Jetties at Panama City

[laserdoc]

Planing to dive here june 10th Saturday. I think high tide is around 8:15 AM. Will the diving be good all day or only an hour before. Which would mean the dive shop would be closed and not open that early in the morning. Also what kind of water temp will I find. Got to take the girl friend on a first ocean dive so I picked something easy.

 

[The Kraken]

The temps at the jetties at that time of year tend to be in the high 70's.

The diving is generally good all day long, unless they're dredging the channel.

The main concern about diving the jetties at PC is the current when the tide is ebbing or flowing. It can be hard even to hold onto the rocks when the current is ripping.

the K

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

You can get a dive, maybe two if your turnaround is quick, without the current becoming too much of a problem with an average tidal swing.

 

[divinginn]

last time i went,they were dredging visibility was 6 to 12 inchs,had to abort. went out to shell island to do some freediving,right across the channel,water was much clearer 30 ft vis or so, wished i had hauled tanks on the shuttle boat.was a nice drift dive down the riprap half mile or so on ebb tide, get out and walk back to starting point,lots of fish,sheepshead and others

 

[mike_s]

I dove in PCB this past sunday. No dredging going on at all in Panama City.

We dove inshore and vis was about 50' on the first dive and about 25-35' vis on the 2nd dive. water temps were 73f.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Look not only at the time of high tide but at the amount of change. If the difference between tides is like 18 inches you will get lots of current. If the change between tides is 6 inches the current won't be so bad all day. If you go north and follow the crook at the end of the rocks you will find lots of interesting stuff to see and will be around the corner from the main current too. Surface temperatures are great in June but you'll still get colder temperatures at depth until into July.

 

[laserdoc]

Look not only at the time of high tide but at the amount of change. If the difference between tides is like 18 inches you will get lots of current. If the change between tides is 6 inches the current won't be so bad all day. If you go north and follow the crook at the end of the rocks you will find lots of interesting stuff to see and will be around the corner from the main current too. Surface temperatures are great in June but you'll still get colder temperatures at depth until into July.

Do I stay with the jettie to my left??? Down to the end and turn left and back towrds shore. Or where should I stay for the best??

 

[Tom Smedley]

On June 11 the high tide is at 9:01 am and is +1.9 feet and the low tide is at 8 something pm at -0.5 feet. There will be some current later in the day but the optimum time to start your dive is at 8 am.

If there is any surge at all on the beach stay away from the south end of the jetties. Some lady was seriously injured there two weekends ago. Mike or Bob at PCDC has aerial photos of the jetties and they can show you where is the best dive.

If you enter from the steps and across the kiddie pool there is a low place in the rocks where you can slide across. Then if you go right (south) it gets deeper. If you go left you will eventually see some old rails and after that the bottom gets rocky and there are lots of shells, crawlies, and fish to look at. It also crooks off to the west and you are out of the main flow.

You might also think about taking the shuttle over to Shell Island and doing the Eastern side of the cut if you have lots of time that day.

Last years's dredging left lots of black mud exposed.

 

[mike_s]

I've never heard about the "shuttle" to shell island? where can you find more info on that?

 

[The Kraken]

Go to the main store at St. Andy's St. park and buy your tickets to Shell Island. The shuttle picks up there and takes you to the dock.

Yellow Angel Fish and I have done that several times.

I think some of the shuttle drivers get irritated with divers, however.

the K