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

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Had fun on this night dive - some stats - 96 minute dive - avg depth 9.9 feet - max depth 19 feet - minimum water temp was 81 degrees - very little to no current - lots of critters. Now after this dive - I want to take a video class to get better video - I could go back to the BHB over and over just for video...

BHB - Riviera Beach FL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCQiIxErMeQ

 

[Lorenzoid]

So how was the night dive in general? My wife and I had been considering doing it, but we chickened out based on comments in the BHB Trolls thread, wondering whether there would be so many divers in the water that the place would be lit up like day. Which dive op did you sign up with, and did you hire a guide or have a local buddy to show you around or just do it on your own?

 

[lowviz]

"do not confuse this with L Street Braille Dive Site"

Oh come on! It wasn't that bad.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

So how was the night dive in general? My wife and I had been considering doing it, but we chickened out based on comments in the BHB Trolls thread, wondering whether there would be so many divers in the water that the place would be lit up like day. Which dive op did you sign up with, and did you hire a guide or have a local buddy to show you around or just do it on your own?

I used Force E - but would recommend Jamie Lee call him directly 803 243-1523. I would use a guide the first time - because he pointed out critters that I would have overlooked - I did find the first SeaHorse though - .
I have been on many night dives and this was by far the easiest and very calming. We got in the water first before other divers but it was not a cattle ranch of divers. We also dove Sunday night - not sure if that made a difference but you are tide dependent. We went just over an hour and a half and I only used 2000psi on an aluminum 80 - so my stress was way down. That said Jamie makes it very easy if you want to stop and walk back to the starting point (half way point you could get out and walk) or keep diving. I kept diving and then we saw the octopus at the end of the video above... so you never know what you will find.
I think now that I have seen it - I would be fine doing it myself but I never would have found some of the things he could point out. And he told me he would point things out let me look and explore - he would go 10 more feet infront of me and stop - when I came to him we would proceed again. It was exactly what I was looking for - stop and look or blast through any of the stops...
I would take anyone that loves to see things to this spot - if you can avoid kicking up the silt on the bottom - you can see even more. And having a guide will give you more confidence - Jamie is unbelievably patient - I used him for my wife's DSD at the BHB and she loved it - saw an octopus within 40 feet of stepping in the water...

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think a guide is a good idea. We have dived BHB three times now, but never a night dive (the timing has never worked out for our schedules). We could have done this last one, but as I said, we chickened out. The first time we dived BHB we hired a guide from Force-E (some young woman whose name i can't recall). I was just curious about the night dive. Someone said there have been night dives with 70 people in the water. My wife, who likes the serenity of night dives, kind of freaked out at the idea of lights flashing all over the place. If I did a night dive there, I'd probably hire a guide again. I emailed Force-E three times over the past few weeks but never got a single reply from them, so I am currently not thinking highly of them.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Call Jamie - tell him Carl sent you... You will like him and his SC accent.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Recently night dives have had over 120 people diving, but you might only see 4 or 5 underwater. It's a big place!

And I think the fact that it's being mentioned in regional forums from around the world says a lot about how special it is!!

(Floridian who stumbled in due to thread title)

 

[Lorenzoid]

Recently night dives have had over 120 people diving, but you might only see 4 or 5 underwater. It's a big place!

Holy cow! What about them stirring up silt? It's not THAT big a place. When I was there on a weekday there were maybe a half dozen divers, and it was nice. A night dive with over 100, all gearing up and marching in at the same time, sounds like a cluster**** to me. You'd have to get there hours in advance even to find a parking spot. But I guess you won't miss me

 

[JahJahwarrior]

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!

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Holy cow! What about them stirring up silt? It's not THAT big a place. When I was there on a weekday there were maybe a half dozen divers, and it was nice. A night dive with over 100, all gearing up and marching in at the same time, sounds like a cluster**** to me. You'd have to get there hours in advance even to find a parking spot. But I guess you won't miss me

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...