Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[MrChen]

In any event, it has already happened...the County signed the contracts, and the new shop has already begun operation.
Now all that is left is interacting with the new guys, to help ensure that they are acting with the will of the majority of the local divers.
Which is why I would suggest you and Scuba Jenny, and jimw, and Djtimmy, and Divadiva, MrChen, Anne Dupont and the Nudie Girls, and all the other regulars --- make up a wish list that you would want to share with the new guys.
You can be certain they will be monitoring this thread

My advantage is Stuart Scuba is my LDS. They know me by name. Peter, the owner, is a really laid back guy. FYI, they will be hosting a night dive next week with a BBQ. It's a great opportunity for everyone to meet them. BTW: they just won first place in the local Lionfish Derby, catching 100+ LF.

If you wish to sign up for the BBQ, got here: https://www.facebook.com/events/640717206013528/ and flag that you are going. BTW: I'll be there

---------- Post added July 17th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ----------

Let's get real here, these guys aren't law enforcement and won't be able to enforce anything. As a local, I will no longer be diving with Little Deeper nor will I be supporting Stuart Scuba.

I'm not sure I get this. Little Deeper is local. Stuart Scuba does host night dives and classes at the bridge. As Dan said, they've wanted a shop in there for some time, it sounds like a heafty price to me, and these two ops are trying to make it happen. There's been a "few" times in which I've forgotten something, it would be awesome to be able to run across the parking lot and get it. Stuart Scuba is a newer shop and now has multiple boats which it operates in WPB, Jupiter, and Stuart. Their shop used to be empty. Now a days it's crazy busy. They are doing things that other shops aren't, like dives out of Stuart (this is a new venture). I commend them for taking a chance. Everyone must still pass FE to get to the bridge.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I think BHB has become the convenient place to do classes. When doing an a students first OW dive, what is easier, go to the bridge where 99% of the time you get calm water, easy access, and lots to see OR beach diving where you are subjected to winds and long swims. Free parking, easy access, picnic tables, bathrooms.. lots of positives to having classes there. (As much as I hate seeing so many classes there.. ) There's really nothing wrong with a class there.. as long as the students have had pool sessions previously, and has a clue about buoyancy, the class size is relatively small, and the instructor is actually watching the students.

 

[DiveDivaDM]

I think BHB has become the convenient place to do classes. When doing an a students first OW dive, what is easier, go to the bridge where 99% of the time you get calm water, easy access, and lots to see OR beach diving where you are subjected to winds and long swims. Free parking, easy access, picnic tables, bathrooms.. lots of positives to having classes there. (As much as I hate seeing so many classes there.. ) There's really nothing wrong with a class there.. as long as the students have had pool sessions previously, and has a clue about buoyancy, the class size is relatively small, and the instructor is actually watching the students.

Yes, Jenny! If it only happened this way........

 

[danvolker]

Here is another angle.....Let's say that TC takes a long weekend, to come down and photograph some new Seahorses, Dragons, and Frogfish that DiveDiva just told him about...so he and 4 of the regulars plan to be on a MISSION for a Friday/Sat/Sun while these amazing creatures are still at the BHB ( the window for them being there, is not always so big on some of the rare species)....
So TC shows up, and aside from finding no parking for the Friday dive, he sees 2 huge buses ( like Greyhound buses) that have just arrived and student divers are streaming out of them, this adding to the 10 other Central Florida shops that just showed up.....
The beach is literally full of divers gearing up from east to west, and a dozen or so Dive Tourists that have flown in from all over the world, spending many thousands of dollars on this trip apiece, are in the same boat as TC---they planned a big trip to the BHB...and now the 80 foot vis is down to 4 foot viz due to silting by students, there is no room to park, and there are "wall to wall" divers, over every area we find things, at the BHB....There is literally no room left to be looking at marine life, without being bumped into and jostled by student divers....

The point being, if the park has no way to control or limit the number of shops teaching classes at the BHB, what is now a wonderful place for photographers and videographers, and sight seeing dive tourists.....could in the future de-evolve into being no good at all for them--instead it could easily become a nasty silt zone with all the bottom life trampled and killed by turbidity or physical trauma.

