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