Can't speak for others and I won't be there
but I think you'll have a good chance.Don't know you exact days but looks like you might be able to get in a morning BHB dive then an afternoon dive in WPB or Jupiter.
Saltwatertides for Port of Palm ...
Stuart area?
- Thread starter Scotttyd
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but I think you'll have a good chance.Don't know you exact days but looks like you might be able to get in a morning BHB dive then an afternoon dive in WPB or Jupiter.
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Johnoly
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Diving out of Stuart is either "epic" or "crap" and not much in between. Due to it's position, it all depends on how visibility is. I rely on alot of local knowledge to hear what's viz. It can be be 1 foot or 30 foot. In May there is alot of rain and run off and that will kill viz. You can move the boat just a half mile and double your viz, but it takes a very experienced capt to know how to 'chase viz' cause it will shut down so fast. But when it's good viz, it's epic big fish!
Jupiter is consistent good viz due to flowing currents and it's only 15 minutes from Stuart. Also the same applies to your beach diving question. Even at high tide you can be blacked out in Stuart.
OP
Scotttyd
Contributor
another questions - is 9am the standard for a weekday? That is nice for most people - but I was hoping to get out a little earlier and be back with the spousal unit
Stuart Scuba is great. They have a boat in Jupiter and a boat that goes out of the marina at the Blue Heron Bridge.
sure...ping me with any questions.
Stuart Scuba has multiple boats. They typically have a boat operating in Stuart as well, but doesn't go out as often. I dove with them once out of Stuart and it was pretty amazing, the amount of sea life seen on descent was unbelievable. Vis was horrible though and we dove a site where an old bridge was dumped. Tons of lionfish. I actually took a hit from a LF on the dive. It wasn't drift diving.
Jupiter is awesome. You can dive Stuart Scuba, my personal favorite Kayalami (guess we can't call it Sl8r anymore?), JDC, Scuba Works, and many others. I believe Scuba Works goes out around 8am. This is all drift diving. I've not experienced any op requiring a buddy. Most put guides in the water and they prefer you follow the guide if they aren't familiar with you. I think this fact is what makes divers feel more welcome on one charter over another, at least for me since I'll dive the one where I'm not treated like a new diver.
As for BHB, we average 1.5 to 2 hours on our dive times on an AL80 (many times with plenty of air to spare). 2 hour dives are absolutely awesome. I honestly don't even notice the depth during the dive and just enjoy looking for critters. The dives don't feel that long, so you know you're having a good time. If you've never dove the site, hit up the BHB Trolls forum and see if someone will let you join them. There are a lot of guides as well. We grudgingly let other join us. 50% of the time they have some equipment failure and end the dive within the first minute, 40% of the time they aren't good divers causing silt and end up running out of air early, and on rare occasions they are a pleasure to dive with. Knowing this, we don't babysit. If you run out of air early, surface and swim back, it's a very short swim. If you have an equipment issue at the beginning, stand up and walk out, it's that easy. Solo diving? No one cares, locals do it all the time. You'll get the most out of the site if you dive with someone who knows their way around.
Jupiter is awesome. You can dive Stuart Scuba, my personal favorite Kayalami (guess we can't call it Sl8r anymore?), JDC, Scuba Works, and many others. I believe Scuba Works goes out around 8am. This is all drift diving. I've not experienced any op requiring a buddy. Most put guides in the water and they prefer you follow the guide if they aren't familiar with you. I think this fact is what makes divers feel more welcome on one charter over another, at least for me since I'll dive the one where I'm not treated like a new diver.
As for BHB, we average 1.5 to 2 hours on our dive times on an AL80 (many times with plenty of air to spare). 2 hour dives are absolutely awesome. I honestly don't even notice the depth during the dive and just enjoy looking for critters. The dives don't feel that long, so you know you're having a good time. If you've never dove the site, hit up the BHB Trolls forum and see if someone will let you join them. There are a lot of guides as well. We grudgingly let other join us. 50% of the time they have some equipment failure and end the dive within the first minute, 40% of the time they aren't good divers causing silt and end up running out of air early, and on rare occasions they are a pleasure to dive with. Knowing this, we don't babysit. If you run out of air early, surface and swim back, it's a very short swim. If you have an equipment issue at the beginning, stand up and walk out, it's that easy. Solo diving? No one cares, locals do it all the time. You'll get the most out of the site if you dive with someone who knows their way around.
Ghetto Diver
Contributor
This is my AO
Very good info posted already. As Jonoly posted, vis varies greatly, especially shore diving here.
The only real shore dive site here that is worth you wile, IMHO, is the Georges Valentine. Its a short swim out from the House of Refuge. I have been on it numerous times. There is a bit of structure left, ribbing, a boiler and other debris.
The time frame you specify should be better conditions compared to now.
More info here House of Refuge | at Gilbert's Bar | Stuart, Florida
I typically check their webcam first for conditions. You can actually gauge vis with it as well [see submerged rocks off shore = g2g].
Pics from a dive there pre-Matthew
Very good info posted already. As Jonoly posted, vis varies greatly, especially shore diving here.
The only real shore dive site here that is worth you wile, IMHO, is the Georges Valentine. Its a short swim out from the House of Refuge. I have been on it numerous times. There is a bit of structure left, ribbing, a boiler and other debris.
The time frame you specify should be better conditions compared to now.
More info here House of Refuge | at Gilbert's Bar | Stuart, Florida
I typically check their webcam first for conditions. You can actually gauge vis with it as well [see submerged rocks off shore = g2g].
Pics from a dive there pre-Matthew
jimw
Contributor
www.saltwatertides.com or, all the diveshops have free printed tables. Some of Stuart Scuba's boats are in Stuart. From Stuart, I use US1 rather than 95 or the 'pike. It's about 40 minutes south to BHB. We do dives well over 2 hours at BHB using 80 cu ft. some folks do 3-4 hours with 120 HP steels. Just get in an hour or more early (ie., before slack hi tide). Frequently, the viz falls a bunch as the tide turns,so getting in early, early may be a good thing!
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