diving navarre since new pier?

[Standard11]

well since most of the diving around here is very limited due to oil, and my schedule, i was wondering about if its still ok to dive the old rubble off navarre beach? or if anyone has done it since it opened. honestly, i dont know the situation and dont want any tickets or anything, not to mention i dont know if they removed the old rubble when they tore the old pier down. thanks for any info on this

 

[Hetland]

well since most of the diving around here is very limited due to oil, and my schedule, i was wondering about if its still ok to dive the old rubble off navarre beach? or if anyone has done it since it opened. honestly, i dont know the situation and dont want any tickets or anything, not to mention i dont know if they removed the old rubble when they tore the old pier down. thanks for any info on this

XRay told me that on his last attempt he found that the old rubble was either covered with sand or had been removed.... Now he qualified that report with an admission that the viz was about 2ft at the time, but I've seen him find it in zero viz, so my money is on his report being true.

Of course if the pier is closed at night, you could dive that, but I don't know the status on that either.

 

[MRXRAY]

I have been on the new pier a couple of times and I can't see any rubble, but that isn't to say it isn't there. I'm also not sure if the pier is open at night, I had assumed it was and if it is you have to stay like 100 yards away from it.

 

[Dave C]

A few years ago on this board, I heard someone saying that they were trying to keep the old pier remnants as a "marine preserve". What ever happened to that, and why did they decide to remove all the remains of the old pier? Safety reasons? This safety stuff seems to trump everything in this day and age. I never managed to make it there, and now it's gone. From all the uw pictures that were posted on this board, it looked like a great spot. Too bad there wasn't a concerted effort to preserve it for divers and snorkelers. Was it too close to the new pier for safe swimming, diving, and snorkeling? I am in mourning for the loss of the place. There are so few places you can dive and snorkel right off the shore that every one is special.

 

[SeaYoda]

The last I heard was that the cost and time involved to get the rubble "permitted" was just too great. Cheaper and easier to haul the stuff out of the water and put it in a landfill. Gotta love the government for making things that are hard and stupid into the best choice of options.

 

[MRXRAY]

I had heard that it flipped a couple of times. And in fact the rubble may still be there, but just covered up. It's hard to say at this point and I haven't had a chance to check it out.

 

[Standard11]

well next time the weather is decent out and no sign of oil im down to go out there and do a little exploring around trying to find it if anyone wants to join. im free monday/wed mornings before noon and friday-sunday. im just wanting to get in the water and the springs are a kind of long drive for me

 

[ReefHound]

Update? Anyone hear anything recently about whether the old rubble is still there or if the new pier is divable at times?

The Navarre pier dive was not spectacular but certainly fun for a cheap and easy dive. I stayed at one of the three condos right next to the old pier one summer. Was nice to gear up in my room, ride the elevator down (talk about strange looks), walk 20 yards, and dive.

 

[MRXRAY]

OLD THREAD FROM 2010. But to answer your question, Navarre Pier WAS a spectacular dive, I can say that because no one probably has more dives at the old pier than me. The new pier closes to fishing at 10:30PM so you can only dive after that time. The old rubble that we used to dive seems to have been removed. But I have a couple of secret spot still.