Dive Report 31 August

Fooled again! Thank goodness! With the rough seas from the last several days I anticipated short vis at the bridge today. I had no students so Carrie and I did a very leisurely two hour, six minute dive in eighty-six degree water with better than TWENTY feet of vis! I really didn't expect the conditions to be so good. On top of it all, there were only a few other divers and we saw them briefly twice. It was pretty much like having the whole place to ourselves. We saw three batfish, two octopuses, a bandtail searobin, a banded jawfish, and the yellowheaded jawfish that has been on the east side of the third set of pilings for several weeks. We looked for the goldspotted eel that we saw a few days ago at the western end of the fishing pier, but we did not find it. We did not find the frogfish or yellow garden eel either. It was, however, yellow stingray day as we saw at least half a dozen in fairly close proximity to each other by the center console boat wreck. A BIG southern ray cruised by us in the shallow water between the sea wall and the first set of pilings. I like to return to the beach in that shallow water because we often see rays there. So despite the pounding surf which I thought would be mixing sand into the water to create a milky mess, we had very good vis in warm water with very few other people in the water. What do I know? The bridge always has a surprise, BUT we have to go to know. We have to "Get in the water", Ham

Dive Report 28 August

What a beautiful day for a bridge dive and a picnic! Carrie, an open water student, and I entered the water at about 10:30 for an 11:15 high tide. Off the beach the vis was close to thirty feet. This was, of course, before 4,562,891 student divers entered the water. (I'm pretty sure of my count; two others had the same number.) I have never seen so many dive flags in the water. With a water temperature of 86 we didn't wear wetsuits; dive skins were adequate for our one hour, twenty minute dive. I would have stayed in the water longer, but I was afraid if I did that there wouldn't have been any hotdogs or hamburgers left at the Jupiter Drift Divers picnic. As it was I got there just in time for a hamburger. (Thank you, Stan, for saving me one!) The picnic was well-attended. Lots of goodies to eat. It was a very pleasant way to spend the middle of the day, great dive and good friends. Our gift from the Bridge was a frogfish! Carrie found it and then pointed it out to a photographer. Once he started to take pictures the line of photographers started. I was third in line as I patiently waited for the two in front of me to complete their portfolios of 5000+ pictures each. It was a good exercise in buoyancy for my student as I instructed him to not touch the bottom while we waited. By the end of the wait the kid not only had good buoyancy, but his trim was pretty good, too. Carrie graciously took the camera before we ran over our three hour nitrogen loading limit and got the attached photo. I love the Bridge! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 24 August

Eighty-two degree water was four degrees cooler than our last dive at the bridge a couple of days ago, but we were still very comfortable in dive skins for our one hour, eleven minute dive. Vis was a little better than last time at twenty feet and better in some places. The water is mixing though as we could see shimmers from time to time and noted slight temperature changes along with vis changes. Nevertheless, the conditions made for a very pleasant dive with our young Discover Scuba participant who took the accompanying picture of the batfish. The octopus photo is mine as I almost always go to the pipe to say hello. We didn't have time to look for the yellow garden eel as I mistakenly told our young diver's parents that we would be out of the water at 9:30; we could have easily gone on for another fifteen or twenty minutes, but I didn't want to keep parents waiting. The Jupiter Drift Divers are sponsoring a picnic after the bridge dive this Saturday. High tide is at 11:15 so we will plan on entering the water at about 10:30. I have an open water student to whom I will be introducing the wonders at the bridge! Then it's on to burgers and dogs! Come meet the folks who participate in this very active dive club. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 20 August

In a dive skin the eighty-six degree water with ten to fifteen feet of vis was very nice. An open water student and I were in the water for one hour, eight minutes for our 6:30pm high tide dive. Carrie had a Discover Scuba student in the water for about the same time. None of us wore wetsuits. There were a few other divers there, but the weekday/late afternoon high tide combo made for easy parking in my favorite spot. The little bandtail searobin displaying all its "plummage" was again in the very same spot off the beach! It's been there for a few days now. Remarkable. I didn't get a chance to look for the yellow garden eel as we got a late start and the sun went behind big clouds around 7:00. I'll be back next week though looking for that little critter. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 19 August

Eighty-six degrees and ten to fifteen feet of vis made for a very pleasant one hour, twenty-six minute dive. We saw only a few snorkelers on our dive. To be at the southern end of the boat channel pilings at slack high tide we did the "Michele route" which starts under the eastern end of the fishing pier and goes west and then south through "the canyon". The late afternoon sunshine made it a gorgeous time to be in the water. I was testing my buoyancy in a 3mm suit and my heavy steel doubles. I would rather have been in a dive skin, but I need to get a feel for the doubles and a wetsuit. I wanted to try my 5mm suit, but that would have been unbearably warm. Carrie took the pictures. She got this nice one of a balloonfish. We saw what we are pretty sure was a yellow garden eel just off the beach southeast of the playground. I am going to try to relocate it for a photograph. Always something new at the bridge. Get in the water, Ham