Palm Beach Dive Thread

[MrChen]

Sounds like the biggest issue was the inexperienced, anxious divers on the boat and not the viz. I've done dives with PV before when 10' viz was the best we could find. We all gladly did 2 dives because it's better than not diving at all. I used to dive in pea soup rock quarries in Indiana in the winter in 45 degree water, so ANY dive in South Florida is worth doing to me!!

Yeah, I think the captain was under the impression that most of the boat didn't want to continue. Technically, the 4 who didn't want to go again, didn't do the first dive either. They jumped in on the first and within 5 minutes were back on the surface. Others may have come up early as well. We were the last 2 to surface and the only 2 to make it to the Mizpah. I knew where it was, directly north. It's a pretty easy jump. At the end of the day, he saw that most of the boat wanted to do the second dive, so he set what he considered safe boundaries (don't leave the Mizpah) and we did the second dive.

 

[DiveFlag = Target]

I'm not familiar with those two names you mention on the deck. Dean I know. For what it's worth Pompano was maybe 40 ft vis on the Lady Luck. Current was moving pretty good.

 

[MrChen]

I forgot to add, after the 2nd dive rollcall, the captain puts the boat in gear, and we hear a loud BANG as a tank falls to the ground. This is followed by divers jumping around, a metal rolling sound, another clunk as a tank hits the back platform, the captain yelling for someone to grab it, and splash. One person did attempt to grab it and banged their hand up a little and luckily was fine. One of the dive guides jumped in but couldn't find it.

The person claims they had it single wrapped with the rope. I heard them say to the captain that they were heading to the dive shop to pay for the rental tank. This got me thinking, should the diver be liable?

 

[scubadada]

Hi @MrChen

You had a bad day on Saturday, I went out in Boynton on Saturday and Sunday and did much better. I went out of Riviera Beach today and had a very good time. See my Florida visit thread.

Trip Report - Back in the water in Florida 2024 #3

This trip did not start off so well. I was to come down Thursday and do Deep Ledge with JDC on Friday. Unfortunately, after boarding and then deboarding the plane 3 times, it was canceled due to intense thunderstorms to the south. I got down yesterday instead. JDC was understanding and refunded...

scubaboard.com

BTW, I was supposed to go out with JDC on Friday afternoon but could not get down to Florida from Philadelphia on Thursday due to thunderstorm activity. @CosbySweater posted that the Friday afternoon dive was cancelled due to poor visibility.

 

[revise]

@CosbySweater posted that the Friday afternoon dive was cancelled due to poor visibility.

I was scheduled to go out with Pura Vida on Sunday afternoon's grouper dive. Got a call Sun morning, canceled due to poor vis.

 

[NothingClever]

...and we hear a loud BANG as a tank falls to the ground...a metal rolling sound, another clunk...and splash.

That's a bummer.

Yeah, if I forgot to secure my tank, I'd volunteer to buy it but I'd also ask the Captain to pin the lat/long so we could come back and recover it.

 

[Johnoly]

..One of the dive guides jumped in but couldn't find it.

When diving that wreck trek,,, after the Mizpah you need to angle a little to the east to get to next wreck trek which is the Amaryllis. So if the tank jumped off the boat straight north of the Mizpah it would be a sand drop and not on the regularly dove route. Hopefully with later this week and some great viz (and maybe a scooter) some divers can get it back. Knowing Capt Dean, I'd bet he'd hit the 'mark' button on the GPS, he's a really good captain when stuff goes wrong.

 

[PBcatfish]

When diving that wreck trek,,, after the Mizpah you need to angle a little to the east to get to next wreck trek which is the Amaryllis. So if the tank jumped off the boat straight north of the Mizpah it would be a sand drop and not on the regularly dove route. Hopefully with later this week and some great viz (and maybe a scooter) some divers can get it back. Knowing Capt Dean, I'd bet he'd hit the 'mark' button on the GPS, he's a really good captain when stuff goes wrong.

How much of those two wrecks are still there? The fishing in that area has fallen off to the point where it's not worth drifting through there anymore. I'm curious how much structure remains.

 

[MrChen]

When diving that wreck trek,,, after the Mizpah you need to angle a little to the east to get to next wreck trek which is the Amaryllis. So if the tank jumped off the boat straight north of the Mizpah it would be a sand drop and not on the regularly dove route. Hopefully with later this week and some great viz (and maybe a scooter) some divers can get it back. Knowing Capt Dean, I'd bet he'd hit the 'mark' button on the GPS, he's a really good captain when stuff goes wrong.

Yeah, there's a rock pile between the Mizpah and Amarylis. I'm not sure how far we drifted before getting picked up, but the surface currents were stronger than at depth. It would be SW of the Mizpah. He was on the lower deck when it happened. I jokingly said mark the GPS. He didn't run up the ladder. I'm pretty sure he knew where we were. They'll probably find it when vis opens up a little.

 

[MrChen]

How much of those two wrecks are still there? The fishing in that area has fallen off to the point where it's not worth drifting through there anymore. I'm curious how much structure remains.

There's plenty of structure, there just aren't any fish worth catching. Maybe because they're dove on so often.