Dive Report 29 July

We figured the one place a million divers wouldn't be today was at the bridge and we were right! On such a gorgeous day for diving there were a few divers at the bridge who weren't caught up in lobster lunacy, and we saw only one diver under the east bridge while we were there. Sandy, two young recent advanced open water graduates, and I swam around the swimming area rather than carry our gear down the beach. We were rewarded with a flying gurnard and a striated frogfish. Further toward the east bridge we saw the tiniest blue angelfish juvenile I have ever seen in the little wreck that is just off the beach. Under the bridge were the usual snook, atlantic spadefish, gray and french angelfish, a sharptail eel, and the last three lobsters in southern Florida. Near the western seawall we found another striated frogfish and sharptail eel. While under the bridge in a sandy spot the boys practiced shooting a bag using a reel. I believe all advanced divers should be shooting bags offshore, at least from the safety stop. These kids know how. What a great place to practice skills and see incredible marine life. Our dive time was one hour, twenty-four minutes in eighty-six degree water with twenty feet of vis. The boys and I didn't wear wetsuits; we were very comfortable. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 27 July

Warm water to say the least! Eighty-six degrees! In a 3mm wetsuit I was almost too warm. I think I'm going back to my diveskin next time. We had twenty to thirty feet of vis for a beautiful early afternoon dive. We warned the half dozen or so lobsters that we saw to run for it while they can. Offshore temperatures have been in the low to mid eighties also. It's a great time of year to be diving! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 22 July

I have had my cup of coffee and I'm psyching myself for the lawn. Short vis today as the water was a little green from the rain. We had about ten feet of vis, and that was a cloudy ten. It's great for compass work and looking at the critters that are up close; we saw two mantis shrimp, one large and one small. My open water student was fascinated by the starfish and was really fascinated by the four or five lobsters that we saw, all shorts. Several people have asked about the rules regarding lobster at the bridge. I have not the slightest idea. I'm one of the seven people in Florida who doesn't care about them. The water was a degree warmer than yesterday so our one hour, three minute bottom time in eighty-two degree water was most pleasant. The parking lot looked as it did yesterday - empty. Nice! It was a beautiful morning to be in the water. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 21 July

The last time I saw the parking lot at Phil Foster look like this was Saturday evening after our dive as we surfaced into an approaching wild thunderstorm. When we entered the water at about 5:30 it was a sunny day with some gray clouds forming to the southwest. When we emerged from our dive, an hour and twenty minutes later, it appeared Dorothy and Toto were just about to leave Kansas. We didn't even break down our gear; everything went into the mobile dive shop jiffy quick and we took off just before the storm broke. What a light show on the way back to Jupiter! Wow! Anyway, that was Saturday evening. Today, Tuesday 21 July, high tide was at 8:03 am. Only real dive nuts get up early to dive at that hour. Tobin was there! An open water student, Tobin, and I made the usual route between the wrecks and under the bridge in 81 degree water. Vis on the flood side of high tide was about fifteen feet. On the ebb tide it got as low as three or four feet until we made the corner at the beach heading back east. We saw a batfish, one of the tiniest gray or french angelfish I have ever seen, a resident yellowhead jawfish who is always home, a mantis shrimp who would not come out to play, and a black grouper trying to hide in one of the small wrecks. There are also some lobsters around and, of course, the atlantic spadefish and the bermuda chub. Speeding stoplight parrotfishes mimic those who run red lights, cutting right in front of us. It was a beautiful morning at the bridge. I would have liked to have stayed with a cup of coffee to ease into the day, but I had some other responsibilities. BUT, tomorrow morning after my dive with my student, who is arriving with his parents, I am going to have that cup of coffee at the bridge and ease into the day (before I have to go home and mow the lawn). Thanks Tobin for pulling the flag! Get into the water, Ham

