Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[BHB ScubaTroll]

The old place was getting smelly (Some of you trolls need to shower once in a while).

Welcome Trolls to the third version of the ever popular “Blue Heron Bridge Trolls” thread, soon to be known as “Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III”.

The old thread was up since 2011. That’s a lot of information to sift through, so I decided to freshen up the whole dad-blame thing!
Let’s face it, if you spend this much time under a bridge, you either have a monkey on your back or you just might be a troll!

I hope you enjoy the new digs. We did a little cleaning and downed a lot of donuts getting it just right (Hey, you want to move that flower pot to the right just a smidge?)
Oh, if you really want to wade through 4 years of old stuff, it’s here

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-diving/386645-blue-heron-bridge-trolls.html

It will be closed and will fade into the dusty archives shortly

Well, it’s off to the races with Blue Heron Bridge Trolls (Jim, put that down before you hurt yourself!)

---------- Post added November 28th, 2015 at 06:00 PM ----------

11/28/2015 - Blue Heron Bridge Turkey Dive and Party!

I want to thank everyone for coming to the event!
As usual, it is great seeing old friends and making new friends!

The weather couldn't have been better (other than the wind that made the turkey cook slower than normal).
KBeck and I had a great time with you all!

Let's do this again next year!
High tide for 2016:

08/27 Sat 05:13 PM H

So, we get to have a regular lunch, clean up and then a night dive!

I'll work on getting a permit for that!

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fl...2015-blue-heron-bridge-turkey-dive-party.html

---------- Post added November 28th, 2015 at 06:18 PM ----------

Some pictures from today (topside)



​

 

[MB]

Gee the thought of being #2 in this new thread makes me think about celebrating poop!

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Gee the thought of being #2 in this new thread makes me think about celebrating poop!

Unfortunately, the way the board functions now vs. the way it used to function, you are #2... Previously, you would have been #4

Do you like apples? Well, how about them apples?

 

[Avonthediver]

F-ing new guy to Florida diving as I have moved to the state in June now I have put in almost every weekend and been all over the state so far hitting watering holes and I have been by this site after a charter one afternoon but have never dove the Bridge so now I get to my question is how do I choose the days to dive as wind seems to be a big issue once you get away from shore?

In short I guess I'm looking for hints, or should I just man up and show up?

Thanks

 

[tursiops]

Best diving time is one hour before to one hour after local high tide.....so don't just show up without looking at the tide tables first!

 

[adurso]

F-ing new guy to Florida diving as I have moved to the state in June now I have put in almost every weekend and been all over the state so far hitting watering holes and I have been by this site after a charter one afternoon but have never dove the Bridge so now I get to my question is how do I choose the days to dive as wind seems to be a big issue once you get away from shore?

In short I guess I'm looking for hints, or should I just man up and show up?

Thanks

Look through the other thread, you will find a bunch of info regarding tides adn where to find them.

Best diving is at slack high tide, usually go in one hour before, and stay until the tide turns and starts moving.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Blue Heron Bridge
Tips and Reminders

• 
  [*=left]Arrive early and scout the site on foot. Locate today's fishermen and dive groups, and the boat channel south of the park.
  [*=left]Bring a small light to look into crevices.
  [*=left]You must display a dive flag at all times.
  [*=left]Be at water's edge 30-60 minutes before high tide, geared up and ready to go.
  [*=left]There are 5 distinct areas around the bridge (East side North, East side South, Snorkel Trail, West side South and West side North)
  [*=left]It will be difficult to do all of the bridge in one dive and gain the most pleasure from your dive (You will be moving way too fast to see many of the things that move slow)
  [*=left]If doing multiple areas (East side tide window is slightly shorter) a good plan is to dive closer to the center of the two spans in the snorkel trail and move to the span you want to see about 30 minutes before slack high tide.
  [*=left]Fishermen are overhead at both sites.
  Be alert to fishing lines and stay away, or bring cutting shears in case you get caught by a fisherman
  [*=left]Read "About tides and current" below and pay close attention to the current, particularly on the east site. When current gets bothersome, head for the exit, as normal egress may soon become impossible.
  [*=left]There will be many diver groups on weekends.
  [*=left]Docks are private property, and dangerous. Their electrical wiring may cause injury or death, boat traffic risk is great, and the dock owners will get mad. Proceed under the docks at your own risk!

