Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Green Frog]

I appreciate the encouragement, Johnoly. However I’m more concerned about getting good pictures than in looking good. There’s nothing more frustrating than setting up the perfect picture, only to get washed away before snapping the shutter! I’ve been diving for about 30 years now and am most interested in pleasing myself rather than the onlookers!

I just checked the tide charts for the Monday we’ll be there and it looks like high tide and the “golden hours” for us photography will overlap nicely. Now if we can get the weatherman to cooperate!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I don't think you can get anymore "over-sketchy" once you see all the student classes silting out the bottom. If anyone asks, tell them the 100% truth > It's my 1st dive & silently add 'at Bhb' . You'll be just fine.

Truth.
Once you see the hoards of students silting up the place, even if you are a sucky diver, you will be in good company.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I appreciate the encouragement, Johnoly. However I’m more concerned about getting good pictures than in looking good. There’s nothing more frustrating than setting up the perfect picture, only to get washed away before snapping the shutter! I’ve been diving for about 30 years now and am most interested in pleasing myself rather than the onlookers!

I just checked the tide charts for the Monday we’ll be there and it looks like high tide and the “golden hours” for us photography will overlap nicely. Now if we can get the weatherman to cooperate!

With any luck, setting up the photo before somebody sticks a go pro in your subjects face, or silts up the bottom is more like it..
I have been known to hand signal a diver or two in the past who created a silt storm as they bulldozed through.. or the DM leading a class over top of me..

 

[Green Frog]

Fifty years ago, Pickles’ Reef at Pennecamp Park was legendary for its beauty, but when I went there 25 years ago, it was like a dump, and there were so many boats and divers there it was awful.
I certainly hope the reputation of Blue Heron Bridge doesn’t kill it with success!

 

[Pipehorse]

Fifty years ago, Pickles’ Reef at Pennecamp Park was legendary for its beauty, but when I went there 25 years ago, it was like a dump, and there were so many boats and divers there it was awful.
I certainly hope the reputation of Blue Heron Bridge doesn’t kill it with success!

Phil Foster Park aka Blue Heron Bridge aka BHB is not known for the aesthetics of the dive site. Given that it is a muck dive it is quite the opposite. So no worries about it being destroyed by over diving the way an extremely popular reef can be destroyed. The popularity of BHB stems from the fish and critters that can be observed there, and the ease of diving. The factor that keeps the fish and critters from being completed destroyed by its popularity is the tidal window for diving. It can only practically be dived once a day for a three to four hour window(there is an exception three or four days a month where the tide lines up right for diving in the early morning and night dives on the same day) It is this three hour tidal window that keeps all the fish and macro critters from being bombarded by divers all day every day. Another factor are the 206 parking spaces at Phil Foster Park. Although this accommodates many individuals, it is still a finite number, and all those spaces won't be necessarily people that are scuba diving, which is good thing.

 

[Green Frog]

One more question for those of you who dive BHB regularly… are tank rentals available anywhere convenient to BHB? I’m renting tanks on the earlier part of the trip, but am wondering what I can get for the BHB dive on Monday.
TIA ~

 

[tarponchik]

One more question for those of you who dive BHB regularly… are tank rentals available anywhere convenient to BHB? I’m renting tanks on the earlier part of the trip, but am wondering what I can get for the BHB dive on Monday.
TIA ~

Force-E is just half a mile away.

 

[tarponchik]

Phil Foster Park aka Blue Heron Bridge aka BHB is not known for the aesthetics of the dive site. Given that it is a muck dive it is quite the opposite. So no worries about it being destroyed by over diving the way an extremely popular reef can be destroyed. The popularity of BHB stems from the fish and critters that can be observed there, and the ease of diving. The factor that keeps the fish and critters from being completed destroyed by its popularity is the tidal window for diving. It can only practically be dived once a day for a three to four hour window(there is an exception three or four days a month where the tide lines up right for diving in the early morning and night dives on the same day) It is this three hour tidal window that keeps all the fish and macro critters from being bombarded by divers all day every day. Another factor are the 206 parking spaces at Phil Foster Park. Although this accommodates many individuals, it is still a finite number, and all those spaces won't be necessarily people that are scuba diving, which is good thing.

Still, I haven't seen a single Frogfish at BHB since the site was looted several years ago by fish collectors from Texas.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Phil Foster Park aka Blue Heron Bridge aka BHB is not known for the aesthetics of the dive site. Given that it is a muck dive it is quite the opposite. So no worries about it being destroyed by over diving the way an extremely popular reef can be destroyed. The popularity of BHB stems from the fish and critters that can be observed there, and the ease of diving. The factor that keeps the fish and critters from being completed destroyed by its popularity is the tidal window for diving. It can only practically be dived once a day for a three to four hour window(there is an exception three or four days a month where the tide lines up right for diving in the early morning and night dives on the same day) It is this three hour tidal window that keeps all the fish and macro critters from being bombarded by divers all day every day. Another factor are the 206 parking spaces at Phil Foster Park. Although this accommodates many individuals, it is still a finite number, and all those spaces won't be necessarily people that are scuba diving, which is good thing.

That is a very good description. Well put!

One more question for those of you who dive BHB regularly… are tank rentals available anywhere convenient to BHB? I’m renting tanks on the earlier part of the trip, but am wondering what I can get for the BHB dive on Monday.
TIA ~

Yes, Force E and Pura Vida are both close and rent tanks.

Still, I haven't seen a single Frogfish at BHB since the site was looted several years ago by fish collectors from Texas.

They are there!
Here's a dwarf from earlier this year. The most I saw in one dive, was 6-7... one spot seemed to have a lot. Others were found in different locations.

And then there is this somebody's response after finally seeing their first one.

 

[tarponchik]

Well, maybe just my bad luck.