LTBS Beach Diving Viz. I've done 5 beach dives in the last month at LTBS and viz was around 20 feet on most. On one it was only 15 feet, but the winds were whipping up pretty well. On two dives we had viz around 30 feet at the end of the pier (middle of first reef), which wasn't bad. Currents are variable, so take wind and current into consideration when planning entry/exit so you don't need to lunk you gear a block or two down the beach back to Datura. Not hard to take a compass sighting before you descend and the north/south axis of the reef (and of the sand ripple pattern) are useful nav aids. Saw two nurse sharks lazying around the last time. No lobster that close it. Pretty fish by the concrete cannon balls on the scuba trail, and more deeper out. Check the tide tables; it's no Blue Heron stringency, but high slack likely has the clearest water. Rain will muddle the waters. Ya know, the basics regarding viz on a shallow dive...Bring a dive flag. Tie it off if but stay in range of it if it's too much trouble to tow around (sarcasm).
Boat diving Broward, Palm Beach. It's all drift diving--you need a flag unless you're being babysat in a large group huddled around a DM with a flag. Be smart and carry a DSMB (on-surface noise-maker not a bad idea)--buddy separations occur, waves can preclude seeing your buddy's flag or the boat on the surface, and you probably don't want to drift to North Carolina or farther. The only non-babysat no-flag diving in the Gulf Stream is if your boat is tied off to an anchoring buoy atop a wreck or other fixed site, or is otherwise anchored. For drifters, one in the group carries the flag. Some operators allow solo diving; you carry the flag. Some nearshore sites in Broward/Palm Beach get busy with boat traffic so you want to be seen. If hunting, you can anchor your flag on the bottom while you go about your business locally, but try to stay upcurrent so you don't separate from your marker. Here, a DSMB is an additional level of safety. Night diving. On wrecks there are often tie-offs and you can descend the buoy line without a flag. No respectable operator is going to let you jump from their boat on a night drift/reef dive if you are not carrying a) a flag; b) a DSMB; and c) adequate functional lighting.
Yes, toting a flag around is yet one more task, sometimes extra annoying in choppy seas, especially when carrying a spear, lobster gear, camera, and flashlight. But the waters up around Boston are a little chilly this time of year, so you don't want to be the one to drift your way that far just to find out.
