Blue Heron Bridge- How Long To See It All

[Jayfarmlaw]

first, I don't want to offend anyone but insinuating that BHB would get old. I understand every dive will have something different to offer. southwest is offering $40 flights from Dallas so this may be my reason for Florida diving and maybe take my daughters as well. Flying into Ft. lauderdale, renting a car, and driving to west palm beach looks like it could work cheaper and faster than driving.

My question is how many days at 2 dives per day for "slack tide" would it take to see most of the dive area? We would hire a guide the first day, maybe second, and maybe get a night dive with a local shop for one of the dives.

One of My daughters is 15 and I love the 20 foot depth. We may shoot down to the keys for a boat dive as well.

What are your thoughts and thanks in advance for your response.

Jay

 

[JohnJL]

Below is the tide table site.

Tide Charts | Port of Palm Beach | Apr/2016 | Florida

 

[uncfnp]

Most days you can only get in one dive since it is best dove at slack high tide but it is often a 60 to 90 minute dive. The typical dive will either be on the east or west side so realistically it takes 2 days or two dives to "see it all" but of course you can never really see it all since the dive site is never the same with any dive.

If you plan your visit to the tide's dates, it is possible to get in two dives with an early and late/night slack high tide. Night dives from the park only happen when slack high tide arrives after sundown and early enough to allow time dives to be out of the park by 10 pm. And they must be sponsored dives, usually by Force-e or Pura Vida dive shops. The other option for night dives is from a boat and those dives can occur any time during slack high tide.

 

[MB]

The guide thing is a good idea, or you could spend a lot of time looking right past the very things you are trying to see. Scuba Jenny is a marvelous guide for the bridge. I usually have a pretty good eye, but I always see extra stuff when I dive with her... even though I hate to admit it... Still, you won't do any better!

 

[KDAD]

+1 for scubajenny.

A guide is definitely helpful. I dove with a couple that I met there. They were staying in an RV and dove there every day for over a month so you can tell that there is plenty to see. I could easily spend a week there diving every day and not get bored. They were photographing as many different species as they could find. They were up to 250 when I met them.

You just have to take your time and go slow. There is no rush. With the depth you should be able to get a 90 minute dive in. Go slow and keep your eyes open. If you go too fast you will miss alot.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Speaking as out of town visitors, we have learned to time our visit according to the tides. As others have said, the two high tides will rarely both occur during the park's normal operating hours. It is possible to do up to two dives in one "day" by timing your visit with the tides so that one of the dives is a night dive. You have to look at when the dive shops are doing the night dives, and then at what time the daylight high tide will be that day. (And then, for an out of towner, make sure the great airfare you initially found is available for that specific date.) The instances when all of these things align for us are rare. Combining a dive at BHB with a boat dive trip out of Jupiter is more typically what we do.

 

[jimw]

The local dive shops offer guides as well along with Blue Heron Bridge Dive Guide on Facebook. Also check Blue Heron Bridge Dive Club on FB. You will want a guide to maximise your critter count--many of them know where stuff IS!

 

[sheeper]

there are a number of us who teach and guide at the bridge regularly. Make sure the prospective guide is authorized and permitted by the County to conduct a guide business. There is a dive shop right at the bridge (Blue Heron Bridge Scuba - The Best Shore Diving in the Americas - Blue Heron Bridge Scuba) and they can certainly help you out. They are the only licensed county dive operator actually in the park.

 

[KDAD]

+1 for Sheeper too! South Florida has lots of great resources for diving. Hope to see you next week. I just picked up my boarding pass today so it is getting close.

Also, agree on blue heron scuba. They are just so convenient to the bridge. I used them in January and was very pleased.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Based on the tide charts, next week would be ideal. There is an 8:30 pm high tide on Wednesday, which is most likely when the shops will sponsor the night dive. You should be in the water by 700 to 7:30.

So, my plan would be arrive Tuesday and do a late afternoon dive (in the water by 6:15 for the 7:45 high) with a guide. On Wednesday, do the night dive as you will be familiar with the site or can hire a guide if you want, and Thursday morning, do an early morning dive (in the water by 8:00 for the 9:30 high tide), one of our favorite things to do and should be almost deserted during the week.

We prefer to get in earlier than a lot of people, and end our dive right after the tide changes from slack to outging, as visibility is very good on the incoming and slack tide, but can drop quickly once the tide turns, so you don't want "equal time" before and after the slack. Our strategy is in an hour to hour and a half before high slack, and out a half hour after slack once the current begins to go out.

Depending on your air consumption, alter your time accordingly but keep the same proportion. We typically get over two hours off an AL80, and almost three off a steel 100, both of which can be rented easily at the various shops (Blue Heron Bridge Scuba, Pura Vida, Force-E). It is very shallow water (16-18' max and typically 10'-12' some of the best stuff can be found in 5') low physical intensity diving, so long bottom times are the norm.

Also, you could also do the same thing from April 19-21.