Dove into the blue this morning.

[Timmerdown]

This is my first hello here.
I have been living in Tampa Florida for about 2 1/2 years now, and have been diving for just over a year now. Today I drove down the coast an hour to the Bradenton area, and dove a site known as Spanish Rocks,a with a local friend. It was jaunt down to 23' where there is a small, but greatly appreciated reef formation, with alot of local reef fish. Sigh! Now I will be ok for another week.
Timmerdown

 

[simbrooks]

Welcome to the board.

We tried to do this site, but after swimming out for what seemed like ages we still couldnt find it. We were later told that the first reef line was covered over by a sand replenishment project - how useful, but one day we would like to return there! We walked about 5 houses down (south) from the little car park - might have been a grey building if my memory is ok on this. There are two other sites really nearby, the sugar barge and the "third" pier (although its between the second and third one) - earlier this year there were little baby things in the water that caused me to rash up on the sugar barge, but i hear that has died down again.

How was the viz? And of course the bathwater!!

There are sure to be more trips around the shores just south of you. There are also a couple of members in your area (Wings, ItsMandy227 and some others i know of).

Any plans next weekend?

 

[Timmerdown]

Thanks for sharing, Simbrooks. Viz was 5-8 feet, but is was a pretty 5-8, there was what I thought a nice healthy population of various fish. Another diver on the site told me the reef runs perhaps "3 blocks long". It is rather narrow though... Re: Sand replentishment-I have heard that actually happened at a site that is south of Sugar Barge, at "Third Pier", not at Spanish Rocks. The reef, I am happy to report, though not huge is alive with asundry corals and the like. I have heard of atleast 2 other occasions where people looking for the reef couldn't find it, I was alittle skeptical on finding it myself on the first trip out.
Next weekend? I will post this evening/tomorrow morning on the possibilty of a return trip... What is diveable in the Orlando area? I have a friend that lives there (landlubber he be), that I owe a visit to...
Tmmer Down

 

[CBulla]

There are several areas that are experiencing burial due to renourishment or repair. The area north of the Venice pier about half way between the pier and jetties is collecting a LOT of sand now.

 

[simbrooks]

Thanks for sharing, Simbrooks. Viz was 5-8 feet, but is was a pretty 5-8, there was what I thought a nice healthy population of various fish. Another diver on the site told me the reef runs perhaps "3 blocks long". It is rather narrow though... Re: Sand replentishment-I have heard that actually happened at a site that is south of Sugar Barge, at "Third Pier", not at Spanish Rocks. The reef, I am happy to report, though not huge is alive with asundry corals and the like. I have heard of atleast 2 other occasions where people looking for the reef couldn't find it, I was alittle skeptical on finding it myself on the first trip out.
Next weekend? I will post this evening/tomorrow morning on the possibilty of a return trip... What is diveable in the Orlando area? I have a friend that lives there (landlubber he be), that I owe a visit to...
Tmmer Down

Viz sounds about usual from what i have seen off Bradenton in 5 dives so far, but i had seen 10ft once, now that was a day I didnt notice much sand on top of the rocks at third pier (which is like a square of small limestone stones about 100yds sq) - but i havent dove that since april i think.

Keep us updated on any diving though. As for Orlando, either Lk Denton on the way up I-4 or Blue Spring just past Orlando or head up I-75 to the springs or finish off I-4 for Daytona, that is about the options around here.

 

[simbrooks]

There are several areas that are experiencing burial due to renourishment or repair. The area north of the Venice pier about half way between the pier and jetties is collecting a LOT of sand now.

This of course makes finding teeth a harder task Have to make big mounds of dug out sand before you get to the good stuff.