Caspersen beach closed? Any truth to this?

[parrothead600]

I will be in Florida in a couple of weeks. I wanted to do a Shark Tooth Dive in Venice. My buddy checked with one of the Dive Op's and the said that they are closing tomorrow for a month. He contacted another Op and they told him that the vis has been so bad that they are canceling most of their trips. So if diving is out of the picture, it's time to go with plan B.
My wife and I have dug along Caspersen Beach in the past and had good luck. I was doing a search and found one site (I believe it was FloridaHikes.com) that stated that Caspersen Beach is closed indefinitely for public safety. There was no other explanation and there was not any indication on when the site was last updated. No other sites mentioned this.
Can anyone provide some accurate information?

 

[Redfoot]

I was there over Thanksgiving weekend and went to Caspersen 3x. No signs of closing, and nothing that would indicate there were any safety issues. We did OK on the teeth- nothing big, but a lot of good small pieces. A few years ago we bought pasta strainers at Publix and keep them at my in laws house to sift with.

I would call Sharky's- they are right up the street from Caspersen. I am sure they would have the information you are looking for.

Sharky's On The Pier - Waterfront Dining -Venice, FL

Waterfront Restaurant and tiki bar specializing in fresh seafood, and live music. Located on the Gulf of Mexico - Smack Dab on the Beach!

www.sharkysonthepier.com

 

[blue sky]

I will be in Florida in a couple of weeks. I wanted to do a Shark Tooth Dive in Venice. My buddy checked with one of the Dive Op's and the said that they are closing tomorrow for a month. He contacted another Op and they told him that the vis has been so bad that they are canceling most of their trips. So if diving is out of the picture, it's time to go with plan B.
My wife and I have dug along Caspersen Beach in the past and had good luck. I was doing a search and found one site (I believe it was FloridaHikes.com) that stated that Caspersen Beach is closed indefinitely for public safety. There was no other explanation and there was not any indication on when the site was last updated. No other sites mentioned this.
Can anyone provide some accurate information?

Caspersen Beach is just south of the Venice City limits. The biggest reason for closing our beaches are red tide and high levels of bacteria in the water due heavy rains. There hasn't been much rain lately and according to the Sarasota health department red tide testing report as of January 3, the water quality is good and there are no red tide advisories for Caspersen.

Contacting Sharky's is a good idea as is contacting the Sarasota County Health Department.

Beach diving here has better visability when the winds are from the east. Cold fronts stir up the water and reduce the visibility.

Florida Underwater Sports dives the Venice beaches regularly and is generally up to date on Venice beach conditions.