Palm Beach Dive Thread

[NothingClever]

Saw eight LH, one leatherback turtle and two green Morays out in the open today on Teardrop and 4th Window. On 4th window, the Ceaser grunts were schooling in the hundreds. The first school was pretty impressive but then there was another and another and another…there had to have been close to 2,000, maybe more.

The more remarkable observation today with Kyalami was Emily, a new dry DM. The weather was pretty tough today. You know it’s a strong rain coming down when the UW scene suddenly goes dark and you can hear the rain from 15m. It would’ve been reasonable for the dry DM’s morale to sag a little up top while getting pummeled on the exposed deck. Despite the soaking rain, the overcast sky and the thunder (7 mi away but still), Emily was as chipper as if it were a sunny day smiling, engaging and helping all the customers.

I need nothing on the charters I go on but I gave her and Brandon $40 instead of the usual $20 because they both worked hard like great AmeriCANs.

Captain Mike and Emily crushed their pick ups. Super excited to follow Mike’s trajectory. I’m confident he’ll be driving a private yacht in a few years.

I dived HP100s today. That’s just cheating. I screwed around on the reefs today with total impunity and still came up with 120 bar.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Saw eight LH, one leatherback turtle and two green Morays out in the open today on Teardrop and 4th Window.

A leatherback????!!!! Jealous!!! I’ve still not seen one of those dinosaurs in the flesh outside of baby wash backs at Gumbo Limbo.

 

[scubadada]

Saw eight LH, one leatherback turtle and two green Morays out in the open today on Teardrop and 4th Window.

A leatherback????!!!! Jealous!!! I’ve still not seen one of those dinosaurs in the flesh outside of baby wash backs at Gumbo Limbo.

1350 dives in SE Florida and I've yet to see a leatherback. I'll keep trying.

I was fortunate to see a Kemp's ridley turtle. These photos were taken by David Finch diving off Narcosis at Cross Current Barge in November 2016

 

[NothingClever]

Well, I thought it was a leatherback and so did another diver but my skills in sealife identification are really weak so there’s a high probability it was NOT a leatherback.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Well, I thought it was a leatherback and so did another diver but my skills in sealife identification are really weak so there’s a high probability it was NOT a leatherback.

Let’s just say it was. That’s much more fun!!!

 

[TravisD]

North Double Ledges today with Captain Jason, Trent and Luka from PVD.

I was on this dive too! Thanks for posting!

Here's one of the eels:

 

[NothingClever]

I was on this dive too! Thanks for posting!

Here's one of the eels:

View attachment 907199

Did we get a chance to chat?

I love meeting fellow ScubaBoard members!

 

[TravisD]

Did we get a chance to chat?

I love meeting fellow ScubaBoard members!

No idea! On Sunday I was the fat guy up front, port side. I was slinging a yellow pony bottle (don't think anyone else on the boat had a pony that day).

You weren't kidding about that current, either! That weekend ( went out with PVD on Saturday too) was my first time diving that area.

 

[NothingClever]

PVD today.

Captain Chris, Quinne, Delaney and Elena ran the boat.

24 divers on the boat today with Juan and Paul training a couple of students (Basic and Advanced OW). It was s totally smooth day so I didn’t hardly notice the number of customers.

Bath & Tennis for the first drop. Visibility was great and the north current was moderate. I wore a 1.5mm WS and felt fine on initial splash and all the way through the dive.

Seven LH turtles, a group of 10 barracudas on the prowl and an unusually friendly GG who swam right up to Elena. I think the same one visited me about 30 minutes later. I was on my own prep’ing my DSMB when I saw an unusual movement underneath me. Looked down and it was a GG right beneath me. I think somebody has been feeding it and apparently it’s a B&T “resident”.

Elevator Shaft for next drop. Visibility decreased (snowy) but was still good. Current picked up quite a bit. Four LH turtles were all I saw but one stood out. I usually wander off on my own and today was no different. Sometimes I’ll pause at an interesting point and exchange a light signal with the guide, sometimes I enjoy being greedy and get on with covering lots of ground. Today I parked at one of the telecommunications cables and waited for a bit but got impatient, let go of the cable, helo turned to go with the current and found myself face to face with an LH who was just exiting a pronounced overhang. Needless to say we both bolted and I’m sure he said similar words in Turtlese as I said in English.

I was content to burn off some gas cruising over the desert at the very end of the dive and was rewarded with a large ray grubbing around in the sand.

Captain Chris is headed back home to the PNW. Going to miss him. Super guy and as a former USN SWO, he’s another stellar Captain.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

PVD today.

Captain Chris, Quinne, Delaney and Elena ran the boat.

24 divers on the boat today with Juan and Paul training a couple of students (Basic and Advanced OW). It was s totally smooth day so I didn’t hardly notice the number of customers.

Bath & Tennis for the first drop. Visibility was great and the north current was moderate. I wore a 1.5mm WS and felt fine on initial splash and all the way through the dive.

Seven LH turtles, a group of 10 barracudas on the prowl and an unusually friendly GG who swam right up to Elena. I think the same one visited me about 30 minutes later. I was on my own prep’ing my DSMB when I saw an unusual movement underneath me. Looked down and it was a GG right beneath me. I think somebody has been feeding it and apparently it’s a B&T “resident”.

Elevator Shaft for next drop. Visibility decreased (snowy) but was still good. Current picked up quite a bit. Four LH turtles were all I saw but one stood out. I usually wander off on my own and today was no different. Sometimes I’ll pause at an interesting point and exchange a light signal with the guide, sometimes I enjoy being greedy and get on with covering lots of ground. Today I parked at one of the telecommunications cables and waited for a bit but got impatient, let go of the cable, helo turned to go with the current and found myself face to face with an LH who was just exiting a pronounced overhang. Needless to say we both bolted and I’m sure he said similar words in Turtlese as I said in English.

I was content to burn off some gas cruising over the desert at the very end of the dive and was rewarded with a large ray grubbing around in the sand.

Captain Chris is headed back home to the PNW. Going to miss him. Super guy and as a former USN SWO, he’s another stellar Captain.

PVD is loosing another good captain?! Dang it!!