Destin Jetties dive report 8/19/06

[SeaYoda]

The day started early due to high tide time and so I could get back to the house for some duties there. I was at the jetty parking area at 06:30 kchFLA joined me shortly after. I got the golden parking spot today, WOO-HOO! KCH had a small gear issue and after we operated on it, it was sea worthy (so I thought). Away across the wonderful white sands (yeah, right :shakehead ) to the water. There were no sunbathers or snorkelers anywhere to be found as we entered the water.

There were pinfish leaping out of the water all over the place today - what's up with that?? The viz was a milky 40' (not too shabby!). Water temp was a toasty 87 degrees with some pockets of cooler water at the surface. The current was steady coming in from the Gulf on the first dive. We headed out to the anchors and played a while. Lots of fish out today.

We did a nice drift back to the point and as I rounded the corner I saw the biggest live stone crab that I have seen.

About the time I had settled into blinding the crab with my strobe, KCH showed me the repair on her gear was not holding. She went back to the beach while I finished cooking the crab. KCH decided to call the 2nd dive but was nice enough to watch my gear as I went back to the car to swap tanks. When I got back she headed off for some real repairs on that gear problem. I went for another round of jetty magic. The current had died down a lot. The fish were just weird today. After the flying pinfish I thought I'd seen enough strange. On the second dive there were even more fish out swimming and I was the object of a filefish's and spadefish's attention. Each greeted me in the same way as I encountered them, they swam right up in my face! I couldn't even get the camera to focus on them as they did the fly-by. They swam off a short distance and checked me out before swimming off.

I swam up the sandy side of the trough and found this guy:

I had felt a few "itchy" spots on my arms today - guess why.....

I only saw one whole nettle, but there were probably parts floating around.

At the end of the dive I got to play a new game - FlagTangle. I had been the first to tie off my flag to the iron box and I must have done a great job because 2 more flags and a goodie bag were tied around my line when I got back.

All in all you sleepy heads who didn't do this dive missed a good one - maybe next time???

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Great pics SeaYoda, as always Looks like a fantastic dive, I've noticed the Jellyfish are getting more prevelant out this way as well. Got tagged quite a bit Tuesday afternoon.

 

[photohikedive]

ok, ok, I have a wee bit of envy towards you. I couldn't go though, that was too early for MDB to load my truck with gear.

 

[kchFLA]

I saw you posted something at 5:30 so there was no reason for you not to be there.

 

[photohikedive]

like I said, it was too early for MDB to load my truck. for goodness sake woman, you don't expect ME to load it do you?

 

[Knight1989]

to bad I was stuck working all day. Probaly wont get to dive untill mon and even thats looking slim, might be anouther week or so. Sounds like a good dive and trip.

 

[kchFLA]

If loading the truck is an issue, do it the night before. Then MDB* can sleep out there to guard the gear.

How was Morrison? Becky from the Scuba Shop was there last Sunday and even with getting there at 7:00 in the morning the place was already filled with classes. In the end she thought there we nearly a 100 divers there. Crazy.







* MDB I'm just playing with him and his delusions.

 

[photohikedive]

well, unfortunately, I wasn't interested in diving the night before. I wanted to go in the morning. One who wants to live, does not pester MDB in the morning.

 

[MysteryDiveBuddy]

Somebody definitely does not want to live then :28:
After posting at 5:30 he went back to bed and didn't get up until 9am! :11:
Yes it is true folks: PHD cannot load his own truck with gear (or unload it), clean gear, or remember to charge his own batteries.
Unrelated to SCUBA: he cannot pack his own camping gear, remember to bring a change of clothes, or pack his own lunch :shakehead
Back to SCUBA: seanettles = yuck :yuck: the pinfish may have been jumping because something was chasing them, I am just waiting for us to all round the "corner" of the rocks one of these days and run into a big barracuda or something big enough to host a those remoras we keep seeing. That crab is NOT a guy, it's a girl it has red claws :28: :10: The filefish buzzing in the face is a pretty typical behavior because the smaller ones like to hang around floating flotsom. Example: Once when we were out there with you guys PHD started gesturing excitedly at my tank valve and grabbing at it to turn me. I thought something was wrong and submitted until he turned me a few times and the 2" filefish that was in my hair started buzzing around his head so I could see it.
Anyway I'm glad you guys had a nice time and I like the pics. I beleive stone crab season opens again in Oct. :evil:

The Bovines cleared out of Morrison around 3pm and we got in at about 20 of 4....

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I believe the last time I was at the jetties there was indeed a 3' Barracuda