Dive Report 12 November

Today we definitely experienced the effects of the big surf offshore (8' to 10'); we had six feet of vis and the water temperature dropped two degrees to seventy-seven. My two open water students, here from NY, were game to give it a go. I think it is a good experience to dive in not-so-easy conditions. We have many more opportunities to dive if we're not "cupcake divers." My two students are comfortable in the water and despite their misgivings at the start, we had a nice one hour, ten minute dive. They were in 3mm full suits and I was in a 5mm.(They are from up north! Nobody complained, and I didn't tell them what I was wearing). Of course, anything we saw was up close, but we managed to see a batfish, a searobin, a couple of sharptail eels, a pair of adult french anglefish, and many others. Navigation without surfacing was a challenge, but if one dives the bridge enough, the junk becomes welcome navigation aids. I just kept giving my student compass bearings and the very enthusiastic twelve-year-old guided the way. We had a bright, sunny day with an eighty degree air temperature. It was nice! Again and again, we don't know unless we go. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 11 November

Thirty feet or more of vis in water that ranged from eighty-one to seventy-nine degrees made for a very pleasant dive day. The much better than normal vis was a surprise. We could see the shadow of one set of pilings from another set; that is one hundred feet! A gorgeous spotted eagle ray glided over the sand just south of the first and second set of pilings. A bandtail searobin danced along the bottom just off the seawall between the beach and the intracoastal. A couple of sharptail eels foraged for their lunch. With the air temperature around eighty degrees on a bright, sunny day, it was definitely a good day to "get in the water", Ham

Dive Report 8 November

The north wind was STILL blowing! Underwater I couldn't care less, but getting out of the water after the dive requires Spartan discipline and resolve. The vis was shorter today at between ten to fifteen feet; that was to be expected considering the high surf outside the inlet. The water temperature was still seventy-seven. In my 5mm full suit I was very comfortable for our one hour, fifteen minute dive. My open water student in a 3mm full suit was fine; he was so engrossed with all the mini-lobsters that being cold didn't occur to him. He can't wait to get offshore with his lobster gear. We saw two species of searobins, a bandtail and a blackwing. Not looking like lobsters, my student wasn't particularly interested. We saw the octopus in the same lair and a couple of sharptail eels foraging about. I wrote a note on my slate about the "no taking of tropicals" regulation to a diver who was trying to catch a puffer fish in a yogurt cup. The puffer was way too fast for him anyway. It didn't need my help. Overall, it was a nice dive with very few divers in the water. What do I thank for that...a Monday morning or "less than cupcake conditions"? Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 7 November

"The north wind will blow and we will have snow!" Well, not snow, but the north wind was blowing at ten to fifteen knots. I don't know how to figure wind chill temperatures, but with a fifty degree temperature, the wind made it quite chilly. Mostly cloudy skies kept the sun from contributing even a psychological degree of warmth. Anyway, that was all above the water. IN the water, the conditions were great. We had twenty feet of vis in seventy-seven degree water. Yes, to those who are concerned about water temperature, that is the coldest we have had in a while, but it was much better than the seventy-five I experienced at the pool yesterday for two hours! In a 5mm full suit I was very comfortable for our one hour, twenty minute dive. We saw the bandtail searobin, an octopus, a school of blue runners, many small lobsters, two sharptail eels, atlantic spadefish, and other regulars. The challenge was getting OUT of the water. Our strategy was to dash from the water to a picnic table where we quickly got out of our gear and wetsuits, and put on big coats BEFORE we disassembled the gear and packed it into the van. It worked pretty well. I passed on my usual shower at the fish-cleaning table. A shower in a fifteen knot north wind did not appeal to me at all. The next stop was Dunkin Donuts on US 1. A cup of hot coffee was the perfect finishing touch (not including washing gear) to a very nice dive. Get in the water (with a strategy), Ham

Dive Report 31 October

Carrie, Bill (an open water student), and I arrived early for our Sunday afternoon dive anticipating a parking challenge, but parking was easy. There were no where near as many picnickers as there are in the summer. A bus full of eager open water students set up gear next to us at least giving us a "heads up" about what not to expect in terms of vis. But even before the kids entered the water we were aware that it had fallen off significantly from the thirty feet it was yesterday down to about ten to fifteen feet. It was pretty milky. The water temperature remained at seventy-nine which for me in my 5mm was very comfortable. Carrie in a 3mm fullsuit was quite chilled after our one hour, nineteen minute dive. We saw several little eels, most of which were spotted eels. The photograph is Bill's. A big school of intermediate horse-eye jacks hunted under the fishing pier not caring at all about our proximity to them. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon of diving! Get in the water, Ham