Night Diving at the Blue Heron Bridge

[dumpsterDiver]

Ouch! You are missing the point in case...

The park closes at dark. They do not pay for security after dark, and the local area is not savory... Anyone on the sand after dark is subject to a ticket/fine (The local area is subject to unsavory individuals, and this is how the city has lessened issues in the area for divers...)

The city has offered a potential solution that benefits divers over the unsavory element that attempts to seize the night as their domain...

They request groups include them in their insurance to avert legal issues from "whatever might happen from divers diving after the park is closed, and getting back to their personal vehicles"...

I see it less a deterrent and more as the city attempting to take back the park through dive groups who want the opportunity to dive in an area that was recently unsavory... and turn it back into a family oriented area after dark.... I certainly hope you help to make this area another great family night dive!

As far as I know the park is open at night, all night.. as long as you are a particular user group..the ones who launch and retreive boats at the ramp.

Why do you think it is reasonable to require people to indeminify the County at night and not in the day? Wouldn't a smart Commissioner ask the logical question of why diving is allowed at ANY TIME if the county is subject to lawsuits from the participants?

The garbage about people getting back to their cars is ridiculous.. why not apply the same to nightime use of the boat ramp. Aren't boaters subject to the same dangerous criminals in the area as divers?

If they want to allow non criinals use of the park after dark, then they should require that the users are either actively fishing, diving or launching a boat. No drinking, no parking, no hanging out.

I just don't see it as a major victory, when you have succeeded in putting new limitations on local divers.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

As far as I know the park is open at night, all night.. as long as you are a particular user group..the ones who launch and retreive boats at the ramp.

Why do you think it is reasonable to require people to indeminify the County at night and not in the day? Wouldn't a smart Commissioner ask the logical question of why diving is allowed at ANY TIME if the county is subject to lawsuits from the participants?

The garbage about people getting back to their cars is ridiculous.. why not apply the same to nightime use of the boat ramp. Aren't boaters subject to the same dangerous criminals in the area as divers?

If they want to allow non criinals use of the park after dark, then they should require that the users are either actively fishing, diving or launching a boat. No drinking, no parking, no hanging out.

I just don't see it as a major victory, when you have succeeded in putting new limitations on local divers.

I refuse to play your game.

The facts:
The park closes at sundown for diving from the beach, it's the law and you receive a ticket for violation...

There are things in the works that will allow divers to dive at night from the beach and avoid breaking the law...

Conjecture:
Your attempt to start an argument has failed. Take it somewhere else, or call Karen Marcus and tell her.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Jumping in late...
Jim, .. we used to be able to dive after dark at the park. It's only been in the past couple years that we no longer can park on the bridge either.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Jumping in late...
Jim, .. we used to be able to dive after dark at the park. It's only been in the past couple years that we no longer can park on the bridge either.

Yes, I know that...

 

[deepstops]

Here is where it stands right now, directly from Parks & Recreation Superintendent John Wildner:

Because there are no lifeguards at night and PB County does not want the additional liability, to dive at night, they want the shop or instructor to carry at least $1,000,000of liability with PB County named as a covered party.

Additionally, advance notice will be required and the dive group must be out by 10pm.

As of today, no shops have come forward with the insurance requirements yet. Brownie's Palm Beach is the only shop working on it so far that Mr. Wilder is aware of.
Also, independent instructors are encouraged to participate but will need to meet the same insurance requirements as the shops. Once shops and instructors show the county their proof of insurance with PB County named as being covered, they will start a database of those permitted to conduct night dives there.

If the demand for night diving becomes large enough to drain their park ranger resources, PB County will likely add a fee for night diving to offset the additional costs of ranger patrols.

John Wildner's phone number is 561-963-6707 and he's a really friendly guy.

 

[Missdirected]

**Please note, this discussion on the rules and regulations of diving Blue Heron Bridge has been moved from Trips & Marketplace to the main Conch Forum**​

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Damn who would have thought that they would start to CHARGE divers for diving now at a public park?

Economic times are tough, divers present a big liability, both in the day and at night...wonder how long it will be before the County wants to charge for all divers to dive at the park in the day?


I don't want to start an arguement or play a game, but you have to realize that they just approved a fee schedule to charge boaters to launch their boats at the public park that we already paid taxes for. Why wouldn't they look for new revenue sources?

 

[Reef_Haven]

There is a fee to launch at Phil Foster now?

 

[deepstops]

I think Phil Foster park currently offers free ramps AND free parking.

It's free to launch and retrieve at every ramp in Broward County but it's NOT free to park your tow vehicle/trailer there for the day. And it's been that way for 25 years. Why would non-boaters subsidize the boat ramps they never use?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

As I understand it, Palm beach county just passed an ordinance that charges $10 to launch/retreive a boat each time with an option for an annual pass. This money will be used to enforce the new rules and to collect the money for launching. Isn't expanding governement great!

The new fees will not go into effect until summer, I'm not sure of the details.

Why would the county NOT try to collect money from special users when the financial situation is so difficult? Apparently the county now feels that divers present an increased liability and with the necessity to provide enforcement of BRAND NEW nighttime diving rules, why should they not collect additional liscensing and usage fees from scuba divers? Once we go down the path of regulating and singling out scuba diving, it is a slippery slope.

I would much rather see divers be allowed to use the park at night for free without liscensing and insurance.