Dive Report 17 July

Typical south Florida afternoon - thunderstorms all around us. There is a very positive side to these storms; people leave the park so parking is much easier. Also, the picnic tables get a nice fresh water rinse. With overcast skies the vis was shorter at about twenty feet, maybe a little more. It was still easy to navigate to the wrecks that remain. An experienced advanced open water student, who needs an AOW card to be able to do some of the dives where dive operators require AOW, and I ventured off the beach almost due south to the center console wreck. We practiced in and out of our gear underwater which was good for me because I have a new BCD with which I had not practiced that skill. From there we went due west to the upside down wreck which is close to the channel (be very careful if you venture out to this one). Our next leg was a little north and then west to the sailboat wreck (we call it the 230 wreck because that is the compass heading from the beach). A 330 course from there took us back under the bridge where we measured fin kicks from one set of pilings to the next. Just before this the rain and lightning started to happen. Great light show. I can't count the number of times that has happened offshore. At first it seems a photographer is taking pictures. No photographer, must be lightning. It's never bothered me while I'm under water. Once offshore I nearly jumped out of my skin when we surfaced during a fast-moving electric storm and a bolt hit probably within a quarter of a mile. I suppose it is similar to playing PowerBall; there is a chance. Oh well. The water temperature was eighty-four. At the end of our one hour, twenty minute dive in just a skin I was thinking I might like a cup of soup for supper. The batfish were there. Carrie and our good friend, Rob, saw snook in the pilings and the "tiniest" gray or french angelfish she has ever seen. It was too tiny to tell! My student pointed out a big spotted moray just to the north of the fishing pier. (Lightning = no people on the fishing pier) There were also a couple of big lobsters in the sailboat wreck and just north of the fishing pier (Michele!). We capped off our wonderful dive with supper at the Sailfish Marina with our great friends, Rob and Sharon. Great day! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 16 July

The conditions are so good we just had to do a fun dive. The water temperature was eighty-six and the vis was greater than forty feet. I did the dive in a skin for one hour, thirty-five minutes and was never cold. We saw a bandtail searobin, a batfish, a tiny blue angelfish juvenile, a mantis shrimp making a new home, many gray and french angelfishes of all stages, and an octopus. Carrie, Chris, a diver getting back into diving, , and I had a wonderfully lazy dive. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 July

It's too hot for a wetsuit. I thought I would not be saying that, but at the bridge today with the water at eighty-six, it's too hot for even a 3mm suit. Next time I'm there (this Friday) I'm going to wear a skin and see how that goes. I at least need something to prevent the sun from burning me. Vis today was SPECTACULAR! It had to be forty feet plus. The conditions are about as good as it gets for whimpy divers so if you have been waiting for "cupcake" conditions, THEY ARE HERE! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 13 July

What a difference a couple of days can make! How many times have I said that? [3,210,975] Anyway, an eighty-four degree water temperature out at the channel and eighty-six off the beach made for a very comfortable one hour, twenty-three minute bottom time. Trish came here from Nebraska to avoid the frigid quarry experience and this time the sacrificing of the chickens worked. The vis was thirty to forty feet. It was like being in a wonderfully warm pool, but with yellowhead jawfish, an intermediate and an adult batfish, many french and gray angelfish juveniles and intermediates, and an octopus, besides all the other regulars. We actually started our predive briefing standing on the seawall where we saw a small spotted eagle ray. That was before we entered the water! Summer conditions are back! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 10 July

After several weeks out of the water, this happy camper, Tobin, has had a couple of nice dives in the last two days, one under the big bridge and today under the little east bridge. Today I was with a young student and her mother diving under the big bridge and the fishing pier (there was one man fishing from the pier). Carrie, Tobin, and some friends from the Philadelphia area dived under the little bridge. The water is a little green from all the rain we have been having. Vis was between ten and fifteen feet, sometimes shorter. The water was a degree or two colder today than yesterday at seventy-nine. Carrie reported many Atlantic Spadefish and many angelfishes. We saw pretty much the usual suspects as I was mostly watching my ten-year-old student. She did really well. At one point she caught her snorkel on an anchor line and her mask came off. Like an experienced diver she simply replaced her mask and cleared it. I was very impressed. I love, too, seeing the excitement of new divers as they see the starfish, the lobsters, the little flounders, the parrotfish, and all the other attractions. Nice day at the bridge with nice people. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 9 July

After a few weeks away from the bridge it was "back in the saddle" for a beautiful dive. The water was a little green as we have had some fresh water added EVERY afternoon for several weeks, but the vis was still generally about ten to fifteen feet. The water temperature was eighty-two which made for a very comfortable one hour, twenty-five minute dive in 3mm wetsuits. We were a group of seven certified divers, some of whom were getting back in the water after a long dry spell (ten years in one case!). What a great place to get "back in the saddle". We saw a batfish, the tiniest blue or queen angelfish I have ever seen (it was too small to tell), a sharptail eel almost completely in its hole with only its head sticking out (I've never seen that before), and somewhere between twelve to fifteen lobsters lined up in a row all facing out in shoulder-to-shoulder formation under the fishing pier (you should have seen that, Michele!). Scorpionfish were all over the bottom. And, of course, on a Thursday, practically nobody was there. Nice! Get in the water, Ham