Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[djtimmy77]

FWC shows up pretty fast on the weekend if you report spearfishing at BHB.

 

[Biminitwist]

Weekdays not so much....

 

[Biminitwist]

Kevin- Weeeeerrrre back!

 

[Biminitwist]

Looking for love
Available female seeks bright yellow male...

 

[Biminitwist]

The eyes have it
Possible the most beautiful scallop? ever.
Amazing dive.
John

 

[danvolker]

Who would you tell? I never see a park ranger and the lifeguard told me to call FWC when I reported some idjit spearing Spadefish off the east bridge....

I was just chatting with some of the top people from county Parks yesterday...not about this specifically, but the conversation did cover this...

The County just awarded a contract to Little Deeper Charters and Stuart Dive.....they will be in the building at the Northwest corner of the park, where the Sherrif or marine unit boats are docked....and they will most likely have some form of kiosk out closer to the Bridge( no one knows exactly this point yet, but the assumption is that they will want to be in front of as many divers as possible, so being at the far back side of the park wont be enough for them).....In any event, THEY would become the authority charged with good behaviors, or bad behaviors at the Bridge....divers will go to them...they will make a determination of how to handle each incident...whether themselves with warnings, or by tapping the LEO's on the shoulder, and asking them to handle the issue in question....They will help us deal with the collectors, the spearfihermen, and hopefully the irresponsible classes of 20 students trampling places like Nudiworld with their drills and silting 100 foot vis into 10 foot vis...
And yes...they will have dominion over other shops at the BHB...which will not be popular with the other operators....but it is the Park's first attempt to really be able to address the specific DIVE related problems at the park--which really require the knowledge and experience base of a Dive Industry professional to know how to navigate all the issues that arise daily with divers at the BHB.

If you guys have a wish list or gripe list, this would be a REALLY GOOD TIME to post it....and potentially get some of your ideas implemented.

 

[T.C.]

Yeah...while a good idea; I really don't see other shops listening to them; human nature being what it is. Most likely, attempts to make the other shops "respect ma authorita" will result in them telling them to pound sand.

And if it isn't illegal, (such as poor bouyancy control, I don't see the FWC getting involved. Hopefully, it will work out; but I won't hold my breath.

 

[danvolker]

Yeah...while a good idea; I really don't see other shops listening to them; human nature being what it is. Most likely, attempts to make the other shops "respect ma authorita" will result in them telling them to pound sand.

And if it isn't illegal, (such as poor bouyancy control, I don't see the FWC getting involved. Hopefully, it will work out; but I won't hold my breath.

TC,
I think you are dead on in guessing how the other shops will deal with this...but the Park service is planning on using this Dive operator it placed in the park, as the initial authority....with the LEO's to be directed by them....meaning the Park Rangers and Sherifs will work with the embedded shop. If some central Florida shop tells the embedded shop to pound salt, they will walk on the bottom if they want to....the embedded shop can tell the park rangers that this Central Fl shop can not longer dive with students at the park....the park will be enforcing laws on business being done at the park, at the discretion of the embedded shop...the law is already on the books that a dive class at the bridge is either something that must be permitted, or is illegal. The permit can be revoked.
And then we all know how much some LEO's like revenue from speeding tickets.....if every student in an illegal class was a $100 fine for not being permitted, this could be some really nice revenue for the LEO's or the Park....Ultimately, those of you that travel here from far away, hoping for spectacular dive conditions, will appreciate the Park eliminating behaviors that are horrific for underwater photography and dive tourism.

My personal feeling, is that right now, there are Central Fl dive shops that show up with big vans full of divers, pulling trailers filled with tanks, they bring their own food....they take 20 students on a tour of the BHB before they have ever had a bouyancy lesson ---and the horrifically unskilled groups silt and rototill the bottom for the duration of their dive, through all the best areas of the park. Then, after they have finished churning up the bottom, the shop does lunch with food they brought, and leaves....and no money goes to the Park, to Riviera Beach or the County, and the Shop has hurt BHB for everyone but their students, and avoiding making any financial contribution to the park or area merchants--essentially, they are terrible for Tourism. They are terrible for the park.
I would love to see them have to pay through the nose to bring classes here.....Now if the Park charged $130 per student, per day..and issued a Script of $100 to each student that was redeemable for restaurant food or hotel use....then suddenly this group would have a tourism benefit, and no longer be all bad for the greater good

 

[Ed T]

Soon we will see toll booths going up and we will have to pay to park and dive. Good luck on this one. Ed t

 

[djtimmy77]

They should also ban ground swells and torrential rainstorms in the area that contribute to bad vis in a much more significant manner than the rototillers.