So maybe there is an arguement for protecting the future...the Growth of the population of student divers each weekend has become exponential in the last 2 years....with no end in sight.

( And yes, I do tend to exagerate when I try to make a point....apologies .....but here is a picture, what do you guys think of this issue?

 

[DiveDivaDM]

Here is another angle.....Let's say that TC takes a long weekend, to come down and photograph some new Seahorses, Dragons, and Frogfish that DiveDiva just told him about...so he and 4 of the regulars plan to be on a MISSION for a Friday/Sat/Sun while these amazing creatures are still at the BHB ( the window for them being there, is not always so big on some of the rare species)....
So TC shows up, and aside from finding no parking for the Friday dive, he sees 2 huge buses ( like Greyhound buses) that have just arrived and student divers are streaming out of them, this adding to the 10 other Central Florida shops that just showed up.....
The beach is literally full of divers gearing up from east to west, and a dozen or so Dive Tourists that have flown in from all over the world, spending many thousands of dollars on this trip apiece, are in the same boat as TC---they planned a big trip to the BHB...and now the 80 foot vis is down to 4 foot viz due to silting by students, there is no room to park, and there are "wall to wall" divers, over every area we find things, at the BHB....There is literally no room left to be looking at marine life, without being bumped into and jostled by student divers....

The point being, if the park has no way to control or limit the number of shops teaching classes at the BHB, what is now a wonderful place for photographers and videographers, and sight seeing dive tourists.....could in the future de-evolve into being no good at all for them--instead it could easily become a nasty silt zone with all the bottom life trampled and killed by turbidity or physical trauma.

So maybe there is an arguement for protecting the future...the Growth of the population of student divers each weekend has become exponential in the last 2 years....with no end in sight.

( And yes, I do tend to exagerate when I try to make a point....apologies .....but here is a picture, what do you guys think of this issue?

Dan, stop stirring the pot. You are out of control. Go diving you will feel better... Can we just get back to what this forum is all about. And besides, I would never tell T.C. where anything is! (just kidding)

 

[danvolker]

Dan, stop stirring the pot. You are out of control. Go diving you will feel better... Can we just get back to what this forum is all about. And besides, I would never tell T.C. where anything is! (just kidding)

Sandra and I are going out on Splashdown Divers in Boynton tomorow morning, early..
Sandra wants some more wide angle shots of Lynn's Reef, which is in fantastic condition from the last report we heard...and she needs to start using her 15 mm Sigma, and this will be a good place to try it out
Any of you guys want to go?.

 

[DiveDivaDM]

Sandra and I are going out on Splashdown Divers in Boynton tomorow morning, early..
Sandra wants some more wide angle shots of Lynn's Reef, which is in fantastic condition from the last report we heard...and she needs to start using her 15 mm Sigma, and this will be a good place to try it out
Any of you guys want to go?.

Glad to hear you are going diving. I am on my way out the door to dive BHB today. When I return I will post conditions and maybe some pics. Seriously Dan, please start a thread about the new happenings at BHB. There, all interested can debate the issues without offending anyone on this thread expecting to hear about conditions and see pics. I am sure there are a lot of folks that would be willing to debate the issues on a different thread. Have a great dive tomorrow morning!

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Last year I decided to get my wife OW certified. My sister pointed out a great Groupon deal for $179 OW classes I think. I found that price pretty damn good. So my wife signed up. Did a couple pool lessons then all the OW dives were done at the BHB. I was surprised by this. IMO I don't consider 15 fsw dives to really be OW, not much deeper than some pools. Back in my day they would require a dive at some sort of substantial depth. For OW it was a few dives at around 30 fsw and the last at and 60 fsw. It would seem that avoiding the cost of boat trips helps facilitate the cheap Groupon prices but leaves the student divers a bit under-prepared for more common diving depths.

 

[Biminitwist]

Planning on braving the weekend crowds for tomorrow so a conditions report would be great.
John

 

[T.C.]

Here is another angle.....Let's say that TC takes a long weekend, to come down and photograph some...exaggeration, exaggeration, exaggeration

SO WHAT????

They have just as much right as I do to be there. There is no rule that states Phil Foster Park should be reserved for certified divers only. But that is the attitude you're portraying.

"The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)