Need a Lobsterin' help

[OceanObsessed]

I've snorkeled that bridge many times and I never saw any sharks. I'm not surprised they are there though. The bridges normally have low visibility and every now and then you will see something very large and shiny dart by you... tarpon. We used to spear fish on the bridges and the deep channel at Bahia Honda (about 25 feet if I remember correctly) was the best part of the bridge for spearing. A friend of mine speard a couple of big Goliath Grouper from the deep channel back when they were legal to spear. I have seen more lobster on that bridge than anywhere else on the planet. On a single breathhold I have seen over 1000 lobsters packed in under the pilings. They are mostly shorts though. I have no doubt you will see bugs there.

If you are willing to put up with diving at slack high tide and low vis the bridges are a well kept secret for spearfishing and lobstering. I used to freedive with a father-son team that would spend the summers diving only the bridges down there. Their motto was "you have to dive where nobody else does to get alot of fish & lobster" and these guys would clean house on the bridges. It can be a bit dangerous if you are not careful with the high currents (if you choose to stay past slack high tide) and boats zipping by with blind spots.

Here are the results (82 bugs) of freediving the old Seven Mile Bridge many years ago:
(We were diving with a commercial lobster license so our limit was beyond the recreational limit)

 

[Richesb]

A little "local advice". Do not dive in channel around Bahia Honda bride. Heavy boat traffic, heavily fished, strong current And yes, notorious for Bull Sharks.
Not the place for inexperienced or safety concious divers.
As far as a dive op in Key West look up Mike at Sub Tropic. Best most reliable shop in town.
Shore diving in the Keys is not what you should be coming here for. The reefs are worth the trip.
Viz yesterday was top to bottom, water temp at 82ft. - 84F

 

[OceanObsessed]

These days it might even be illegal to dive in the channel or possibly even parts of the bridge...although alot of people still do it. I think I remember hearing or reading somewhere that you are not supposed to dive under bridges that have designated fishing areas.

 

[tremtech]

Just got back from Middle Keys Saturday found lots of empty holes, holes full of shorts,(over fifty) with only 4 Keepers, and saw 4 nurse sharks (1 "7" footer)while dragging behind the boat, We dove Tennessee reef , Coffins Patch and the Long Key bridge. I caught 8 Dolphin in the stream . I shot a 20# grouper about a mile north of duck Key,and even though I burnt $200 worth of gas I never traveled more than 10 miles from the house in 7 days.It will be tough with out a boat and scuba rigs.