Fall diving is here

[spectrum]

The thread about keeping warm during surface intervals is very timely. After diving at Kennebubkport, Maine this morning it was agreed that today marked the transition from summer to fall diving. The warm top water has been churned under and with the cold nights and shorter days isn't expected back this year. It still wasn't too bad with 49-50F when we got out to about 40' deep. It was cold enough getting in that my face took a few minutes to acclimate, nothing brutal but it wasn't summertime. We've switched from bringing cool water to prevent over heating to warm water to jump start the wetsuits.

How's it going elsewhere along the coastline?

How about RI? what sort of temps and are the tropicals still wandering in?

Pete

 

[RIOceanographer]

We just did Beavertail Point and Ft Wetherill today. We still had 64 degrees all the way down to about 50 ft at both sites. We didn't see any tropicals today but probably just because we spent most of our dives at 40-50 ft which is a bit too deep for tropical hunting. Last week we saw several spotfin butterflyfish and a snowy group at Ft Wetherill. This season we have also seen a lionfish and some short bigeyes. I usually keep seeing them through October.

You're right about fall though. Ft Wetherill had fewer divers than I have seen it since the spring even though it was a near perfect day out today. Seems like a lot of divers may be throwing in the towel already!?!?!

 

[large_diver]

52F at Back Beach in Rockport, MA yesterday. Despite an almost perfect weather day yesterday, there was almost no one there when we arrived at 1PM....plenty of parking.

Perhaps the Red Sox game at 1PM had somehing to do with this.....

 

[PhinDiver]

Just to be cruel, mean, and heartless, down here is Florida I have been considering switching from my .5mm to a 3 mm. I think I can get one more trip with the .5mm.:17:

 

[Jamdiver]

What's fall? <tongue firmly in cheek>
Seriously though, I congratulate you guys for sticking with the diving even when things start to get a wee bit nippy .

Don't know if I'd be able to, but i'd try.

 

[minigirl]

I got 49.f at 22ft...Fall is definitely here!

Thankfully I was teaching a Dry Suit Class so everyone stayed warm and toasty....
Lovely conditions and tons of parking even at 11am.

 

[RIOceanographer]

Just in contrast to my RI diving, we went up to Folly Cove in MA and did a couple of dives today. We hit 43 degrees at depth. 21 degrees colder than RI the day before! On the plus side the visibility was spectacular. Easily 30 feet.

Sadly, at the end of the second dive I went to take off my drysuit and as I was pulling the neck seal to stretch it over my head I heard "POP" as the seal tore all the way from the top down to where it is glued on to the suit. GRRRRR!!!!!!! It was a nice DUI latex seal only about a year old too. I guess it must have gotten a nick in it somehow. Except for the giant tear it still looks pristine so it wasn't rotting away or anything. At least it happened when I was taking it off not putting it on so it didn't kill a day of diving.

 

[Gidds]

That's the scuba karma getting you back for taunting the divers still using wetsuits and running around wearing ridiculus outfits to keep warm when they get out of the water Glad it didn't mess up your dives at least.

 

[RIOceanographer]

That's the scuba karma getting you back for taunting the divers still using wetsuits and running around wearing ridiculus outfits to keep warm when they get out of the water Glad it didn't mess up your dives at least.

Yes, well you could have warned me that you were in fact a dive shaman and were capable of cursing my neck seal in retaliation....

 

[Gidds]

Humph! I didn't say I had anything to do with it! It was scuba karma I tell you...