The water was THIRTY degrees warmer than the air temperature! An open water student and I had a beautifully sunny day, but the wind out of the northwest was a bit chilly to say the least. There weren't many divers at Phil Foster; odd for a Saturday, but not a Saturday with breezy temperatures in the forties. Anyway, the water temperature was seventy-three and the vis was about ten feet. The rough water offshore and the inland water chop has lifted sand into the water reducing the vis. We saw a couple of southern rays, several lobster, the ever-friendly school of spadefish, the zooming-about stoplight parrotfish, and, to reward us for braving the elements, an enormous MANATEE! RIGHT UP CLOSE! Incredible. It was very close to shore in four feet of water. We got a real good look at it. What a thrill for my student's first dive! My student was in two three millimeter wetsuits and was comfortable for our fifty-five minute dive. I was in my drysuit. The bridge always seems to have a reward for the effort. Get in the water, Ham
