Dive Report 29 July

I thought the parking lot might be jammed with mini-season lobster hunters, but there were only a few cars there. The visibility was again 40' plus and the water temperature was 84. Carrie, a fellow diver, Jim, my two open water students, and I were wearing only dive skins for our one hour, twenty-six minute dive. No one mentioned being cool. Out by the boat channel in "the canyon" I saw dive friend Mike taking pictures. I knew he wouldn't be taking a picture unless he had something very special. Looking at his subject I saw a stargazer on top of the sand! Mike later identified it as a northern stargazer. I've seen them buried in the sand at the bridge and I've seen them swimming at the bridge, but this one stayed stationary for us as we took photos! Absolutely incredible! Two batfish cooperated with the camera as well. Warm, clear water with good friends...great day to be diving. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 27 July

Conditions are absolutely superb! We had 40' or better of visibility today in 86 degree water. The combination of bright sun, a morning dive, and an uncrowded weekday, all added up to just a glorious day to be there. I was supposed to have an open water student, but he postponed due to a health problem; that meant a goof-off dive for me! A friend came along with me as Carrie introduced a ten-year-old to the Discover Scuba program. We watched a sharptail eel hunt for breakfast and a yellowhead jawfish do the same. A scorpionfish almost nailed a pufferfish for breakfast, but the puffer was too quick. An octopus was standing tall apparently looking for its mid-morning snack. For our one hour, twenty-four minute dive we wore dive skins. It is so nice to not be wearing a wetsuit. Conditions are optimum right now! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 24 July

We don't know unless we go! That was surely the case today as I thought that after the serious rain storms from Bonnie, the water dumped from the canals by the Army Corps of Engineers, and several days of rough seas, that there would be no visibility at the bridge. One of my students called me Friday night to ask if we were still diving Saturday morning on a 7:44 am high tide. I learned quite some time ago that I don't know unless I go. So, the dive was on and we were pleasantly surprised by ten feet or so of vis. Granted, that is not great, but it is very doable and my three open water students, a certified diver, Carrie, and I had a very nice one hour, nineteen minute dive. Little lobsters are everywhere. A batfish has taken up residence under the little wreck west of the Sumar. It has been there for several days. The students saw several sharptail eels and scorpionfish. In eighty-four degree water only one of us (not me) was wearing a thin wetsuit. The rest of us were either in a dive skin or using no exposure suit. No one was cold or even cool. A very nice advantage to early-morning diving is the parking availability. No problem finding a spot. "You don't know unless you go" certainly did not originate with me, but I certainly like to live by it as best I can. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 20 July

The rough seas offshore have stirred up the sand and reduced the vis at the bridge to ten feet. The water is a wonderfully warm eighty-six degrees that requires no wetsuit as far as I'm concerned. My two students were in swim shorts and T-shirts. For our one hour, twenty minute dive we were very comfortable. We saw a bandtail searobin, a couple of batfish, and an octopus besides many other of the usual residents. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 16 July

An hour and fifty-three minutes in eighty-four degree water with fifteen to twenty feet of vis! It doesn't get much better! In addition, we found a fish, the identity of which is a mystery to us. It is the first picture. There is always something I have not seen before at the bridge. Carrie came face-to-face with an adult spotted eagle ray. An adult southern ray cruised the beach in six feet of water. Several batfish posed calmly for the camera as did the yellow head jawfish. An ocotpus did a beautiful swim for us. (I did not chase it.) I watched a sharptail eel search for its lunch. Tobin and I were in dive skins while Carrie was wearing a two mm suit. We were all toasty warm. Even though it was a weekday, there were quite a few cars there. You can't blame folks for wanting to be in the water on such a perfect day for it. It's time! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 14 July

I have actually been to the bridge a couple of times in the last week, but with many students I have had little time to sit down and report. Several days ago the bridge water temperature dropped down to 77. Offshore temperatures were in the low sixties! Today, however, the water temperature was a warm 84. I was in my 3mm fullsuit, but I would rather have been in a dive skin. Visibility was fair to good. Near the beach it was fifteen to twenty feet, but out by the channel it was closer to ten to fifteen feet. Carrie, my open water students, and refresher students enjoyed over seventy minutes of dive time. Nobody was chilled. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 8 July

It's nice to go away (Carrie and I went to Palau and Yap) and it's nice to come home. A beautiful dive at the bridge today reminded me how wonderful that dive is. An open water student and I enjoyed 86 degree water with no wet suits. We were comfortable for our one hour, fifteen minute dive. Vis was better than usual at between twenty and thirty feet. In the bright late afternoon sun it was a beautiful dive. We saw four separate batfish and several octopuses, and we weren't even trying! Get in the water! Ham