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
