Dive Report 29 May

Phenomenal dive at the bridge today! What a list of critters! We saw a juvenile lionfish, a stargazer, a bandtail searobin, a shortnose batfish, a yellowhead jawfish, a beautiful juvenile blue angelfish, and octopuses all over the dive site, two of them being either really friendly or really unfriendly; I know nothing about octopus behavior (it is spring, though). The vis was between twenty-five feet and thirty feet, exceptional for the bridge. The water temperature was eighty-two. In my 3mm suit and a 3mm hooded vest I was toasty. There were 3,056,712 dive students there, but the vis where we were, with a couple of exceptions, wasn't really affected. A warm, sunny day really topped it all off. What a great day to be there with old friends and new friends. It doesn't get any better. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 26 May

Sunrise dive at the bridge! Four of us had a beautiful sunrise to welcome us into the water. The vis was better than twenty feet. The water temperature was eighty-one. In my 3mm fullsuit with my 3mm hooded vest, I was toasty for my one-hour dive. My student wasn't feeling well so we came in before Carrie and our friend, Jac. Carrie was in a 5mm and Jac was in a 3mm; neither was chilled after their one-hour plus dive. There were still octopuses in several places. The southern ray and the "high fashion" urchin pictures were taken by Carrie. What a great way to start the day. We were on our way out of the park at 8:30. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 21 May

Sunny afternoon at the bridge with twenty feet of vis or better. The water temperature was eighty-one. I'm still in my 5mm for these hour and hour-plus dives, but my open water students in 3mm suits were very comfortable. One of them is demonstrating pretty good form (we will get the console tucked in). There are still octopuses everywhere we look. Two of them seemed to be getting quite friendly with each other. Spring may have something to do with that. Weekday dives at the bridge are so nice; there were very few divers there. Get in the water, Ham

Another gorgeous day at the bridge for the Jupiter Drift Divers dive and picnic. Many octopi, including one who was away from his lair and inked us when we came too close trying to take photos! The decorator crab was more willing to pose, along with a juvenile scrawled filefish, a striped burrfish, a porcupinefish and many juvenile grey angelfish. The water was 80 degrees with vis determined by the tide. We were all quite comfortable in our 3 and 5 mil suits for one hour and 40 minutes. Burgers and dogs were enjoyed by all, as well as delicious salads and desserts. What more could one ask for?

Dive, dive, dive! Carrie (Ham is on his way to instuctor training)

Dive Report 14 May

Another gorgeous day at the bridge; only the vis was better today than it was yesterday! We had a good twenty-five feet or better today. I was wearing a different computer that read seventy-nine throughout the dive. Carrie's computer read seventy-nine as well. I was in my drysuit with a light undergarment practicing for an upcoming course so water temperature wasn't really a factor for me today. Carrie had a little chill toward the end of the one hour, thirty-one minute dive in her 5mm full suit. We saw four batfish at various places throughout the dive. The octopus count was up to eight when I quit counting. Little lobsters numbered at least two dozen. The grande finale was a frogfish in the sand on our exit in four feet of water. Remember that this Sunday, May 16 is the Jupiter Drift Divers picnic. We'll be at the bridge about 9:00am. I've made a salad that is seasoning in the refrigerator! (No jalapenos) Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 13 May

What a gorgeous morning for a dive! The 8:22 high tide was perfect. We were at the bridge at 7:15 watching a bright sun rise over the tall buildings on Singer Island. The air temperature was about seventy-five with only a gentle easterly breeze. Our vis was in excess of twenty feet. The water temperature was eighty-one. Again, there were octopuses all over the dive site. We saw six of them. Our real present was the little seahorse in the grass just off the beach in about six feet of water. In my 5mm suit I was absolutely toasty. My student in a 3mm suit was very comfortable for our one hour, eleven minute dive. From the bridge my student went to work; I went to Dunkin' Donuts for a couple of bagels and a big cup of coffee. What a great way to start the day! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 8 May

The water temperature was eighty-one! It's time to get back in if you've been waiting for the eighties. We had great vis, too. Twenty feet plus even with the weekend hoards of students. It is still octopus week as we saw six or seven, in one place two together. A batfish was out by the "upside-down wreck". There are many little lobsters in the "canyon". We've been watching juvenile highhats that can't be more than a sixteenth of an inch long, maybe a thirty-second; they are exceptionally tiny. The tough part about getting out of the water on the weekend is the smell of all the food on the grills. I'm already hungry and then to be subjected to wonderful picnic smells. Wow! (Remember the Jupiter Drift Divers picnic on next Sunday, May 16.) My two students were in 3mm full suits for our one hour twenty-seven minute dive. They were comfortable in the warm water. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 6 May

FROGGIE III! No kidding! BUT...there were TWO frogfishes where yesterday there was one. I think spring has something to do with it. We also saw a web burrfish, a batfish, a bandtail searobin (smallest one I've ever seen), and at least ten octopuses. They were everywhere. We watched one capture an almost-dead cowfish and drag it to its lair. Big octopus. Little lobsters are all over the "canyon". We had fifteen to twenty feet of vis in seventy-nine degree water. I was comfortable in my 5mm fullsuit and 3mm hooded vest, but our student was cold in a 3mm fullsuit at the end of our one hour, thirty-two minute dive. Getting out of the water into an air temperature of eighty-seven was nice. We could see thunderstorms forming to the southwest, but they didn't reach us before we cleaned up and left the park. What a great day at the bridge! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 5 May

RETURN OF FROGGIE - THE SEQUEL. No kidding, the frogfish that Carrie so carefully moved to a spot away from the beach to safeguard it, was right back today at the same spot from which she removed it. There was a batfish, a bandtail searobin, and an octopus hiding in a bottle. The water was between seventy-seven and seventy-nine on my computer; I checked it several times. In a 5mm suit and 3mm hooded vest I was quite comfortable for the entire one hour, eighteen minute dive. The vis was again about ten feet, a little more in some areas, a little less in others. The sky was sunny and the air temperature was about eighty-five. It's so nice to get out in the warm weather. Our two students were chilled at the end of the dive. Both were in 3mm full suits. Nevertheless, there are two more divers who have seen a frogfish. How many cans say that? Get in the water, Ham (On Sunday, May 16 the Jupiter Drift Divers are doing a bridge dive followed by a picnic. The high tide is at 10:37 so if you are there by a little after nine o'clock, you can leisurely gear up for the dive. Come join this fun group of folks.)

Dive Report 3 May

It has been a fabulous several days at the bridge; this is the first time I've had a moment to write about them. Today, after our pre-dive safety check, Carrie discovered a frogfish in three to four feet of water right off the beach. There was absolutely nothing around it. Fascinating. Later on we saw a baby octopus and on our return to the beach after our one hour, twenty-six minute dive, we came across a stargazer! In the photo you can see its eyes and mouth. I've included a picture of the seahorse we saw a couple of days ago. Our vis has been in the ten to fifteen feet range. The water temperature today was seventy-seven. In my 5mm suit and 3mm hooded vest I didn't start to get cold. Our students in 3mm full suits were chilled at the end. What a great time to be diving. With the air temperatures in the mid to high eighties and water temperatures approaching the high seventies, its time to "Get in the water," Ham