Diving around inlets?

[Jessica Anderson]

We usually go out of the Boynton Inlet for our diving and on incoming tides the inlet can be very clear, albeit strooong currents. On the clear days we see some pretty neat stuff on the bottom at the edges of the inlet. Curiosity finally got the best of us so we planned a dive on the margins of the inlet (just at the edges, not actually inside the inlet). To plan for currents, we checked the tides prediction in our Navionics app and then dropped in right at slack tide. We got a bit of sightseeing in before the current picked up and we had to throw in the towel. But the coral we saw was really beautiful. Granted, there are beautiful dives outside that inlet but it was pretty neat to see what was right at the inlet too.
Two questions for ya'll:
1. Is it legal to dive in an inlet (though probably a stupid place to dive, just wondering if there is a law against it)
2. Has anyone else been diving at an inlet that was cool? If, so where, and what conditions did you have to account for?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

My understanding is that you are not allowed to dive inlets.
That said, I once got access to an inlet that was off limits to others and dived with the person who granted us access. Saw some pretty cool stuff. I've been wanting to go back for years but been unable to do so. The lionfish were prolific!!

 

[Jessica Anderson]

Was this before or after the "great lionfish invasion"... just wondering if they were hanging out in the inlets before we all started seeing them on the reefs.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Could be. However, from my understanding, you see lionfish where ever divers aren't normally going. yes, one or two will show up on a popular reef but they are quickly extinguished. I got my biggest one yet at 16.5" in a spot that is not frequented by divers.

 

[Steve_C]

There is also diving on the inside of inlets. Again has to be timed right with good situational awareness and understanding of that inlet. There is some diving in NC such as at Radio island at slack high tide. BHB appears from the map to be on the inside of an inlet.