Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[deeper thoughts]

1:50 PM would be a good time. Some like to go in 1 hour before but the tide will still be moving.

Thank You

---------- Post added December 2nd, 2012 at 05:27 PM ----------

Maybe about 1:40
Could do 1:20 but current may still be strong

Thank You

 

[Ricardo V.]

Very nice conditions this morning. Visibility was pretty good (30' and maybe a bit more in deeper areas- say 40' or so) Blue water and lots of fish. Water temperature in my computer was 79 in deeper water (under the eastern bridge) and 77 in shallows near beach areas. Fish galore and the highlight of the day were the various schools of eagle rays just swimming about-
Very nice day indeed.

 

[tddfleming]

Agreed, at one point we counted 12 or 13 of the rays swimming together. And a guitar fish

Very nice conditions this morning. Visibility was pretty good (30' and maybe a bit more in deeper reas- say 40' or so) Blue water and lots of fish. Water temperature in my computer was 79 in deeper water (under the eastern bridge) and 77 in shallows near beach areas. Fish galore and the highlight of the day were the various schools of eagle rays just swimming about-
Very nice day indeed.

 

[mntlblok]

Maybe about 1:40
Could do 1:20 but current may still be strong

*If* you have any interest in making yer dive longer, you can enter significantly earlier. The key, though, in my experience, is to limit yourself to the areas straight off the beach, out towards the channel. As you get into water in the ten foot range, the current lessens somewhat - enough so that if you have something to "stab" into the bottom, you can relatively easily hold still. I've done this primarily over on the western side, entering as much as three hours prior to high tide, knowing that I have enough air with me for up to four hours of (shallow) bottom time. There can be plenty of cool stuff to see out that way, especially if you go *very* slowly. And, if you find something cool and hang with it for a while in one spot, it's amazing how often something *else* really cool can show up in yer peripheral vision.

Having said that, if you enter too close to the furthest west area of the beach, next to that first pier, the current will not be nice to you and you'll find yourself heading westerly at a rapid rate. On the other hand, if you can avoid that area and make it out to the deeper, ten to twelve feet deep area, I've taken photos three hours prior to high tide of my rope to my dive flag hanging practically limp.

I'll hang out in the area straight out from the beach (quite a large area) until about an hour before slack high and then let the current help me wander over towards the northwest, checking out the west wall and west of the fishing pier. I can then let the changing current direction help me ease back towards the entry area.

The only time I tried an "extra early" entry on the east side, I also tried "short-cutting" it without first heading south, and found myself in a ridiculously strong current under the east bridge, with me on one side of a bridge pier and my dive flag on the other, both rapidly heading north. Not pretty.

One of the main reasons that I prefer the west to the east side is that the average depth seems to be significantly less in the areas where I hang on the west side. I much prefer a four hour dive to a two hour dive. Just be sure to dress appropriately for the extra time.

I *did* once experiment with the current direction (incoming, just prior to high) off the beach trying to see where the switch was from "primarily east" to "primarily west". It seemed to switch somewhere in the vicinity of off the lifeguard stand. YMMV

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

^^^ Good stuff there, Mntlblok. That strategy works well even if you get in "only" an hour prior to high tide. Those that swim fast seem to think there is nothing out there. I've done more than one dive with the intent of making it over to the bridge but never made it over there because I found so much stuff out off the beach area.. which is quite large. Additionally, now there is the snorkel trail that is progressing quite nicely. My opinion though, is that the mirror boat does not have as much life now.

 

[jar546]

Not sure I am reading these posts right but high tide for today is a closer to 11am, not 220p.


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---------- Post added December 3rd, 2012 at 07:54 AM ----------

Scratch that. I now just saw Dec 6, Thursday. My mistake and now I am bummed out because I am in Boynton and my gear is in Port St. Lucie. I can't make it to the bridge in time for today.



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[mntlblok]

^^^ Good stuff there, Mntlblok. That strategy works well even if you get in "only" an hour prior to high tide. Those that swim fast seem to think there is nothing out there. I've done more than one dive with the intent of making it over to the bridge but never made it over there because I found so much stuff out off the beach area.. which is quite large. Additionally, now there is the snorkel trail that is progressing quite nicely. My opinion though, is that the mirror boat does not have as much life now.

I still consider myself to be too much of a newbie to have a real feel for what's out there "seasonally". My one try last year in November had me thinking that late fall might not be a good time for diving the bridge. I *did* find some decent stuff this past January and February, but things seemed to really take off in March, but I don't really know how much I would have found without the fine tutoring help I received. . .

I've also really fallen in love with the area "between" the off-the-beach area and the west wall, but that doesn't seem to be as immune to the tidal current issues. Those sandy, then grassy, and then "shelly"/urchin areas can hold a lot of my favorite critters, and it's just *amazing* how easy it is to miss most of them. I've worn a lot of strobe batteries out around there. But, you gotta go *slowwww*. And then, slow down even more.

Any of you regulars got any insights about how much better/worse the likelihood for finding cool stuff is with the winter diving?? TIA

 

[Shcubasteve]

Saw a new piece of gear being demo'd at the bridge yesterday. The Submarine flag!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I have found that some critters are more likely to be seen in one season over another.

 

[Randy g]

Of all the threads on the internet and on SB alone. I look at this thread daily. I love the pics and dive reports, if only to live vicariously though you all who dive this regularly. Thank you!!!

We are heading down for our annual trek south for the holidays and can't wait to hit BHB again. This will be our third time back and after Jenny gave us a tour last year, we were completely, totally, head over heals in love and hooked on the Bridge.

Thanks for the hints on making longer dives Kevin. We will definitely be attempting one of your game plans around New Years.

I dove here off VB this weekend in total crap. I look forward to some warm and clear water.