Changes at the Destin Jetties

[SeaYoda]

Last Friday I went to the jetties for the first time since all the storms passed. Since the tides have been at night, I've been diving the springs so imagine my shock when I found my beloved jetties covered with sand! I didn't have the camera ready to go until today so I went back and took some pictures. On the way in I met some ladies who tried to give me some lip about taking their picture. The access way in has flattened out and the wall is being worked on. The finger jetty is packed with sand on both sides all the way out to the point. The panorama was shot standing on the point looking back at the last of the big rocks before they get smaller and slope down underwater. There were two divers that spoke in another language there - they never went under the whole time I was there so I got no report from them. There have been articles in the paper about how shallow the pass is and how hard it is to get large boats through. It really makes me want to dive there soon so I may just brave the ugly water just to see what's down there. If I wasn't father-in-law sitting this weekend, I'd be in the water checking it out.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Holy crap! Thats big time different. There's a ton more sand there now than after Ivan. I'm guessing we'll see none of the landmarks we usually have to keep our bearings straight(anchors, sinks, mooring blocks, troughs, ect).

I might have to get out there for a nightdive one of these weekends to check things out myself.

 

[SeaYoda]

It looks like I may get a dive in on Friday morning. High tide (its a double) is 06:09 and sunrise is at 06:09. If Gulf-Gulper and I get ready and in the water just before sunrise, we can get home in time for me to perform my duties there. I'm going to at least give it a try. Now if only my strobe would show up in the next two days I'd be a happy clam.

 

[ReefHound]

It looks like it snowed all over your jetties.

And those ladies really gave you a lot of lip.

 

[CBulla]

WOW! Lots of sand and some serious lip! Soooo... let me guess, was there a beach renourishment somewhere around before the storms??

 

[SeaYoda]

How did you guess?
It was not a heavy effort but they have been trying to beef things up. Everybody thinks all their sand is gone - it just moved. Hurricane Dennis did eat up lots of sand from the beach so this may be some of that returning too.

 

[jviehe]

Doesnt all that sand kill the life at the jetties? Those lips are really freaking me out. Whats the story?

 

[philmottrek99and02]

WAZZUP! Those lips are killers. Didn't you inform them that you were posting their photo on the internet! Bet they got em for a post-Halloween bargain.

 

[mike_s]

Wow... these pics amaze me... I've never seen lips like that before!
(the sand pics amaze me also...)


I was down there last month, but didn't make it to the Jetties... but the sand was
really washed out bad down towards Mirrimar Beach (Between Destiny and Pompano Joes). Several of the condo units had no beach and had water under their stilts. Several more had their parking lots collapsed at least partially.

Whale Tail the beach was almost completely gone. you could almost step off
their deck and directly into the water.

At the Crystal Pier pilings, a couple of the pilings was gone, but the beach was OK.
but the beach access steps for the Crystal Sands condos were trashed for
the 2nd or 3rd time in the last 2 years. The dunes at these condos were damaged
a lot also. the condo dwellers were having to walk down the dunes to get
on the beach....

 

[SeaYoda]

The lip ladies were pretty tight lipped about what the party was all about. I asked if this was a club but they didn't answer. They were happy to pose for me and when one said "you're not putting those on the internet?" I said "yup" and they all giggled.

I imagine all the homes for the little critters are gone. The place is like a giant sand bar on the sides of the finger jetty. I think the trough is still there because the rocks at the point stick out of the sand and you can see them exposed a few feet under. I think the current keeps that area clear. I've seen sand pile up and be removed from that area several times over the last 3 years.