Dive Report 15 December

This close-range photo of my student tells the story, very short vis. It was never more than four or five feet. We were doing an Advanced Open Water navigation dive so the short vis did not stop us; the compass was more important than usual. We really could not see much. After doing the skill work just south of the east bridge we ventured under the bridge into the shortest vis I have experienced there. A couple of snook ran into us otherwise we would not have seen them. We swam under the bridge, turned around, and swam out from under the bridge. There was not much reason to be there. The water temperature was seventy-five at its coldest although much of the time my computer indicated the temperature at seventy-seven. Despite the short vis we still did a one hour, twenty-five minute dive. I was very comfortable in my five millimeter suit and hooded vest. If you really need to get in the water, it is doable. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 4 December

I love diving at the Bridge on a weekday morning; we own it! Parking is not a problem (I refuse to use the word "issue"). Vis was fifteen to twenty feet off the beach, but in certain areas it fell off to eight to ten feet. For the most part, the vis was very good. The water temperature was seventy-eight so in my five millimeter suit I was comfortable for our one hour, twenty-nine minute dive. The little seahorse by the seawall was still there. Flying gurnards and searobins are in the neighborhood right now. With a bright, sunny day it was a fantastic day to be at the bridge. Conditions are very good! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 2 December

We had a beautiful, sunny day at the Bridge with much better than expected vis. What a change from Friday! After Friday's milky eight feet I expected pretty much the same. What a pleasant surprise to have twenty-plus feet off the beach. Under the west bridge out by the boat channel the vis was quite a bit shorter with distances varying between eight and ten feet. It was probably a function of many student divers as is usually the case on a weekend. Nevertheless, a student and I saw two batfish, a flying gurnard, a small spotted eagle ray, a southern ray, and the convention of sheepshead which seem to be everywhere. (They remind me of Milton Berle). The water temperature was seventy-seven, but I never felt chilled during our one hour, three minute dive. The bright sun definitely plays a role in temperature perception for me. Parking was not a problem even for a Sunday morning high tide. The great vis was quite a gift and shows we never know until we go. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 30 November

When the diver I was supposed to guide did not show up at the Bridge it was "Ham Mason's Day Off"! I entered the water at 8:45 for a 9:08 high tide, but I still got an hour and fifteen minute dive. The water temperature was seventy-seven; in my 5mm suit with a light hooded vest I was comfortable. Visibility varied from eight to ten feet with the water being milky everywhere. There were several flying gurnards scavenging about, none of whom were cooperative for the camera. They would spread their wings a little, but they did not want their picture taken. Oh well. Underwater photographer I am not so I looked for something that does not move much. A diver pointed out two seahorses to me which I would not have seen without her help. They were just off the beach by the seawall under the west bridge. On my way back along the beach in five feet of water I found another seahorse on my own! You can see why; it is a black seahorse against white sand. The other two that were pointed out to me were in grassy stuff and well hidden. There were reports from other divers of seahorse observations so apparently something is going on with them. Go see them! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Reprot 16 November

At least the water was not freezing; it was seventy-nine degrees. In my five millimeter suit I was toasty for the sixty-three minute dive south of the east bridge. And the parking was easy for our Friday 9:54 high tide dive. And the air temperature was mild. And my student was only twenty minutes late. Could have been worse.  (I'm thinking. I'm thinking. There has to be some more good stuff.) BUT......vis was six feet. That was doable for my advanced open water student who was doing compass and bag/finger spool skills. As we were preparing to inflate the bags from depth we almost ran into another student and instructor who were doing the same thing. We did not see them until they were... SIX feet away. Whoops. Excuse us; we'll just move over here. I brought the camera; I did not take any pictures. We saw some curious bar jacks who were entertained by our signal marker and finger spool exercises. A few yellow stingrays were hiding in the sand hoping we would not disturb them as we passed over them. After slack high tide the flotsam in the water was pretty thick. The high tide was one of the highest I have seen there completely surrounding the lifeguard station with 6" to 12" of water. It is November in south Florida.  Get in the water  (just do it), Ham

