SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
Goodlord it was hot today, in the upper 80sF with a big bright sun and a flat gulf. We made it onsite just before the predicted high slack tide at Alabama Point. After a comfortable dive at the Destin Jetties without a wetsuit, I didn't bother with one today either and was rewarded with even warmer water temps at 78F. Current was very mild and still incoming as we hit the water, pretty much dead on at slack tide as predicted. Lots of traffic in and out of the pass causing for one loud dive. Schooling and spawning fish were everywhere, giving us alot to look at. The life onsite really kept us entertained. I think I found YallWatchThis's goodybag, which he lost at the cleanup dive a couple weeks ago. He'll get it back for a beer pending identification 
As I was brushing off the small, new barnacles growing on it, I noticed a sizable lump inside the bag. After opening it up, a rather pissed off octopus jumped on my hand while flashing red and making its skin all spinylike. It calmed quickly, turned white and jumped on the speargun I had brought along where it spent a bit of the dive hitching a ride before eventually swimming off for the rocks. My buddy spotted a school of Jack Cravelle that had already passed by the time he pointed them out to me 
Lots of flounder onsite, small bluefish swarming the point, a couple of undersized grouper in the rocks, and the typical tropicals in large numbers could be seen today. The bottom of my buddies tank came all too quickly ending our dive at 60 minutes with a max depth of 30', also causing us to surface swim back about 1/4 length of the jetties. We dived the inside of the jetties(channelside) to the point, turned, and came back the same way in order for us not to have to make the long walk back in the sand.
Nearly an hour later, we were back in the water. This time we were in Gulf Shores diving the West Beach Paddlewheeler. Surf was running pretty much shin high, which made entry and exits easy enough. Visibility at the beach was around 10', but it dropped to 6"-5' on any portion of the wreck deeper than 10'(which means most of the wreck). Above 10' and you had 10-15' of visibility. We hung around a bit, messed with spades and sheepshead. There were some mangroves that seemed to nearly be of size and some skipjack circled us just inside of visibility(atleast while we were shallow). Hit a max depth of 15' but stayed above the silt layer for most of the dive and ended up heading in after 32 minutes. Wasn't the most exciting dive, but atleast we got to check up on the site.
Post dive debriefing and libations at the Gulf Shores Hooters. Suprisingly enough(NOT!) the Down Under crew were there as well Seems like I run into them nearly everytime I goto Hooters or Pirates Cove 
As I was brushing off the small, new barnacles growing on it, I noticed a sizable lump inside the bag. After opening it up, a rather pissed off octopus jumped on my hand while flashing red and making its skin all spinylike. It calmed quickly, turned white and jumped on the speargun I had brought along where it spent a bit of the dive hitching a ride before eventually swimming off for the rocks. My buddy spotted a school of Jack Cravelle that had already passed by the time he pointed them out to me Lots of flounder onsite, small bluefish swarming the point, a couple of undersized grouper in the rocks, and the typical tropicals in large numbers could be seen today. The bottom of my buddies tank came all too quickly ending our dive at 60 minutes with a max depth of 30', also causing us to surface swim back about 1/4 length of the jetties. We dived the inside of the jetties(channelside) to the point, turned, and came back the same way in order for us not to have to make the long walk back in the sand. Nearly an hour later, we were back in the water. This time we were in Gulf Shores diving the West Beach Paddlewheeler. Surf was running pretty much shin high, which made entry and exits easy enough. Visibility at the beach was around 10', but it dropped to 6"-5' on any portion of the wreck deeper than 10'(which means most of the wreck). Above 10' and you had 10-15' of visibility. We hung around a bit, messed with spades and sheepshead. There were some mangroves that seemed to nearly be of size and some skipjack circled us just inside of visibility(atleast while we were shallow). Hit a max depth of 15' but stayed above the silt layer for most of the dive and ended up heading in after 32 minutes. Wasn't the most exciting dive, but atleast we got to check up on the site.
Post dive debriefing and libations at the Gulf Shores Hooters. Suprisingly enough(NOT!) the Down Under crew were there as well
Seems like I run into them nearly everytime I goto Hooters or Pirates Cove 
