't believe it myself. After all the dives we have done there this is the first time I've seen a goliath grouper there. It was inside the pilings in the second set out from the beach. Unbelieveable! It was between three and four feet long; compared to the offshore goliaths this one was a baby. Nevertheless, what a fish! I hope it doesn't eat all the other fish. We also saw a frogfish, AGAIN! We saw a huge southern ray, and on the way back to the beach we saw a seahorse. The water temperature out at the channel was seventy-nine. The vis varied between fifteen feet to very short after slack tide. We had a dive time of one hour, nine minutes. We were all in three mm suits and I believe nobody was even cool. What a great day in the water. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 30 May

There is a positive side to a thunderstorm charging into a picnic as long as it's not YOUR picnic.....there's more room after most people leave. That's what happened today at the bridge. The day was sunny and hot at around noon and the picnickers started filing in. It wasn't too long after the start of this merry parade that Mother Nature started the entertainment with a few lightning strikes and some rain. That did the trick; we had the place to ourselves and a few others who were underwater and didn't care what was happening above. Our vis was about twenty feet, but fell off rapidly after slack with the green water that has to be from all the rain. The water is eighty-one degrees! We were in the water for over two hours without a chill. A beautiful web burrfish came right up to us. Fabulous! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 28 May

A THREE FROGFISH DAY! The bridge never ceases to amaze me. Three open water students, our good friend, Rob, Carrie, and I dived the big bridge circuit and were rewarded with three frogfish. One was the little white one for which we do not have a positive ID. Another was a frogfish as yet unidentified, and the third was definitely a striated frogfish. An octopus and a bandtail searobin added to the fascination of the one hour, twenty minute dive. No one was cold in 3mm suits; water temperature was eighty-one. The vis was mixed as at one minute we would have twenty feet and then in another minute we'd have green water (probably from all the rain) that would have only ten feet of vis. Most of the time the vis was pretty good. It's an incredible place. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 27 May

Warm water! I didn't have a computer, but after being in the water for over two hours neither of my two students nor I were cold in 3mm wetsuits. The vis was actually pretty good considering how much rainfall Palm Beach county has had in the last week. We were doing skill work close to the beach so we didn't get to venture around until well after slack. The water was green from the rain, but we still made it to the new wreck with no difficulty. Sad news that another wreck has been removed. Now both the sailboats that were directly off the beach are gone. There are still a couple of wrecks left, but it is disappointing that the wrecks that attracted so many fish (and so many divers) are gone. Oh well. Two batfish were out by the new wreck and, of course, juvenile french and gray angelfish. Weekdays are a great time to be at the bridge. Anyone? Anyone? Play hooky! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 17 May

A good way to deal with the Sunday parking problem is to arrive several hours before high tide and relax. Carrie and I did just that bringing with us lawn chairs, the Sunday paper, food, and drinks. Rather than deal with the parking problem that goes along with half the population of the West Palm Beach area wanting to spend the afternoon at the Park, we just arrived early and enjoyed the morning. No parking problem. It was nice. We were rewarded with a seahorse, a batfish, a bandtail searobin, two octopuses, lots of gray angelfishes, and many atlantic spadefishes. The water temperature was eighty degrees and the vis was about twenty feet. We were very comfortable during our sixty-seven minute dive in 3mm wetsuits.Get a strategy and get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 16 May

Carrie went to the bridge early to get a parking spot as we knew a beautiful Saturday afternoon high tide would bring the Mongolian hordes charging across the Asian steppe right to Riviera Beach. Sure enough, they were there in full force. Standing room only. Anyway, the strategy worked and we had a good spot from which to launch our dive. All the picnic tables were taken so we took the gear to a concrete footer next to the water's edge and set up there. Worked out fine. The three divers we accompanied were rewarded with a seahorse, a big octopus, a mantis shrimp, many juvenile french and gray angelfish, AND...the small white FROGFISH which we think might be a juvenile striated frogfish. If anyone knows for sure, we'd appreciate the information. My computer read eighty-one degrees throughout the dive. Carrie's read seventy-eight. The choppy seas offshore gave us ten to fifteen feet of vis. Vis was actually better out at the channel which is unusual. We were all very comfortable in 3mm wetsuits for our one hour, thirty-eight minute dive. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 11 May

We had the place to ourselves. That is reason number 3a in the "Why to play hooky on a weekday" list. The water temperature was seventy-nine out by the channel and eighty by the beach. We had more than thirty feet of vis; seeing the little wrecks from a long way off was easy. Carrie and I saw seven or eight octopuses of various sizes. There seem to be tiny juvenile french and gray angelfishes in many places. A shortnose batfish was out by the northern side of the channel fenders. In a three millimeter wetsuit and three millimeter hooded vest I was comfortable for our one hour forty-minute dive. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 9 May

Beautiful morning at the bridge (and everybody knew it!) Carrie and I arrived an hour and a half before high tide and were able to get a parking spot. Boaters were out in force and using car spaces for their trailers. (Don't get caught using a trailer space for your car! Apparently it is not a two-way street.) Anyway, the vis was better than thirty feet and the water was seventy-nine. I was in a three mm wetsuit and was toasty for our seventy minute dive. My young open water student didn't mention the temperature; he was way too busy. Carrie had a young Discover Scuba participant who also did not mention water temperature. It's NICE! Carrie saw a juvenile frogfish, a batfish, and, of course, many of the regulars. My student and I watched an octopus and an mantis shrimp in addition to many other attractions. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 8 May

It was octopus day! An open water student and I saw four of them and Carrie (off doing her own thing) saw six. Octupuses everywhere we went! Big ones, little ones, hiding ones, and swimming ones. I think they were enjoying the thirty feet of vis and the SEVENTY-NINE degree water. High tide was at 8:21 with a bright, sunny sky. Carrie and I watched the sun come up during our ride south from Hobe Sound. The folks diving offshore yesterday reported top-to-bottom vis in seventy-five degree water with lots of fish and critters. The marine forecast for the weekend is very favorable, flat seas! We will be at the bridge tomorrow morning for a 9:01 high tide. That early in the morning generally means fewer people at the Park even though it will be Saturday. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 5 May

We had absolutely gorgeous conditions for a late afternoon dive at the bridge with our friends. Lena and Charlotte are visiting from Singapore and wanted to get in the water so what better place for a nice, relaxing dive than our good old bridge. Tobin is ready to dive at the drop of a hat so given the message, he was there. The vis was better than twenty feet, the sun was shining, and the water was 77 degrees. On a Tuesday, of course, we almost owned the place having to share it only with our diving friends from Port Saint Lucie who also introduce their open water students to the great bridge experience. We saw a seahorse, an octopus, a bandtail searobin, a tiny french angelfish, and many of the usual suspects. The bottom time was fifty-two minutes and nobody even began to feel a chill. It's ice cream weather! (One of the ice creams Carrie is holding is mine.) What a great backyard we have! Get in the water, Ham