Dive Report 21 October

The water at the Bridge was quite green from all the fresh water runoff from whatever sources reducing the vis to about ten feet. The water temperature was a very pleasant eighty-two degrees for our one hour, sixteen minute dive. Three advanced open water students and I practiced blowing surface markers with finger spools and compass work. An intermediate spotted eagle ray flew by us, but the vis was short and I was too slow for a picture. The accompanying photo I believe is a juvenile scrawled cowfish. Carrie and I could not find a picture of one, but we see many adults at the bridge so that is my best guess. Parking was not a problem as I arrived three hours before the slack high tide. I was entertained by a swimmer being swept by the current around the seawall under the west bridge. There was no danger; it was so far ahead of the high tide that all he had to do was to stand up to get back around. A boater also drove his boat, filled with guests, right into the snorkeling area where boats are prohibited by large white buoys, RIGHT IN FRONT OF NOT ONE, BUT TWO COAST GUARD BOATS!!! There are fools and there are damn fools. The Coast Guard captain was very patient with the "skipper" of the errant boat. Incredible. It reminded me of the time last year when a "skipper" steered his forty feet plus sailboat through a dozen dive flags rather than through the BOAT CHANNEL! That "skipper" was finally fined. That's not all. I watched four divers enter the very brown, tannic water three hours before the slack high tide only to be swept from the eastern edge of the swim area well past the western side in minutes, only to finally ascend and decide that the current was too fast and the vis was too short to do a dive. That "dive" must have been an "experience-builder" for the four. I think they learned a great deal. It's all good. Nobody was hurt. Best of all, I was quite entertained.  There is plenty to see at the Bridge, below and ABOVE the water!

Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 29 September

I'll do a Saturday dive at the Bridge if it is an early morning high tide and today we hit the jackpot! The high tide was at 8:23 so my advanced open water student and I were there at around 7:00. It was a gorgeous drive from Hobe Sound starting with the almost full moon hiding in and out of the clouds to the west. Numerous lightning storms moving onshore illuminated the drive to Singer Island. Once at Phil Foster the sun was coming up and the rain had stopped, but most importantly, there was plenty of parking. That is the benefit of the early-morning high tide on Saturdays and Sundays. The vis was better than twenty feet, the best I have seen in quite some time. The water temperature was eighty-two so I was very comfortable in my 3mm for our one hour, seventeen minute dive. During our skill exercises just south of the east bridge we saw the biggest spotted eagle ray I have ever seen at the bridge. My student and I were at the surface just having completed a spool and bag exercise when the eagle ray glided below us. Spectacular! In the same neighborhood we found a grumpy-looking batfish who let me take one good picture before losing patience with me. Kind of grumpy. Under the east bridge we saw two flying gurnards, one of which cooperated for a photo with the little bar jack who was interested in anything the gurnard might stir up from the sand. There is still some green water after the tide turns and there were some jellyfish, but neither detracted from what was just an absolutely great dive at the bridge. I didn't want to leave. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 16 September

"It ain't easy being green." At least it isn't easy diving in green water. The fresh water run-off from Isaac and the recent almost-daily thunder showers have given the water at the bridge a strong green color with vis of less than ten feet. Normally I avoid weekend dives at the bridge, but since today's high tide was at 9:02 I knew parking would not be a problem (the word "issue" is overused!).
My four advanced open water students were willing to get up early so we braved the low vis and attacked our skill set which involved compass and bag work using finger spools. The vis was good enough for what we needed to do, but when we started to venture under the east bridge to look around it was so dark that I decided to abandon the under-bridge exploration and return to somewhat brighter water south of the bridge. The water temperatue was eighty-two which was very nice for our one hour, thirty-one minute dive. In a three millimeter suit I was very comfortable. If the "newbies" kicked up the bottom, it was the perfect day to do so; nobody would be able to tell the difference! Get in the water (even if it's green), Ham

Dive Report 30 August

Hurricane Isaac's rainfall dumped plenty of fresh water on south Florida and that runoff reduced vis at the bridge to eight feet. Four divers doing a refresher were on a schedule so we did the dive more to get comfortable in the water again rather than look at fish and critters. From time to time the vis was less than eight feet. The water temperature was eighty-two, a little cooler than the eighty-four to eighty-six that it has been. I wore a rash guard and a thin hooded vest for our fifty-four minute dive and was quite comfortable. We saw a southern ray, a yellow stingray, french, gray, blue, and queen angelfish. For conditions that I thought would be marginal, we actually had a successful dive.
Get in the water (even if it's a little green), Ham

