Dive Report 29 August

We started our bridge day with a picnic under a gorgeous sunny sky. BUT, this is southern Florida in the summer so the afternoon meant a wild thunderstorm coming through, actually two thunderstorms. The wind was so strong that the rain was driven under the bridge all the way across. The only shelter was behind the concrete pillars. We saw it coming and stowed all the picnic gear so it was exciting rather than a nuisance. After the thunderstorms two open water students and I did an hour and thirteen minute dive. There was a large school of medium-sized horse-eye jacks out by the channel. With the return of large schools of baitfish we are seeing blue runners frequently as well. The water was eighty-four to eighty-six degrees. I did not need the 3mm suit I was wearing. The rain has shortened the vis to between five and fifteen feet. It didn't matter; we had a great time. A bridge picnic with a few "Arnold Palmers (tea and lemonade)" and a bridge dive! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 26 August

Warm water at the bridge today; too hot for a wetsuit! At between 86 and 88 degrees the water is just too warm for a wetsuit. The recent torrential downpours in the mornings and afternoons have contributed to relatively short vis. It was only about ten feet today and sort of green. I was working with a refresher student while Carrie and a friend poked around looking for the elusive frogfish. Some friends diving under the east bridge said they saw two over there, but under the big bridge we saw none. We did encounter a batfish though by the sailboat wreck under the pontoon platform. There seemed to be many gray angelfish of all stages among the pilings. Beautiful day at the bridge; just have to watch out to not be sun-burned. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 19 August

A very odd day at the bridge. Before I left the house at a little after 6:00am I saw on the local news that there was a search being conducted for a missing swimmer and that the local news stations had set up at Phil Foster to catch any action. So at least I was expecting the Park to not be so quiet as it usually is on a weekday early in the morning. With the remnants of tropical storm Ana coming through in cloud bursts and lightning in the distance, there were very few people at the bridge besides the news crews and a member of the sheriff's office. The sheriff's deputy asked us politely to not go in the area east of the swimming area as they considered it a potential crime scene. I inquired about going west under the big bridge with my open water student. He probably realized at that point that we were not interested in participating in a recovery operation and said we could go. As the squalls blew through there was a pretty good chop that I could feel through the dive flag and reel. Flashes of lightning occurred a couple of times as the skies became darker, and we could see the rain pelting the water, but it was peaceful where we were. We did the usual route for open water students visiting the wrecks and then going under the bridge to the edge of the boat channel. It was yellow stingray day as we saw at least five. My student rescued a little hermit crab from an octopus who was reluctant to let go of it. Fascinating to watch. A couple of lobster are still under the fishing pier. After the dive, with apparently no action to report, news reporters approached us probably for lack of something better to do. My friend and my student each granted a little interview to the "newsthirsty" reporters. Always something different at the bridge. Yesterday a colleague at the shop asked if I ever tire of the bridge. My response, "Never!" Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 17 August

I've been falling behind on my reports. We dived on a 6:41 pm high tide and didn't get home at what I consider a decent hour. (If I told you my regular bedtime I'd never hear the end of it.) Anyway, the conditions were gorgeous. We had thirty feet plus of vis in 86 degree water. Parking was not a problem on a Monday afternoon. (We were at the bridge on Sunday afternoon, too, and we were VERY LUCKY to get a parking spot as a car pulled out right in front of us. I attribute it to clean living.) I will be at the bridge at 7:00 am on Wednesday for a 7:51 high tide. I still haven't been wearing a wetsuit and I'm still toasty after more than an hour in the water. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report

The water is so nice and warm. Two divers doing a refresher with Carrie, and four open water students and I did one hour twenty minutes without exposure suits. The water temperature is eighty-six. The vis was a little disappointing at fifteen to twenty feet. West Palm got some strong showers this morning; maybe that was the cause. Nevertheless, a gorgeous dive! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 9 August

What a great dive day for the Jupiter Drift Divers dive/picnic! We started off with breakfast goodies and coffee to make sure we would get a good spot for gear set up and picnicking. At about 10:40 we entered the eighty-eight degree water to enjoy the twenty feet of vis. Divers were entertained by the batfish, flying gurnards, highhats, gray angels of all sizes, and myriad other fish and critters. One of my buddies, Steve, and I wore no exposure suits; I was glad I didn't wear my 3mm wetsuit because it was just too warm for me. Carrie was fine in her worn-out, but comfortable-and-hate-to-throw-it-away 3mm wetsuit. The post-dive picnic was fabulous as many divers brought salads and desserts to supplement the grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. By one count there were 47 participants. A special thanks to Veronica and Stan who contribute so much to making the Jupiter Drift Divers a very active and fun club. Check out the link and join if you are not already a member! Get in the water, Ham

Picnic Reminder! Sunday 10 August

Reminder to all that the Jupiter Drift Divers are having a picnic after the bridge dive this Sunday, August 10. High tide is at 11:10 so plan on being there at least an hour earlier than that if you want to dive. If you are not a member of this very active club, this is a great opportunity to meet many of the club members and find out what the Club has planned for the next few months. Hope to see you at the bridge. Get in the water, Ham