Night dive at Blue Heron Bridge - do not confuse this with L Street Braille Dive Site

[uncfnp]

I absolutely love diving BHB days but the night dives are truly special. Unfortunately I was on the road back home Monday or would have been there.

Since the park closes at sunset, night dives at the park are sponsored dives, typically Force-e or sometimes Pura Vida. Yes, there can be a lot of divers but the area is large enough that it typically isn't an issue. I have seen the parking lot crowded days but personally have not seen it full nights. And for gearing up, I own a truck so just do the Bonaire trick of kitting up on the tailgate.

A guide will get you the best view of critters but the beauty of BHB is, as Basking Ridge Diver said, so truly relaxing and a great stress reliever because it is so easy. And there is so many and such a variety that it's hard to have a bad dive there. Force-e has a wonderfully illustrated map of the features but it is fairly easy to get turned around. I do recommend a compass but since you are rarely more than 15 feet deep, just popping to the surface and getting your bearing is always an option.

BRD. I did 3 dives at the bridge looking for that yellow seahorse but never found him! I knew he was there, seen the pics. Envious!

Lorenzoid. Silt really isn't a problem. It's sand so settles quickly and there is usually enough current, even at slack high tide, to make it a nonissue.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Well then - since I have seen everything there is to see at BHB I guess I don't have to dive there any more...

A Wonderful Surprise is the only way I can describe a BHB Night Dive... Perhaps night dives scare folks away - but up in NJ if you shore dive - night dives have got to be part of your diving skills or you wont dive nearly as much...

 

[uncfnp]

Well then - since I have seen everything there is to see at BHB I guess I don't have to dive there any more...

A Wonderful Surprise is the only way I can describe a BHB Night Dive... Perhaps night dives scare folks away - but up in NJ if you shore dive - night dives have got to be part of your diving skills or you wont dive nearly as much...

Oh no you don't! That dive is never the same twice! Sea critters have a tendency to move around ya know. But I do think I will tag along behind you just to see what you find next!

I met Jamie for the first time this last trip. Haven't seen him in action as an instructor but he seemed like a very nice guy. Easy going and good sense of humor. Two very good traits for any dive professional.

 

[Lorenzoid]

They all get in at different times as some like to get in an hour and a half before high tide while others only half an hour, and between the east span, west span, docks on the east side south, docks on the east side north east, docks on the east side west, open areas north and south of the east span, snorkel trail, and sandy area south of the west span...people spread out.

There are people stirring up the silt but move 20 feet away and most of it has landed by then.

I wouldn't not go to a night dive just because a lot of people go too, that's better than a middle of the day summer dive on a weekend when you can't even find a parking spot!

I like to keep my eye out for scubaboard stickers on bumpers, always nice to meet people in real life!

But there is a West and East side as well and not everyone enters at the same time... and not everyone goes on the same path - you would be surprised how very little traffic there really was at least when I dove (we entered the water at 6:57pm on Sunday high tide I think was 7:40pm-ish and done at 8:33pm)... Although maybe a Fri or Sat night is more crowded...

Okay okay. We are already regretting heading home without having done the night dive that was originally part of the plan. Ironically, we originally chose last weekend for this particular FL trip precisely because it coincided with a BHB night dive (and the possibility of diving again the next morning). We ended up doing a Cavern course in N. FL, and between being exhausted from that and our fears that the night dive would be a zoo, we aborted the plan to go south and just headed back up to Atlanta. We'll be back to BHB--no question about that.

uncfnp: Good point about the silt settling quickly due to the water movement. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that.

 

[lowviz]

(Floridian who stumbled in due to thread title)

Stick around.

We are a friendly and inclusive lot...

 

[djtimmy77]

Yes, on a summer weekend night dive there are popular areas where you will see tons of lights and have people shining them in your face out of ignorance.....but at the same time there are areas you can go to avoid the crowds. I have been on night dives where there were 100 people in the parking lot but I didn't hardly come across anyone in the water.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Tim, I might as well ask now: How is the diving in the winter? No crowds? Easy parking? This year's major gear acquisition is going to be a drysuit

 

[djtimmy77]

The winter is great. far less people. generally easy parking even on mid day weekend dives. One night dive this winter there were only 4 of us! of course it was something like 55 degrees outside (the water was low 70s)

What you have to be mindful of is that if there is a ground swell (long period swell) generally caused by a noreaster or cold front up the coast the vis will be wrecked until it goes away. (summertime bad vis is usually due to SFWMD letting a lot of water out of the canals.)


I wear a 5mm + hooded vest. water is generally mid to low 70's, although I did hit upper 60's a dive or two this winter. My wife wears that in the middle of the summer so she doesn't do BHB if the water is under 80.