Dive Report 19 August

The barge and tug were removed from the site where rocks are being placed to create habitat. I don't know if that is for the weekend only or the work is finished. There are several rock piles that will, we hope, be habitat for fish and critters as the little wrecks that were removed used to be. We will see. Vis was better than twenty feet and the water temperature was eighty-four. I was comfortable in a rash guard for our one hour, forty-one minute dive. The high tide was at 10:11 so because it was a Sunday morning, I arrived at 7:30 with a cup of coffee only to meet friends who were thinking the same thing. We sat at a picnic table enjoying our coffee welcoming the morning with our cars parked in the premium spaces close to the beach. On the weekends parking is the challenge so an early arrival is a strategy shared by bridge regulars. Usually I avoid the bridge if the weekend high tide is later in the day, but Sunday's 10:11 high tide was early enough to beat the picnickers. My advanced open water student and I practiced skills to the south of the east bridge. On our way to it we saw yellow garden eels which are labeled as uncommon in Florida. After our bag and reel practice we saw an octopus, a batfish, and a small flying gurnard. It was another great day at the bridge; being there with friends made it all the sweeter. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 August

Two advanced open water students and I did a "sunrise" dive today as their schedule allowed few options. The slack high tide almost coincided with the sunrise. We waited for light, but we could have a done a night dive specialty. Anyway, there was definitely an advantage to the very early high tide; the work being done to build habitat off of the beach had not started and killed the vis. We enjoyed twenty feet of vis in eighty-two degree water. I thought it would be warmer so I wore only a rash guard and a thin hooded vest. At the end of our one hour, seventeen minute dive I was actually starting to feel a chill. As we returned from our dive under the big bridge the starting of the engines of the tug attached to the barge was quite loud. I surfaced to see what was happening to be sure that we were well clear of the tug and barge. They are just off the beach putting large stones on the bottom to create the new habitat. We moved east in shallow water to the little center console wreck to do skill work, but the activity on the barge reduced the vis to very short very quickly. I assume the work will go on for several days or longer during normal working hours so that anyone considering a dive under the big bridge might run into the short vis problem. Obviously, being anywhere near the barge and tug is extremely dangerous. Options are to dive under the east bridge for a while or dive on the weekends when the work might not be happening. In any case, be aware that the habitat-building operation is going on and it is definitely something to avoid. Get in the water (probably under the little bridge), Ham

Dive Report 7 August

It's been a month since I last dived the bridge. It was a beautiful, sunny WEEKday (with parking spaces) to get back into the water under the big bridge. A Discover Scuba student, her aunt, and I enjoyed eighty-eight degree water and twenty feet of vis (before we went through). By the end of the dive my student was actually keeping her feet up pretty well; it just took a while for her to get the hang of buoyancy and trim. For her first time in SCUBA gear she did really well. I was wearing a rash guard and a hooded vest (to protect my head from the sun). With the water as warm as it is I'm glad I wasn't wearing a wetsuit. For a weekday, there were quite a few divers enjoying the great conditions. You can't blame them. I'm glad I was there! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 6 July

Carrie, two refresher students, and I enjoyed twenty-plus feet of vis and eighty-four degree water. I thought about wearing a skin, but opted for my 3mm; I comfortably could have worn the skin. Thousands of bait fish surrounded us at many points of the dive. We saw two batfish and two flying gurnards, one of which had only one "wing". There were  quite a few people there for a Friday, but parking was not a problem for the eleven o'clock high tide. It's a great time to Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 26 June

The outer bands of tropical storm Debby kicked up wind gusts in excess of 30mph at the bridge giving us a good sand-blasting before we moved to a picnic table close to the fishing pier to get away from the beach. I had made no promises to my three young diving companions warning them from the start that with all the wind from the southwest and all the rain from the last twenty-four hours, it was unlikely that we would be able to see well enough to dive. The sea was all of one to two feet in a very serious chop. We looked at rough green water and were not optimistic. Nevertheless, I grabbed my mask and fins and did an exploratory swim off the beach toward the little wreck. To my amazement (and to the joy of my charges!) we had ten to twelve feet of vis in somewhat milky water. I couldn't believe it. We assembled our gear and entering the rough water, enjoyed an hour and five minutes in eighty-two degree water. We encountered the batfish off the beach where the blue sailboat used to be moored. A flying gurnard displayed its wings for us and bait fish swarmed around us for what seemed like the entire dive. Who would have thought that conditions would be favorable? Certainly, not I. How many times have we heard "We don't know unless we go"? It paid off in a nice dive for us today. Get in the water (because you can't really tell from your armchair), Ham

