Bridge debris from old Donald Ross Bridge

[havnmonkey]

hmmm... just got around to rigging up my surfski w/ some extra deck bungees so I could use it to freedive. Definitely would be down for a paddle out there.

 

[mksmith713]

Have fun. It was a chore yesterday with the wind and waves but definately worth it......at least to me it was.
Others might find this site uneventful.

 

[sportxlh]

Despite what appeared to be adverse conditions, we dived it again today.
Parked one car at #48 beach entry, the other at #32 hoping to try to swim straight out and let current carry us to the drop zone.
Unfortunately the current wasn't as heavy as anticipated and we had to swim a bit more than expected which was OK by me. I need the added exercise and I dropped down along the way to gather a few sand dollars....
Vis was top to bottom and a few feet more but just barely (about 30 feet)....you couldn't see much farther than that in any direction so you almost had to be on top of structure to see it.
We were finally rewarded with that wonderful shadow we'd been looking for and dropped down to investigate.
We hit what looked like a huge cobblestone road as the the blocks were laid out symmetrically.This surprised me being much farther south than I expected. The current was pretty much nonexistent but I think that might have been due to timing. We planned the dive a right around slack tide, dropping at just around 2PM.
Rather than current we got more of a washing machine movement (to and fro)
Didn't see anything that I would consider spectacular. More of the usual suspects.
What was nice is that despite vis being........OK, you could still barely make out the next patch of debris across the sand from where you were.
Can't wait to do it again. I think this will be a regular spot for me until I know it well enough to guide visitors.

thanks for the report: at some point in the future, if you'd like company, I'd like to join you for a swim out and dive if the sea conditions are good. Yesterday would have been too much of a swim for me, I was on dive boat and we doing a bit of rock and rolling

 

[mksmith713]

I did a dive from a boat there today and the conditions were the toughest I've encountered so far..
Vis was hazy 25ft and I could just barely make out the shadows from the surface.
The current was killer and the swim back to the boat was hellacious.
It was about 2 hours prior to high tide but I'm not sure that made any difference.
I'm hoping conditions get better this week.
I have some flexibility in my work schedule and hope to get back out soon.
There was one nurse shark hanging on the bottom but I was so busy working the dive I didn't bother shooting any photos.
The condition on the ICW were just as tough.
The current was stroooong well past slack tide.

 

[mksmith713]

Does anyone have any input on whether this should be dived during any specific time of the tidal cycle or does that not matter?
I've been trying to play it as I would the ICW but now that I think of it, why would time matter?
It's not like the changing tide makes that much difference when diving the ocean.
There's probably not much difference in viz either.
What are your feelings about this?

 

[Splitlip]

Man, I don't know. I was kind of hoping you'd be the Guru.

When I spoke to your posts, I had a number of offers this weekend. Might be crappy seas with the storm out there was my thought.

I would still think however, hit it a slack high. Paddle out with the outgoing tide and off shore winds.

 

[mksmith713]

We're on the same page. I'm thinking about 1- 1 1/2 hours before high tide.
This way you can hit the site at slack tide and catch the incoming tide for a ride in.
But hey...when you're jonesing for a dive, I guess it doesn't matter when you go.

I have a buddy up in Ft Pierce who wants to dive it this weekend.
Maybe we can all swim out together...providing the storm doesn't materialize.

 

[Scott L]

We're on the same page. I'm thinking about 1- 1 1/2 hours before high tide.
This way you can hit the site at slack tide and catch the incoming tide for a ride in.
But hey...when you're jonesing for a dive, I guess it doesn't matter when you go.

I have a buddy up in Ft Pierce who wants to dive it this weekend.
Maybe we can all swim out together...providing the storm doesn't materialize.

Could be iffy...

 

[mksmith713]

Iffy isn't the word for it....It looks pretty bad right now.
I am bummed.
My work schedule next week leaves no room for anything.
I'll be jonesing worse than a crackhead by next Saturday.

 

[Scott L]

Iffy isn't the word for it....It looks pretty bad right now.
I am bummed.
My work schedule next week leaves no room for anything.
I'll be jonesing worse than a crackhead by next Saturday.

Mini season could also be jeopardized. The LDS's will be bummed...