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
