Dive Report 13 February

The wind was blowing hard from the south southwest, but underwater at the east bridge it was nice; we had between ten to fifteen feet of vis in seventy-three degree water. Carrie, two other divers, and I went east from the beach along the rock piles looking for the jackknife fish I saw several weeks ago. No luck. We saw a nice flying gurnard, but it would have none of the camera. Many of the usual suspects were under the east bridge with the exception of the snook; we saw none. At slack tide we turned southwest back toward the rock piles to go around the swim area. Just west of the rock pile where I saw the jackknife last time we struck gold - the beautiful jackknife pictured. It was really quite cooperative; I'm just not particularly good with the camera. Nevertheless, it gave me the shot here. A great dive! I was in my drysuit for the one hour, twenty-eight minute dive and very comfortable. Carrie wore her five millimeter suit with a 3mm hooded vest; she was chilled at about the one hour mark. Lunch at the Ale House with friends topped off a fabulous day! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 17 January 2013

Struck gold on my first dive of 2013 at the Bridge. Actually, a jackknife fish is gold and black. Having dived the Bridge hundreds of times, this is the first time I have seen a jackknife fish there. It was on one of the artificial reef piles only three or four piles from the easternmost pile. The jackknife is in the drum family and is a cousin to spotted drums (I have never seen one at the Bridge), highhats (they are plentiful at the bridge), and cubbyu (at the Bridge, but not in numbers close to the highhats). Several years ago there was a pair of jackknife adults on the Spadefish Point site off of Jupiter. I could take people to see them and did so for six months or more. Then one day there was only one. Finally, after only a few weeks neither one could be found at that site. Months later with two other divers trying to get to a reef area from a wreck, while traveling over a sandy (desert) area, there was a small piece of junk around which there were two jackknife fishes! I could not believe it. Of course it was one of those places that I knew I would never find again. Oh well. Last year in a deep crevise on the Scarface site off of Jupiter I saw a jackknife while I was pointing out a goliath grouper to divers. I had a pretty good idea of where it was, but I have not relocated the fish. So it has been quite a dry spell since I have seen a jackknife in our neighborhood, but today was the day! I believe they are the most spectacular of the drum family by far. I get pretty excited about spotted drums, especially juveniles, but a jackknife to me is the holy grail of drums. In short, I had a great dive. The water temperature was seventy-seven; I was very comfortable in my five millimeter suit with hooded vest for my two hour, two minute dive. Vis was about twenty feet. There was also a searobin and a batfish that would have clinched the photo spot for the report except that they lost out to the JACKKNIFE!!! I know my dear friend Mike Phelan is smiling. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 15 December

This close-range photo of my student tells the story, very short vis. It was never more than four or five feet. We were doing an Advanced Open Water navigation dive so the short vis did not stop us; the compass was more important than usual. We really could not see much. After doing the skill work just south of the east bridge we ventured under the bridge into the shortest vis I have experienced there. A couple of snook ran into us otherwise we would not have seen them. We swam under the bridge, turned around, and swam out from under the bridge. There was not much reason to be there. The water temperature was seventy-five at its coldest although much of the time my computer indicated the temperature at seventy-seven. Despite the short vis we still did a one hour, twenty-five minute dive. I was very comfortable in my five millimeter suit and hooded vest. If you really need to get in the water, it is doable. Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 4 December

I love diving at the Bridge on a weekday morning; we own it! Parking is not a problem (I refuse to use the word "issue"). Vis was fifteen to twenty feet off the beach, but in certain areas it fell off to eight to ten feet. For the most part, the vis was very good. The water temperature was seventy-eight so in my five millimeter suit I was comfortable for our one hour, twenty-nine minute dive. The little seahorse by the seawall was still there. Flying gurnards and searobins are in the neighborhood right now. With a bright, sunny day it was a fantastic day to be at the bridge. Conditions are very good! Get in the water, Ham

Dive Report 2 December

We had a beautiful, sunny day at the Bridge with much better than expected vis. What a change from Friday! After Friday's milky eight feet I expected pretty much the same. What a pleasant surprise to have twenty-plus feet off the beach. Under the west bridge out by the boat channel the vis was quite a bit shorter with distances varying between eight and ten feet. It was probably a function of many student divers as is usually the case on a weekend. Nevertheless, a student and I saw two batfish, a flying gurnard, a small spotted eagle ray, a southern ray, and the convention of sheepshead which seem to be everywhere. (They remind me of Milton Berle). The water temperature was seventy-seven, but I never felt chilled during our one hour, three minute dive. The bright sun definitely plays a role in temperature perception for me. Parking was not a problem even for a Sunday morning high tide. The great vis was quite a gift and shows we never know until we go. Get in the water, Ham