Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Divin'Papaw]

Well That Bites if it happens. Anyone have a good Plan B?

A charter or other shore diving sites. Note that the vast majority of the shore diving sites (perhaps all of them) are not in a protected lagoon like BHB. They are off the beach on the Atlantic-side. They are thus much more dependent upon wind/waves/surge as to whether they are diveable or not, and parking is frequently a real logistical challenge.

 

[MrChen]

I got in the water on both Saturday and Sunday. I arrived Saturday between 8:15-8:30am and had to park in the back. The parking situation was pretty insane. I dove with @SubNeo for the second time. We swam in the SW area without ever going under the bridge. We found some small octopuses, a couple Seahorses, a school of squid, the small decorator crab I've ever found (half the size of a pea). Water temp was 77 most of the dive.

On Sunday I arrived around the same time, this time meeting up with @Scuba_Jenny with the hopes of finding some frogfish. She pointed out @Pipehorse in the parking lot. This was the first time we met, so that was really cool. The parking wasn't nearly as bad as Saturday, but with the time change, HT was pushed back 1.5 hours and maybe people were just tired from the time change in general. As HT approached, parking spots started to fill up quickly. We were on the hunt for FF. Last time I lost Jenny while taking pictures of something. This time, I was not going to lose her. If something was difficult to take pictures of, then to hell with it, staying with her was my #1 goal . Water temp for this dive was 78. Jenny knows all the good spots along the way, but again, my goal, don't lose Jenny. Jenny eventually found a FF and we had to deal with some lurkers who were silting and butting in to get pics. I just backed off so they could take some pics and hopefully leave, which they kind of did. They kept swimming around behind me bumping into my fins. I found the smallest FF I've ever seen and 3 divers came swimming over me silting to the point of zero vis. I lost the really small FF before I could even think of taking a picture. Other than the turkey divers, it was a really good dive. Thanks again Jenny!

 

[MrChen]

I forgot to mention, after diving Saturday, I met up with @Divin'Papaw for lunch. He was on a charter and I dove the bridge. We both finished up with our dives at literally the same time, so it worked out well.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I forgot to mention, after diving Saturday, I met up with @Divin'Papaw for lunch. He was on a charter and I dove the bridge. We both finished up with our dives at literally the same time, so it worked out well.

@MrChen It was great to be able to grab lunch and talk diving!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Photo of the official flyer that came out yesterday.

EDIT: I just noticed that it does show an anticipated completion of Late 2023. Well that just sucks!!!

 

[goldfishtornado]

Kind of pisses me off that the only reference on FDOT website still has this starting in September or October.

It does seem... odd? that the official communication has been so inconsistent and sparse. I'm hoping that someone can provide a link to the meeting minutes from the July 12, 2022 FDOT meeting.

The documents I managed to dig up were:
Public Meeting: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 titled "Blue Heron Boulevard over the Intracoastal Waterway"
- Official flyer and web site list the Construction Start Date as Fall 2023
- Slides from meeting show construction begins April 2023, ends October 2023. But as a note on slide 6 saying "Beach Closures: Mid March 2023 thru May 2023"

Currently scheduled meeting: March 20, 2023 titled "SR A1A/Blue Heron Boulevard Bridge Rehabilitation Project"
- Flyer and different web link list Start Date: March 2023, some indications of fencing the same day as the meeting?
- This is also when the road signs indicate construction start
- No official notifications for the period of the beach closure.

Are there others?

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving on Monday and Tuesday. The park was more crowded on these 2 days than it was on Saturday and Sunday, ridiculous. Debating whether or not I should go this afternoon, clouds and rain should keep the crowd down though. During weekends the park rangers and sheriffs prevent vehicles without trailers from utilizing the double spaces in the center lane of parking. However, the park rangers and sheriffs don't show up to do the same thing on weekdays. That means that center lane of trailer parking can easily fill up with another 60 cars. Adding another 100 people to the mix, regardless of the particular activity they are there to pursue. Did the westside on both days. Visibility had decreased to 15ft from the 30ft it had been during the weekend. Now getting 77f sea temp. Did REEF surveys on both days, but since I spent a lot of time in algae patches looking for some critters counts were down in the 40 species range. Found an octopus out on one of the boulders of the snorkel trail, found another dwarf frogfish. Finally crossed off Rhode Island and Delaware of state license plates I have seen at the bridge. That leaves just seven unaccounted for, Hawaii, Utah, New Mexico, North & South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Surprised by Louisiana not being filled in, not any of the others. Respectively, Phoronopsis californica, Dwarf Frogfish, Octopus, States Map of License Plates Accounted For at Phil Foster, Dwarf Frogfish Video, Octopus VIdeo, Pygmy Filefish Video, and Juvenile Porgy Video (specieis unknown to me).

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Went to the bridge for diving on Monday and Tuesday. The park was more crowded on these 2 days than it was on Saturday and Sunday, ridiculous.

Spring Break you think, or news of the bridge construction starting next Monday has everyone wanting to get in some dives while they easily can?

 

[Pipehorse]

Spring Break you think, or news of the bridge construction starting next Monday has everyone wanting to get in some dives while they easily can?

Spring Break

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

@MrChen , I'm glad I didn't know just HOW much pressure was on to find the ff! I almost gave up! Then when I finally found it/them, those jerks came in shoving the camera in there.. Ugh..

I went back on Monday, yeah, like @Pipehorse mentioned, it was busy. Did my normal area again, and found the 4 (or 5?) froggies. Found 3 more in assorted places later. Was a good day!


Not sure what to make of the bridge closure. If beach diving weather would be better, it would be a non issue.. but since that's the place to go when the weather is bumpy.. gonna have to get there super early.
And Sunday night dive? I bet it will be packed!!!
Wondering if I can sneak in monday morning before all the chaos begins..