Not the best diving conditions but not the worse either.
Mild north current, 20 or less vis. We swam around in a thermocline that went from 81 degrees to 68 degress. It was wierd as the visible layer of water layed in the valleys (trenches) of the reef. I am inclined to also think this was a less saline layer or something. The Sea life were nowhere to be seen for the most part.
ARROW CRABS everywhere I have never seen so many arrow crabs in Jupiter.
PM Dives we had a nice nurse shark meander by. I was diving with a recently rertired Ranger (army) Three active Marines, and another Military Retiree of which branch I am not sure.
We seperated from the DM and went down the ledge. My buddy (Ranger Mike) Who was diving a Ranger BC, was REALLY wanting to catch a loster. I wiggled into a cavern and saw a spotted loster in the roof. I wiggled (bang scrape) and could amost reach him but then thought.. Hmmm here I am with a pickup buddy, i do not have the proper gear and I am wiggiling into this hole.. SO I backed out and left him alone.
LAter I swam into a larger cavern and ran into a turtle backing out. I swam out and pointed to the other divers.... "Look, There" out comes a largish turtle. They were happy.
Second drop the captain told us he would put us on his Top Secret lobster grounds. We decend onto literally FOUR (4) losters. I had been educating Ranger Mike of the various techniques of loster catching.
The first one we tickled... prodded.. and carefully manuvered up into a hole under the reef which came out somewhere in Brooklyn. The second one I swam up to from behind and used the "Strike Like a Cobra" technique that seems to work for me. I measured him and he was way good. I put him in Mikes bag and I left it with him to enjoy as I am sure somewere, sometime he smoked some #$%@@##$ in the name of freedom and giving him a loster is literally the least I can do.
The thermocline came and went on the fourth dive of the day. I had the choice of a full three or a full 7. Tough to say which would have been the better choice but luckily Ranger Mike was diving Nitrox Tables so we had shorter dives and I did not freeze off anything I wish to keep.
My next dives are going to be down south wrecks. I am kinda Reef'd out for awhile, other than of course $4.00 beach dives for losters.