Dive Report 20 June

It was raining when Troy and I went in and it was raining when we got out, pouring actually. Parking was not a problem, but I was surprised to see many divers at the bridge despite the monsoon-type conditions. With rough seas offshore the water was milky with sand so the vis was about ten feet under dark skies. The water temperature was eighty-two for our one hour twenty-six minute dive. I was very comfortable in my three millimeter suit and thin hooded vest. It was a two batfish and two octopus dive. There are two dozen lobsters or more at the junk pile under the fishing pier. There is always plenty to see! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 14 June

Carrie and I had four students at the bridge on Friday in fabulous conditions. The vis was better than twenty feet and the water temperature was eighty-four. My students were in 3mm wetsuits, but we would have been fine without them. We saw the batfish south of the west bridge out by the boat channel. Enormous schools of baitfish whirled and danced around us several times during the dive. Amazingly, there were almost no people on the fishing pier so we did the grand tour. I tend to stay away from the fishing pier if there are several people fishing. We have had some close calls with fishing line and hooks. The conditions are prime! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 12 May

Carrie and I arrived at Phil Foster Park a little before eleven to make sure we could get a parking spot for our 2:30 high tide dive with an advanced open water student and friends. Being that early we got a prime spot and then ventured over to the SevenEleven on Singer Island for a cup of coffee and a look at the ocean. It was much calmer at the bridge than it was offshore for sure. We entered the water about one hour fifteen minutes before the high tide partially because a woman grilling a picnic lunch next to us was constantly SCREAMING at high volume at six children. Perhaps a bit more focused on the children (who were apparently conditioned to ignoring her) she did not notice that she had set the picnic bench on fire with her legless grill which she had set directly on the wood. (The attached photo is not her table.) The fire was quickly extinguished with sand at Carrie's direction; the cooking lunch was fortunately unaffected. With that kind of excitement we sought the refuge of the depths of the east and west bridges. Carrie and her folks went west while my student and I went east to blow bags and practice other skills. The vis was fifteen to twenty feet and the water temperature was seventy-nine. Everyone in 3mm suits was comfortable while I, in my 5mm suit, was more than toasty. (I'll wear my 3mm next time.) With our attention on skills we did not look for critters, but we did see a nice little octopus. Saturday afternoons are doable at the bridge, but our strategy involves getting there early. When we exited the water and I walked over to the fresh water hose to rinse off, I saw no available parking spots. That is the norm for a sunny Saturday afternoon. There are many divers, picnickers, boaters, fishermen and few if any parking spots. So for diving on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in warm, sunny weather, GET THERE EARLY, and Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 8 May

There were fewer than ten divers at the big bridge today where there was a special on octopuses. We saw five or six without looking too hard. After a chilly 52-minute dive offshore on Sunday in a 3mm suit I chose to wear my 5mm suit and a light hooded vest today. I was comfortable for our one hour, fifteen minute dive in 77 degree water. Vis was between fifteen and twenty feet. Interestingly, the vis was better off the beach than it was out by the boat channel. Nevertheless, the vis was very good! The octopus, highhat juvenile, and gray angelfish juvenile seemed to be good friends. The blue anglefish juvenile was at the upside down wreck. Getting out of the water into a mid-eighties air temperature was very nice. After a shower and a change into dry clothes it was off to Longboat Johnnie's on Singer Island for lunch and a few Arnold Palmers. Nice day!! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 30 April

Carrie, a friend of ours, and I took a chance despite the howling winds and recent rain to do a bridge dive today. The vis was eight feet and the water temperature was seventy-five. Our friend was trying a drysuit while Carrie was in a three millimeter suit with her three millimeter hooded vest, and I was in my five millimeter suit with my three millimeter hooded vest. Carrie was chilled, but I felt pretty comfortable after our sixty-one minute dive. We were rewarded with a batfish which was under the big bridge by the third set of pilings. We watched a banded jawfish watch us. Before we got in the water we watched a little spotted eagle ray from the fishing pier. The fish and critters are there no matter how wild the weather is topside. Those who haven't been to the bridge in a while will note that there are new buoys marking off a "no boats" area. It's a nice addition to the area making it safer for the divers (as long as the boaters know what the buoys mean! Remember the sailboat captain who sailed his big sailboat through the divers as he missed the channel?) Anyway, continue to dive defensively, and Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 22 April

