Diving Blue Heron Bridge / West Palm / and Jupiter areas

[SheilaRee]

I posted this in another thread but it's not coiming up and the print is very small, hope you can read it:

Hey Everybody,

Well, I did what I said I wasn't doing and left WPB without diving but I did do some investigating. I got caught up with family and friends and had such a wonderful time, that I didn't make it diving.

About the area: I (trolled) around up under BHB and it looked a little scary for someone who hasn't done it before. There is a roped off swimming area, then some areas around the structures that hold up the bridge (I don't know what you call them). Then in the middle of the bridge, there is a channel that the boats go thru. So, I'm wondering exactly where divers can safely dive? There were A LOT of boats going everywhere! I think a new person should definitely find someone who knows where to go. Maybe another diver or possibly a guide from one of the shops? I chatted with a few divers who were off-loading their equipment, but didn't want to disturb them from their diving. One fellow said, "Well, there's the swimming area, so you just jump in over to the side." Me: So, where do you go after that? Him: Anywhere you want I then decided that I would probably need a guide so I scouted out the hangs outs around the beach so you others who might go down wouldn't have to suffer that experience

Here's the scoop: Over the BHB is Ocean Mall (in Riviera Beach) versus across the street which is another town called Palm Beach Shores. At the mall, there are two very cool restaurant/bars called Two Drunken Goats and Johnny Longboats. They looked like a good place for divers to hang out afterwards, chat, and maybe look at dive pics. Both are open to the outside and there were cool breezes blowing thru. Fun atmosphere at both.

Across the street in Palm Beach Shores are some of the beachside hotels and resorts. We never made it down the Riviera Beach way, which is where the Hilton is, but we did hit the Palm Beach Shores resort (big, pink, old florida style) which has an awesome Tiki Hut behind it. You can park your car or valet park, walk thru to the Tiki Bar and chill. Good drinks and bar food. Locals and tourists alike hang out there and it is a very friendly place. Spacious and clean.

I met a lady who is familiar with the Sea Sray Hotel, which is only a few hotels down the strip. It is an old florida style resort but I found out it has good prices (about $79 thru $150 per night right now) depending if the a/c is working. It looks like it would be an excellent Dive Resort. I put a bug in her ear that if the owners wanted to start a dive resort that they would probably get a lot of business. You know, room, shuttle, all inclusive food and beverage, etc. I explained to her that divers usually aren't all that picky about rooms as long as the a/c is working and the rooms are clean. She said that she would speak to the owners who have asked her about some marketing ideas.

Another place to hang out that I didn't go to but heard about was the Tiki Hut at the Riviera Marina. Rumor has it that they have a Sunday brunch to die for.

It's good to know the locals - that's how I found all the good spots, some of them just hole's in the wall but those are usually the best ones.

I hope the locals aren't upset with me, but these spots are the best that I found. Maybe they could use a few tourists.

BHB overlooks a little island called Peanut Island. You can only get there by boat, but a ferry shuttles you over from the Sailfish Marina. Looks like a good spot to go, swim, snorkel, and they have some camping spots.

If you couldn't tell, I fell in love with this area. Hoping to move there in a few years and I'd love to get to know some of you who would like to meet up. My first idea was the Keys but I really appreciate the sense of community in this small area that is removed from the larger part of the city, but close enought to get there if you need to.

If any of this looks a little hinky, I'm not wearing my glasses, so just fill in the blanks.

Hope some of you find this helpful.

Sheila (P.S. There were two dive shops very near to bridge, one at each end. Force-E and Pura Vida. Both looked nice. My friend who was with me got OW certified at Scuba Club which is right down the street and she loved it). Also checked out the Jupiter area....VERY nice and heard there was good diving there. Never made it to the Boynton Beach area but plan to next trip.

 

[jimw]

Arrive at BHB a couple of hours or more before hi tide. That's a great time to talk to divers. Stay out of the marked boat channel, both south of the beach and to the west as you saw. There is a small wreck near the red channel marker (and out of the channel), south of the bridge. Google for the out dated but useful Wade's Page on BHB. You may also find a page by Cooltech with somewhat newer info. The eastern site is a little further from moving boats. Add the Brass Ring to your restaurant list, have a great burger there. Frys are extra, bt the included chips always hit the spot. It's on US1 a mile or so north of the bridge. In Jupiter, my favorite place to eat in all our area--Dune Dog on Alt A1A, just south of Jupiter Dive Center. The crunchy fish sandwich is the best around and big enough to make a 2nd sandwich if you want.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Brass ring is great!

A typical easy BHB dive starts at the bridge piling closest to the shore, drift down to the piling next to it, then swim to the channel following the pilings. The piling at the channel is a solid wall instead of multiple pilings, then there is another wall to support the wooden boat guides.

Then swim back, it's that easy.

Glad you scoped out the area and hope you'll be able to get in the water soon!! Definitely get there early, if not to talk to divers, to get a parking spot!

 

[Force-E Divers]

Sounds like you are already getting some great advice, but if you are still looking for a guided tour (or just some free advice) stop by or give us a call. We love the Blue Heron Bridge! Most of the staff at the Riviera store are BHB experts. They can show you exactly where to enter/exit and how to find the critters.

 

[mntlblok]

With all that fine research, I can't *believe* you didn't mention the cool, new Publix next to the bridge. Not *only* does it have its own parking garage, but after entering from said garage, it has escalators, *including* one for the shopping carts. This was undoubtedly done to prevent use of their carts as artificial reef material at the bridge.

I also scoped out the area before getting up the nerve to dive the site. My experience was that the description on "Wade's Page" led me to believe the site was far more complicated and tricky than it has turned out to be. Nothing "wrong" with the description, but it's just hard "picture" the description until you've actually been there and done the dives.

The "east-to-west" dive at the west end, as described, is my most common route. It works out nicely with the change in flow of the tide if one enters prior to, and exits after, high tide. I would add that, on the way "out", I find lots of interesting stuff a little to the south of the span (and it's not {sort of} dark like "under" the bridge), and after exploring the west side of the west wall - where there's *lots* of unique life, I also find lots of interesting stuff north of the bridge and west of the fishing pier - again out in the sunshiny area.

Learning where the boat channel boundaries are and the general flow of the tidal current are really the only issues, and are learnt easily and rather rapidly. What stool oogs me out, though, is that the *sounds* of those motorboat engines don't necessarily match up with how far away from you they are. I've come up many times to orient myself (I don't do navigation ) only to find that the scary noise from the boat is far, far away. As soon as I'm back down on the bottom, I'm pretty sure, again, that that same boat is right over the top of me.

I carry lots of air with me and have now become accustomed to doing three hour plus dives at the bridge. My current estimate is that the best viz is going to be the three hours prior to high tide. The viz can go bad amazingly quickly just after high tide.

The current, especially out front (south) of the beach entry of the west side, while horrible just past that first "pier base", becomes much less as you head out towards the channel. And, if you want to hold still in an area with this "lessened" current, a metal rod (such as a "lobster tickle stick") can hold you in place, nicely. Unfortunately, the really "powdery" silt layer on top of the sand is *also* worst right out front. A pier or two to the west from there is much more "shelly", and full of cool, small critters.

I'm addicted to the place. Probably not a good thing for an OCD sufferer. If you don't believe me, check out the ridiculous number of pics posted from the bridge at mentalblock_DMD's photosets on Flickr .

Kevin

 

[SheilaRee]

COMPLETELY forgot about the new Publix. How nice is that? I thought it was a new hotel!