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