About tides and current

Tide amplitude varies with the moon phase. While there is a lot involved in predicting tidal ranges, for the layman it's easiest to remember that the closer the high tide time is to 8 AM or 8 PM (EST), the higher the tide will be. This means:Clearer water will be under the bridges​

• 
  [*=left]Swifter current when slack tide ends
  [*=left]Narrower time window to do the dive.

Conversely, the closer to 2 AM or 2 PM (EST) the high tide is, the lower it will be. You can expect low current and longer dive windows, but also lower visibility.

​

Other factors affecting visibility

The area has a fine layer of sediment on the bottom, so you or your fellow divers can silt it up quickly. When the current is moving, it will clear fairly rapidly, but since you want to avoid current, use a finning technique that doesn't fan the bottom. Other seasonal factors may also lower visibility:

​

• 
  [*=left]Heavy rainwater runoff from the state's interior will produce a green water effect.
  [*=left]Wind driven surge on the ocean will silt the incoming tide, producing a white effect.
  [*=left]Diving the low slack tide will have markedly lower visibility than the high tide

Since most sea life will be seen close-up, lower visibility usually only affects orientation, and diver state of mind. You MUST stay oriented, or else you'll wander out into the boat channel with potentially disastrous results. Generally, most days of the year the high tide will provide an acceptable dive if you take your time and don't contribute to lowering the visibility yourself. At times the water is ice blue, and the bridge pilings are easy to see from far away. By paying attention to rainfall and offshore storms, you can avoid problem days or nights.

Do NOT wander into the boat channel under the main bridge. This might be a deadly mistake. The channel is only 12 feet deep. It is particularly easy to do this at night if you are not careful.

​

• 
  [*=left]5 distinct areas around the bridge (East side North, East side South, Snorkel Trail, West side South and West side North)
  [*=left]Should be dived near slack high tide.
  [*=left]Lots of macro life and some big fish too.
  [*=left]Max depths = 23 East site, 21 West site.
  [*=left]Available dawn until 10 p.m (must be off the beach at sundown)
  [*=left]It will be difficult to complete all areas around the bridge in one dive, but it can be done at a cost of missing all the good things you have heard about Blue Heron Bridge.
  [*=left]Look at the topology of the site before you enter the water. There are markers that can help you stay out of trouble
  [*=left]Avoid entering the boat channel at all cost (your life could literally depend on it)
  [*=left]Free admission and free parking, but do not park in the “Long” parking slots. They are reserved for boat trailers and you may receive a decent size parking ticket
  [*=left]Carry a dive flag!

​

Great Site for Tide Prediction
NOAA Tide Predictions

This should give you a fair start for diving the bridge​

In a nut shell
Plan to enter the water 1 hour ahead of the slack tide and dive the snorkel area, which allows you time to get to the east and west side of the bridge 1/2 hour before high tide... dive during slack tide and enjoy a part of the outgoing tide before you exit the water

Take your time... stop... watch for movement... observe... go slow... Remember, this is your time to relax, work on skills or simply enjoy your dive.

 

[MB]

Nice post Jim!

 

[Zieg]

Isn't that the "Blue Heron Bridge Marine Park"? Since Dan isn't here someone has to take up his slack.

 

[jimw]

Conditions Thursday, Dec, 3rd----viz started at 20-25 ft-then at the start of slack tide went down to 10-15-then on the way back to the entry point went down to 2-3 ft as I went around the first pier on the west. Saw lots of stuff, nice dive!