Dive Report 23 January

GREAT PICNIC! The diving was pretty good, too. The north wind really stirs up the intracoastal so the vis was a short eight to ten feet, and that's BEFORE the open water students entered the water. No two ways about it either, it's winter and the water temperature was a wintry sixty-eight. My student in a 3mm fullsuit and a hooded vest was fine, but his girlfriend in a 2.5 was very cold at the forty minute mark. I would not have lasted half as long as she did if I were in my wetsuit. Carrie did pretty well in her 5mm fullsuit and 3mm hooded vest. She did a sixty-three minute dive. The tough part, of course, for the wet divers is getting out into a stiff breeze from the north. It helps to have a strategy for getting into dry clothes quickly. The divers from the Jupiter Drift Divers reported sighting a northern stargazer, several batfish, an octopus, a pipefish, and a seahorse among many others. The only manatee sighting was from the seawall as the vis was so short they could have been close and we would not have seen them. Eating hotdogs and hamburgers and salads and dessert goodies with the Jupiter Drift Divers after the dive is always a good time. For such wintry conditions the club had a pretty good showing with about twenty people. It was nice to catch up with friends and meet new divers. That's really what the club is all about, and the diving. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 January

SPECTACULAR day at the bridge! A school of twenty to thirty cow-face stingrays raced around us out at the boat channel. Unbelievable! They zipped around so fast none of us got a picture. On top of that the manatees were in several places and easy to photograph. The barracuda is eating a flounder! Batfish! Vis off the beach was twenty feet plus. By the boat channel it was down to ten feet, but there were also MANY students in the water working on trim and buoyancy. The water temperature was seventy-two. We were in the water almost two hours. Our students at the end were chilled even though one was wearing two wetsuits. Thank you to Michele and Norman for the photos; I was preoccupied with student activities. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 14 January

Yes, I'm there every day and I'll be there again tomorrow! However, today was fantastically different from yesterday. 24 hours. Incredible. We had twenty feet of vis or more off the beach. It was swimming pool clear. As soon as we started the dive a manatee was right there. One hour, twenty minutes later as we made our turn to exit there were TWO manatees at the same spot where the other had been. We gave them plenty of space and still got some decent pictures because of the vis. When we see them while snorkeling they allow us to get very close. When we approach with SCUBA they start to move when we are still some distance. If you see them and want to get closer without disturbing them, try going to the surface and using your snorkel. Be very slow and quiet with minimum movement. If they move, back off. The water temperature was seventy-two. Under the fishing pier and out at the boat channel the vis was substantially shorter, probably ten feet. Nevertheless, my navigation student who led the dive and a "tag-along" diver were treated to one of winter's best offerings, the manatees! Neither diver, both in 3mm wetsuits, mentioned being cold. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 13 January

Two students and I were doing rescue exercises while Carrie did a dive under the fishing pier and out to the boat channel. Off the beach we had about ten feet of vis. Carrie reported that at the boat channel the vis was maybe eight feet. There was a very rough chop as the wind was strong right out of the north. (The photograph is not from the bridge). That really stirs things up. I was amazed we had ANY vis, but since we were doing a search and rescue it didn't matter to us. Carrie saw the gorgeous butter hamlet on the junk pile under the fishing pier; the beautiful yellow fish has been there for quite some time. The water temperature was seventy. In her 5mm with a 3mm hooded vest Carrie was comfortable. I'll be in my drysuit for the next two months I figure. My student in a 3mm wetsuit with a hooded vest was pretty cold, but we were on the surface for much of the exercise and the wind was HOWLING! For divers in wetsuits getting out of the water into that wind is a challenge. On our way north back to the Jupiter Dive Center we now stop, more often than not, for a cup of coffee. I don't want to appear insensitive so I have one, too. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 12 January

With only ten feet of vis Mother Nature was telling us to look at the little stuff. We were rewarded by two seahorses and a neck crab. My eyes discovered none of the three. Carrie found the seahorses and my navigation student found the neck crab. The water temperature was seventy degrees. For our one hour, twelve minute dive Carrie was in a 5mm suit with a 3mm hooded vest. Despite feeling a little restrained, she reported that she was comfortable. My student, a young man from Ohio, was fairly comfortable in his 3mm suit and .5mm hooded vest. I was in my drysuit. I make no apologies. Bundle up and get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 8 January

Manatees again! The sixty-eight degree water might have something to do with it. I had three students in 3mm fullsuits. One was frozen ten minutes after entering the water. The other two did the one hour, twelve minute dive in relative comfort. I was in my drysuit and toasty. Carrie was in a 5mm with a light hooded vest (.5mm body, 3mm hood); she said she was pretty comfortable. The vis was eight to ten feet and pretty milky. Nevertheless, a manatee came by very close to us by the seawall that goes to the fishing pier from the beach. Batfish were on display as was the little yellow-head jawfish that has lived for MONTHS by the southern end of the third set of pilings. I love watching it "dance" to get its food. There is fabulous marine life at the bridge if you have figured out how to deal with the cold water. P.S. We saw five lemon sharks offshore at "Captain Mike's" on Thursday. BIG SHARKS! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 4 January

We had over twenty feet of vis in seventy-two degree water. With the air temperature in the sixties even getting out of the water was comfortable (especially for me because I'm in my drysuit!) My students and a "tag-along" were in 3mm suits for our ninety minute dive. They all said they felt fine, but I must note two of them are not Floridians and think my drysuit is way over the top. Anyway, we were more focused on advanced open water skills, especially blowing a bag, than on sightseeing, but we did manage to come across this searobin. There were a couple of other divers there, but with the 8:09 high tide and the Tuesday morning, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Get in the water, Ham