Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[Basking Ridge Diver]

What are you trying to get out of the dive and have you dove BHB before? I ask because a guide was enormously helpful to me. I never dove BHB and I got to see octopus, seahorses and so much more that I would have missed without a guide. So for me a guide was worth it - but no doubt you could do this by yourself - one other note we got a 96 min dive in - so 60 mins could be short on your dive time...
YMMV

 

[Lorenzoid]

What are you trying to get out of the dive and have you dove BHB before? I ask because a guide was enormously helpful to me. I never dove BHB and I got to see octopus, seahorses and so much more that I would have missed without a guide. So for me a guide was worth it - but no doubt you could do this by yourself - one other note we got a 96 min dive in - so 60 mins could be short on your dive time...
YMMV

The first time my wife and I dived BHB, we sought some advice from the guy at Force-E and took a hand-drawn map that they are happy to give out. However, we are not the world's best navigators, and even with the advice and map in mind and with the aid of a compass, we somehow managed to veer off course of where we had planned. We ended up--and I hate to admit this--barely making it as far as the East bridge before we ran out of air. The next trip down, we hired a guide from Force-E, and it was a very good decision indeed, doing 90 mins. and seeing a lot that we might otherwise have missed had we spent it staring at a compass.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I have only one shot at this. My window of opportunity for diving BHB is 1 day. Plus, I'm an engineer. Plus, I'm anal-retentive. Therefore, I'm planning every detail. Tell me where I'm going astray. This is my first dive at BHB.

Google maps travel time is 2hr 30min. I'm planning for 3hr, to allow for food/bathroom breaks.
On Monday, July 20, high tide is 11:54am. Probably no parking problems, is weekday. Probably no rush-hour problems, is mid-morning. Am I underestimating normal traffic? I will probably depart around 7:00am, adding an additional 30min padding beyond what is outlined below. Gear will be unpacked, mostly setup, and on top of luggage in trunk.

7:30 - depart New Smyrna (near I-5)
10:30 - arrive at Phil Foster
10:40 - rent tank/weight/flag from on-site Stuart Scuba shop
11:10 - Gear Up
11:20 - Enter Water, dive west, out under pier, back under bridge
11:54 - high tide
12:30? - end dive

My questions:

Predicted high tide is 2.6ft, which seems pretty mild. Does this matter?
Should I enter sooner? Later?
When will the currents begin to limit my dive, is 12:30 about right?
When the current returns, can I move to the Snorkel Trail to extend my dive?
I am planning west side only, should I also go to the east on the same dive?

Leave earlier if you can. You never know what the traffic is gonna do, and if you get to the bridge early, it just means you can scope out the place better prior to diving. Do hide your valuables and lock your car if you are gonna walk around.
How's your air consumption? This is a shallow dive, you can easily get 90 minutes. Plan to get in 45 minutes before high tide. Going west is the shallower of the two choices, if you just follow the pilings out and back you will do fine, and see plenty. Finishing up your dive by the snorkel trail is good. Just do not enter the swim area notated by the orange buoys with a regulator in your mouth. silly rule. Their rules, or get yelled at by the life guards.
However, like others said, if you get a guide it may enhance your experience. Guides dive there all the time and may know the current hot spots for critter sightings.
Don't worry about the 2.6ft difference between high and low tides. More important is how much rain we've had and if they've opened the flood gates to release water, and if it's been really windy.
Oh, and one last thing.. Have fun!!! Good luck. Don't forget to post your trip report!

 

[Biminitwist]

Would only add while far too modest, scuba jenny is a great guide and really knows the bridge.
Mentalblock aka Kevin may hold the record for subprime tide dives and "exploring" new areas with outgoing tide...
John

 

[jet126]

Brownstripe Octopus (Octopus burryi)

Between the new job responsibilities and managing that "other" page, I have not been on this forum in a while. But I saw something on my dive yesterday I thought the group might find interesting: a brownstripe octopus (Octopus burryi) A new species to me, and "uncommon" in Florida, according to the book. (Reef Creature pg 253)

​

In the "rock" posture it looked like a regular common octopus we see all the time: you cannot see the brown stripe across the eye



As he started to walk across the ocean floor I thought "this is different"



Brown stripe across eye, wide dark stripe extending along each arm, whitish suckers line arms (Reef Creature pg 253)



He "walked" along the bottom, rather than use his siphon to propel himself



BHB never ceases to amaze! The brownstripe octopus (Octopus burryi)

 

[mntlblok]

Between the new job responsibilities and managing that "other" page, I have not been on this forum in a while. But I saw something on my dive yesterday I thought the group might find interesting: a brownstripe octopus (Octopus burryi) A new species to me, and "uncommon" in Florida, according to the book. (Reef Creature pg 253)

It may be that there's been an infestation. Laz also posted about them on FB, which was how I figgered out that I had also come across one. Would have taken many more shots, but Cork was getting great video with his GoPro. Well, he *would* have if it had been turned on. . .

 

[Biminitwist]

Awesome, walks like a coconut octopus.
What size was it, they?
Hard to judge scale>
J

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

hey all.. just a reminder... did anybody find an INON 67mm diopter on the west side??

 

[jet126]

Awesome, walks like a coconut octopus.
What size was it, they?
Hard to judge scale>
J

Linda sent me this link to Laz's photo. He was lucky enough to capture it crawling across a sea star, so that should help with perspective. If I had to say I'm guessing about the size of my fist. (Women's Medium)

https://www.facebook.com/TheLivingS...7515698688776/803542686419404/?type=1&theater

 

[mntlblok]

May 30th dive

From Saturday, May 30th. . .



This guy seemed conspicuously out of place. I believe he's the first sunshinefish I've come across. (Chromis insolata)




I've occasionally seen the pretty yellowhead wrasse juveniles out around the west wall, but don't recall seeing them growed up. Had also never seen a big one wearing this particular outfit. Chased him all over his route at the southwest corner of said wall trying to get shots. They seem to seldom be nice posers, though I *do* remember this one particular cutie on my only dive trip out of Miami. . . Flickr - Photo Sharing!



Had more luck than usual finding bumblebee shrimp on this dive, but this urchin produced a real bonanza. The one on the left is what I typically see. The one on the right was both much larger and differently colored than any I'd seen previously. I'll bet the locals know all about the differences. I figure it's either the hive queen or a case of jaundiced hyperpituitarism.

More shots from that dive at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalblock/sets/72157654058313176