Seventy-three degrees in the water today with vis of about eight to ten feet made the training dive doable. My student was in a seven millimeter suit (he is from MA) and I was in my five millimeter suit with my three millimeter hooded vest. For our ninety-two minute dive both of us were very comfortable. Octopuses are in several places; without looking too hard we saw five or six. The polkadotted batfish was just off the beach in about seven feet of water. We saw the little mantis shrimp (I think it is a mantis shrimp) in six feet of water off the west side of the little bridge. So even with short vis we had a nice dive! The hose water at the fish-cleaning station felt warm as I rinsed off. It's not summer yet but, Get in the water (with your winter suit), Ham

Dive Report 30 March

The water temperature was seventy-nine at the east bridge! Vis was about fifteen feet. The sunny day with an air temperature of about eighty made for a very pleasant experience for my two advanced open water students, one of whom had never been to the bridge. We practiced blowing bags with reels and then took the grand tour. Octopuses are plentiful right now. The Atlantic spadefish are numerous and in many sizes. Divers were talking about a small spotted eagle ray cruising around the bridge; we saw one a couple of days ago at the bridge and one from the dock at the Jupiter Dive Center. There was no problem parking on this beautiful Friday afternoon. If you are planning a dive at the bridge this weekend, sacrifice a chicken to get a parking spot. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 28 March

The visibility at the east bridge today was a milky fifteen feet. Considering how rough it was offshore I was pleased with the fifteen feet. We enjoyed seventy-seven degree water for one hour, twenty minutes and didn't experience the hint of a chill as Carrie and I were in 5mm wetsuits with thin hooded vests. Seahorses abound under the east bridge as do octopuses. Unfortunately for the seahorses, many divers know they are there and do anything to take their picture. I suppose it makes the seahorses tougher. Among the schools of Atlantic spadefish and porkfish we saw a small spotted eagle ray, too. A bright, sunny day with an air temperature of about eighty made it a very pleasant experience (the fact that it was a weekday only added to the enjoyment.) Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 March

The only thing we had to beware on this ides of March was the traffic and construction on Singer Island! The road is being paved; it took twenty minutes to get from the north to the south end. Construction around US 1 at Donald Ross was no picnic either! I think I'll take Military Trail or 95 for a couple of weeks. All the traffic bologna was worth the dive. The vis was better than thirty feet especially when the sun poked through the clouds. A water temperature of seventy-seven was very comfortable in my 5mm wetsuit. There were probably two dozen divers there, quite a few for a weekday. We were rewarded with the curious squid and the neck (decorator) crab. It was a relaxing one hour, twenty-four minute goof-off dive for Carrie and me. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 28 February

Seventy-seven degree water temperature at the Bridge today! It's hard to believe that it is the end of February. The air temperature on this bright and sunny day was eighty. AND, of course, since it was a Tuesday, there were fewer than twenty people there. Vis was about twenty feet. I had an advanced open water student practicing reel and bag work. We saw some interesting fish, the identification of which I am awaiting from our friend, Mike who was also enjoying the delightful conditions. Neither my student nor I experienced the slightest chill during our one hour, twenty-three minute dive. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 23 February

Seventy-five degree water, twenty feet or more of vis and a bright, sunny day made for a very nice fifty-three minute dive under the big bridge. Carrie and I had three Discover Scuba students who took to SCUBA readily and enjoyed seeing the fish and critters Blue Heron has to offer. Carrie and I were in 5mm suits and very comfortable. Our students were in 3mm suits and chilled at the end of the dive. The batfish was by the second set of pilings on the south side of the bridge. A big sharptail eel foraged for its breakfast at the third set of pilings. There were fewer than twenty divers total on this gorgeous, summer-like morning. Getting out of the water in an eighty-degree air temperature was very nice and very un-February-like. Tomorrow, Saturday, February 25 ought to be fabulous; the cold front is forecast to arrive in the afternoon, AFTER the slack high tide.

