Bahia Honda

[kelemvor]

Has anyone been to Bahia Honda recently? Reports on scubaboard and shorediving are all pretty old. I'm curious if anyone's seen any critters there recently? The underwater cam seems to be offline. Also, I see a lot of conflicting information. It varies from 8' snorkel to someone on shorediving reporting 30' max depth but you better have a scooter and good timing to deal with the currents. I'm guessing the difference is how far out of the swimming area one goes.

I'd love to hear an update from a local or someone else who's visited recently.

Yes, I know the keys are mostly boat diving and we'll be doing some of that. We're staying so close to this park, and I had a decent time playing around in pennekamp a few years ago.... it seems like I should at least check the park out a little.

 

[reefman]

it's been some time since I last dove the old Bahia Honda bridge(around 2000/2002). diving from a private boat, big fish action; tarpon and bull sharks, lots of bull sharks. i would not advise diving or snorkeling either bridge from shore due to strong/unpredictable currents, hazardous debris,often mediocre viz and heavy boat traffic. maybe snorkel to the offshore island or the north channel that separates Bahia Honda from ohio key.


reefman
key largo

 

[rjla67]

Of all of the places in the keys, Bahia Honda is the best to snorkel or free dive from the shore. The oceanside is great with lots of creatures to see and a very diverse selection of smaller soft corals. The bay side is also good by the foot of the bridge with lots of juvenile reef fish that is literally like swimming is a fishbowl. However the current can get very strong if you venture too far out as the channel under the old Bahia bridge is very strong. Also good snorkeling behind the campsites on the bay side and often find nurse sharks there.

Visibility can be very hit or miss depending on the weather but on a good day it can be amazing. Here is some videos we have taken over the years going there: Bahia Honda - YouTube

 

[kelemvor]

Of all of the places in the keys, Bahia Honda is the best to snorkel or free dive from the shore. The oceanside is great with lots of creatures to see and a very diverse selection of smaller soft corals. The bay side is also good by the foot of the bridge with lots of juvenile reef fish that is literally like swimming is a fishbowl. However the current can get very strong if you venture too far out as the channel under the old Bahia bridge is very strong. Also good snorkeling behind the campsites on the bay side and often find nurse sharks there.

Visibility can be very hit or miss depending on the weather but on a good day it can be amazing. Here is some videos we have taken over the years going there: Bahia Honda - YouTube

Thanks, rjla! Those videos look pretty good. I wonder why so many people posted anything but positive comments about the park.

 

[Trigger-F]

Has anyone been to Bahia Honda recently? Reports on scubaboard and shorediving are all pretty old. I'm curious if anyone's seen any critters there recently? The underwater cam seems to be offline. Also, I see a lot of conflicting information. It varies from 8' snorkel to someone on shorediving reporting 30' max depth but you better have a scooter and good timing to deal with the currents. I'm guessing the difference is how far out of the swimming area one goes.

I'd love to hear an update from a local or someone else who's visited recently.

Yes, I know the keys are mostly boat diving and we'll be doing some of that. We're staying so close to this park, and I had a decent time playing around in pennekamp a few years ago.... it seems like I should at least check the park out a little.

I was there last week, lots of critters if you're snorkeling(did not dive). Best would be to have a dive flag and swim out as much as you can(half a mile out you can see blue/stone crabs, lobsters, tropical fish, conchs, some soft coral etc..that's directly in the park). I also snorkeled the south end of the abandoned railroad bridge, saw several snook, parrotfish and the sea wall is covered with some coral (do not make the mistake and go under the bridge, you'll be swept away into the Gulf due to strong currents). I wouldn't bother scuba diving at these depths, i think they are better for snorkeling.

 

[kelemvor]

Hmm I was kind of thinking of scuba because I'll have all my gear including tanks in the van already so I figured "what the heck"? Might just snorkel it I guess. I snorkeled in pennekamp and remember wishing I had brought the scuba gear. There was a channel I would have liked to sit at the bottom of, and I'm not the world's greatest freediver.

 

[kelemvor]

So it looks to me like entry is at the beach with the red arrow and the "no go" zone is roughly where I put the purple box? Are there any other places to enter the water, like along the southern coastline on the other side of the old bridge?

 

[Trigger-F]

There's no beach on the other side of the Old Bahia Honda bridge, just a rocky area with lots of sea-weed(you can park and scout the area (i did), also saw another snorkeler, but as I stated the current close to the bridge is very strong. Best entry point is the area you indicated on the map(if you are going to dive; might hit some decent depth).

 

[kelemvor]

Any problems with current under US1?

 

[Trigger-F]

Yup..strong current under the bridge or the closer you get to it, so gotta be careful. The flow is from the Atlantic to the Gulf side.