No photos this time; I had an eleven-year-old open water student and was very much focused on the job at hand. The thunderstorms, we were told, were wild as they came through Riviera Beach. I noticed that the reel/flag was bobbing quite a bit, but it was so peaceful where we were. It was dark, but the vis was at least fifty feet. It was absolutely exceptional. I did not need my compass to navigate; I could see all of my navigation markers (aka junk on the bottom). My student's father, waiting for us under the bridge, experienced howling winds, a good sand-blasting, and horizontal rain for about five or ten minutes. My student and I saw some flashes and could see the rain hitting the surface, but it was so peaceful under water. The water temperature was eighty-two. I was very comfortable, but my seventy pound (if that) little student was frozen in his shorty the minute we entered the water. It was a job to get him to focus on completing the skill set instead of how cold he was. Many divers are diving the bridge and offshore now without exposure suits. (Offshore is spectacular right now with 80' to 100' of vis in 82 degree water). I still need my 3mm, but my little student probably would be warmer with about twenty more pounds of insulation that most of us carry naturally. I'm back at the Bridge on Thursday with a couple of open water students. I believe it will be spectacular. The octopuses are still everywhere. Get in the water, Ham
A frogfish made the dive absolutely fabulous! I had a really good open water student who zipped through the skill set and allowed us plenty of time to look at the treasures of the Bridge. Our one hour, thirty minute dive yielded not only the frogfish, but well over a dozen octopuses and an eel that might be a goldspotted eel. I'm having the photo checked out. We saw three yellow garden eels, but I have yet to get a photo. The vis was about fifteen feet. The water temperature was a toasty eighty-two. We were in three millimeter suits and quite comfortable. Get in the water, HamWe had eighty-two degree water and twenty feet of vis before the 7,863,459.2 dive students entered the water. Admittedly, one of my students who is still struggling with the concept of trim added to the demise of vis, but the Bridge on weekends is a place of beginners. I certainly kicked up my share of the silt on the bottom of Lake George in New York as I began my discovery of buoyancy control and trim. The high point of the day, however, was the Jupiter Drift Divers picnic following the dive. Many thanks to Veronica, Stan, and all the club members for making it a very fun event. I look forward to those picnics and always place them on my calendar as soon as they are announced. If you are not a club member you might consider joining this fun group of diving folks. We always have a good time. Get in the water, Ham
Tobin and I had twenty feet of vis in eighty-one degree water for our two hour dive. Tobin was in a 3mm suit and said he began to feel a bit cool towards the end; I was testing buoyancy/scuba rig weight combinations in a 5mm. Needless to say, I was toasty. There are still octopuses everywhere. We saw over two dozen. The jawfish is very cooperative with photographers as they wait in line to photograph it. It is just west southwest of the fishing pier. The little blue angelfish intermediate evaded my camera for quite a while, but I got this photo. There was a spotted eagle ray, a southern ray, three yellow garden eels (I can't get even close to get a picture. Six or seven feet away they duck into their hole.), a batfish, a sharptail eel, several yellow stingrays, and a gorgeous queen angelfish intermediate on the upside down wreck. Conditions are fantastic. Get in the water, Ham