Get in the water (before the cold front arrives), Ham

(PS - Sunday is the bridge picnic for the Jupiter Drift Divers club; bring a jacket.)

Dive Report 17 February

It's been so nice at the Bridge the last several days that Carrie and I decided to do a goof-off dive by ourselves. Our high tide was 4:41; we entered the water at 3:48 for our one hour, twenty-one minute dive. It was spectacular with a dozen or so tiny squid, a medium-sized lookdown, a batfish, a big southern ray foraging, and what I think were unicorn filefish, but I couldn't get a photo. The vis was better than twenty-five feet and the water temperature was seventy-five. Carrie and I wore five millimeter wetsuits and hooded vests. We were comfortable. Even an after-dive shower at the fish-cleaning table in the breeze wasn't bad with an air temperature around eighty. There were quite a few divers there, but we saw only two groups on our circuit under the west bridge and fishing pier. Conditions are great especially considering it is the middle of February! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 16 February

I can't believe it's the middle of winter. We had a sunny day with an air temperature of eighty and a water temperature of seventy-five. Carrie and I wore our five millimeter suits with 3mm hooded vests for our one hour dive. Both of us were very comfortable. Vis under the east bridge was twenty feet as you can see from the photo of the spotted eagle ray. There were many fish including snook under the bridge. The juvenile batfish is the second juvenile batfish we have seen this week. The flying gurnard was a bonus. Getting out of the water in an eighty degree air temperature makes showering off at the fish cutting table on the north side of the restrooms on the intracoastal acceptably comfortable. There were probably a dozen divers diving the east bridge. The weekdays are so nice. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 14 February

Gorgeous Valentine's Day at the Bridge! First, we owned it; there may have been four other people there. We saw one diver during our one hour dive under the west bridge and fishing pier. The water temperature was an uncommonly-warm-for-February seventy-five degrees. Carrie was in a 5mm wetsuit with a 3mm hooded vest and was toasty for the whole dive. I'm still dry this time of year, but a 5mm would have been fine for me, too. Vis was in the 20' to 30' range in the bright sun. The highlight of the dive was four inch long shortnose batfish juvenile just off the beach where we enter the water. I'm testing my camera case for leaks so I didn't have the camera with me. Of course! Oh well, Carrie and I are back to the Bridge on Friday to conduct a refresher. The 4:41 high tide and a warm weather forecast should make it a sweet time to dive. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 20 January

High tide and sunset were almost exactly at the same time so my three Advanced Open Water students and I were a little pressed for time. We didn't have permission to do a night dive so a little after sunset we had to exit. Our dive to the east bridge was only about forty-five minutes which was fine with one of my students who, despite two 3mm wetsuits, was getting chilled in the seventy-two degree water. The other two (also in two 3mm suits) were quite comfortable. Whimp that I am, I am in my drysuit now and have been for several weeks. The vis was ten feet. Unfortunately, there were quite a few moon jellyfish, AGAIN! None of us experienced any stingies as we were careful to avoid them. Because we were shooting bags and deploying a lift bag we were not looking for fish, but an ENORMOUS southern ray lifted off from the bottom as we passed it on our way to the object of our search, an old plastic pail. I am a little disappointed that two of my students who have not been at the bridge before didn't get to see more of it. I thought we would have a little more light after the posted sunset time. It was like a light switch; at 5:53 it was lights out and dark! Now I know. If I dive that close to sunset again, I will make sure that I have permission to do a night dive and end the session as a night dive. We could have gone on for forty-five more minutes easily (although my chilled student was certainly glad we didn't!). Always learning! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 January

We're back! After a few weeks of time with family and a dive vacation (are there any other kinds?) we were back at the bridge. It is definitely winter; the north wind kept the air temperature at about sixty-five on a sunny day. The water temperature was seventy-two. The visibility was about eight feet. Norman, Michele, and I were quite comfortable in dry suits. Carrie wore her 5mm wetsuit with a 3mm hooded vest. For our fifty-six minute dive she said she was pretty comfortable until she got out into the wind. Then she jumped into her boat coat. The mantis shrimp was just off the beach not far from a medium-sized southern ray. The batfish was under the fishing pier just to the east of the big junk pile on the north side. It was very nice to be back at the bridge on a beautiful day with friends. Lunch at the Dune Dog capped a great day! Get in the water, Ham