Jupiter Dive Thread

[Divin'Papaw]

Question…
I haven’t dived out of Jupiter in a few years now.
I may end up back there at JDC in July ish.
Does anyone know if they’ll be ok w me strapping up independent twins?
I do t want to reconfigure my kit for two dives and I don’t want a buddy for the day as I’m used to diving solo.
Cheers

I know I used to dive doubles off of JDC without issue. Whether the doubles are independent or manifolded, I doubt they'd care. Solo diving could be an issue depending upon how you approach it. Technically, JDC no longer allows it based upon their paperwork. However, they are not actively forbidding it. I dive solo with them all the time. Everyone dives in a big group and they encourage you to have a buddy and stay together; however, they do not force buddy teams. I almost always go off on my own and come up on my own. Now I've got a solo card and divemaster card to back up my training for independent diving, and I'm always equipped with redundant air, two computers, two masks and two cutting devices. Plus I dive with them regularly, so they know me. But just things you probably want to keep in mind.

 

[Johnoly]

Does anyone know if they’ll be ok w me strapping up independent twins?

I see many instances of different gear configs including RB's on our normal rec dives. But here's a couple of notes:

*) Tell the shop when booking about your doubles. It helps with where they seat you also.
*) JDC is a no deco and "Timed" dive plan operation. Typically for nitrox it's 45min bottom dive and on the surface ~50mins. If you run over the dive plan - you can expect a conversation with the captain. They are 100% about planning and safety.
*) They 'can' run 60min dive times but not usually and it's shallower depths like the MG111 Goliaths.
*) JDC does run Tech dives with Dbls, RB's, Deco, mixed gases, helium, etc. They are few but often listed on their calendar.

Their rules are for the shop's safety and those rules are not for everyone. There are tech boats with much longer dive times that are available for doubles and deco.

 

[plaamook]

Ok yep. That’s what I thought. It’s the same as last time. Buddy groups were very flimsy and I just went where ever. This time I’m just thinking of actually planning for that!
Twin 32’s or whatever mix they dive there.
Basically I’ve got redundancy and I don’t have to change bottles.
Cheers guys

 

[Divin'Papaw]

@MrChen and I jumped on Kyalami yesterday. Topside conditions were choppier than forecast, most likely due to thunderstorms to the south. We had 3-4' seas to start that slowly calmed while we were out. We hit Area 51 and Captain Kirle's. The temps were a constant 80-81 but the viz was all over the place. On Area 51 we had blue water but lots of particulate. Made for around 30-40' of viz, perhaps 50' at points even. Captain Kirle's had greenish water in the top 20' or so but was a bit better on the reef. But it was definitely lower viz than Area 51 at a variable 20-30'. Current was pretty much non-existent. There was a TRICKLE north current, but you only really could tell by watching the particulate slowly flow north.

All told it was a great day underwater. Several reef sharks including a little guy that kept sneaking up behind us and cutting right in front of us. Scared us both twice! A few loggerheads, a huge green moray that gave @MrChen a bit of a surprise. A circling barracuda that wanted to be cleaned I think. It wasn't happy that I came in to film it. It gave me a couple of what I think were jaw smacks or some form of audible warning I'd never heard from a 'cuda before. I'm going to download the video to see if I can hear it.

Today looks like there may be another NE swell coming in for today and tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what that does to the viz.

 

[Johnoly]

but the viz was all over the place.

Thank you from all of us on the viz reports !! The "Patchy" good spots follow the typical pattern after a total viz loss. Now we just need an east wind and viz will completely be restored. That wind will be here over the next 3 days and the primary swell only looks like 2ft which is manageable for viz. I'm hoping to get out later this week,,,,It's LF season !!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Now we just need an east wind and viz will completely be restored. That wind will be here over the next 3 days and the primary swell only looks like 2ft which is manageable for viz.

Excellent. I hope that plays out. We want our viz back!!! I'm diving again in a couple of weeks for the entire weekend, so keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[MrChen]

A few loggerheads, a huge green moray that gave @MrChen a bit of a surprise.

That's an understatement! That eel was a good size and was coming right at me, level with my face. I was looking into Fin's Den with my flashlight. It missed you by about 3 seconds as you went up and over, it came around moving pretty quickly. It was about 3ft from me, I just launched myself off the seafloor like I was kicking off the bottom of a pool. As I kicked off, it turned into Fin's Den. That was literally the biggest jump scare I've ever had underwater.

 

[MrChen]

Dive 1 we saw 4 lionfish, 3 small lobster, 3 reef sharks, and a skittish loggerhead.
Dive 2 we saw 2 sleeping loggerheads, the weirdest barracuda behavior, and the eel which scared the s*** out of me.

 

[CosbySweater]

Quick Jupiter conditions report:

6/18/2023 - Captain Kirle's: 30 feet of viz. Top 20 feet of the water column was very hazy. Bottom temp was 75 with a thermocline at around 60 feet. Several loggerheads, a hawksbill, morays, and an octopus.

I also got to dive the GulfLand wreck (aka Gregory Norman wreck). I have a separate thread about that HERE. Viz on the wreck was 10-15 but a nice and toasty 81 degrees.

 

[CosbySweater]

7/1/2023 report:

Viz is still mediocre. Based on some good reports I saw from WPB and Boynton, I was hoping for good viz in Jupiter today. Merky green layer on top followed by hazy blue water to the bottom. 30-40 feet of viz on the bottom. Not bad, but not the 70-80 feet I’ve been seeing come out of WPB and Boynton reports. Temp was around 81 but there was a mild thermocline that came and went throughout the morning. Light North current. Saw several loggerheads and all the normal reef critters.