Palm Beach Dive Thread
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johndiver999
Contributor
Actually, the current picked up to t
2 mph in 100 plus
2 mph in 100 plus
Went out on Pura Vida's Marin today. I guess we were on Marin because the amount of people did not warrant using Aurelia. Jason was captain, with Amber as one divemaster, and the other divemasters name escaping my memory at the moment. Weather and sea conditions were about as nice as can be expected for December. Slight breeze, air temp in the low 70's, no swell, no waves.
Headed south leaving the inlet. Went to Bath & Tennis Reef for the first drop. Water was blue with visibility at about 60ft with a little haze sea temp 77f throughout the water column. There was no current. Was a little annoyed that I had to kick for propulsion rather than just drifting with the current. Bath & Tennis is nice reef. Fish as far as the eye can see, tons of Grunts and Snappers. Did a REEF survey of 71 species in 60 minutes.
For the second drop we did Flower Gardens/Trench. Reached the Trench after about 30 minutes on Flower Gardens. The current had picked up just enough to provide a nice drift without having to do any work. Since the current was mild when we reached the trench, Amber tied off, and the group proceeded east down the Trench. Encountered a Juvenile Goliath that stayed on the ledge to allow everybody in the group to get images. Shortly after the Goliath encounter the group headed back west towards the tie off point. Again as almost to put on a show a 7ft Lemon cruised over the trench heading south for the group to see, but not necessarily get good images. Did a REEF survey of 70 species in sixty minutes.
Respectively, Goliath, mixed Grunts, mixed Grunts, mostly Sailor Choice, and Blue Stripe Grunts.
Headed south leaving the inlet. Went to Bath & Tennis Reef for the first drop. Water was blue with visibility at about 60ft with a little haze sea temp 77f throughout the water column. There was no current. Was a little annoyed that I had to kick for propulsion rather than just drifting with the current. Bath & Tennis is nice reef. Fish as far as the eye can see, tons of Grunts and Snappers. Did a REEF survey of 71 species in 60 minutes.
For the second drop we did Flower Gardens/Trench. Reached the Trench after about 30 minutes on Flower Gardens. The current had picked up just enough to provide a nice drift without having to do any work. Since the current was mild when we reached the trench, Amber tied off, and the group proceeded east down the Trench. Encountered a Juvenile Goliath that stayed on the ledge to allow everybody in the group to get images. Shortly after the Goliath encounter the group headed back west towards the tie off point. Again as almost to put on a show a 7ft Lemon cruised over the trench heading south for the group to see, but not necessarily get good images. Did a REEF survey of 70 species in sixty minutes.
Respectively, Goliath, mixed Grunts, mixed Grunts, mostly Sailor Choice, and Blue Stripe Grunts.
tekkydiver
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I was to believe if you dive off a boat no permit is needed for a night dive
Johnoly
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Thanks for the conditions report!!
johndiver999
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Blue bumpy moderate current no thermo 80 ft vis
OP
This coming Thu-Mon are looking pretty poor with the next approaching cold front. If the forecast is remotely close, boats won't be running until ~ next Tuesday. 
I got out this weekend for 4 dives with PV on Marin. Visibility was pretty consistent on both days, 40-50ft hazy. Air temp was freezing on both days, especially in the morning. I was doing my self-reliant cert with doubles training. Throughout the 4 dives we did skills.
Saturday:
Capt Dean, deep dive trip. Forecast was 4-4.5ft seas. It was definitely sporty, but the boat handled the conditions well. It seems like some boats you go on, they just get tossed around in the seas, but not this one. There was a slight surge, hardly noticeable. Very light northern current.
First dive: Danny to Spud Barge. Water temp 78. My toes were going numb prior to the dive and felt much better once warmed up in the water. We saw a loggerhead and a smaller turtle (not sure what kind) and a couple Goliath Groupers.
Second dive: Corridor wreck trek. We spent the entire 2nd dive inside the Ana C. Water temp 77.
Sunday:
Capt Jason, shallow dive trip. Forecast was 3.5-4ft seas. It wasn't nearly as sporty as Saturday. Topside seas were actually nice, except it was COLD and windy. We brought DPVs on this day. There was a very light south surface current. I couldn't tell which way it was going underwater, maybe slightly west. All dives were guided to the south.
First dive: Dive-O-Rama. We zoomed around east and west. We found this pipe with a Goliath Grouper hiding in it. It was a deep pipe, so deep that our flashlights couldn't shine far into the depths of it. We'd leave and the GG would come out swimming and then head for the pipe as we came near and go so deep that we couldn't see it in the pipe. Some divers reported seeing a Bull Shark which was overly curious. The only shark I found was a nurse shark sleeping up under a ledge. Water temp 76-77.
Second dive: 4th Window. We rode the entire ledge past a mark on the dive brief and turned back around until we ran back into the group. I must have seen 7 moray eels, they were everywhere on this ledge. I saw a small black grouper that let me follow for some time, and it eventually tried to hide behind a barrel sponge with some soft coral. Water temp 77.
Saturday:
Capt Dean, deep dive trip. Forecast was 4-4.5ft seas. It was definitely sporty, but the boat handled the conditions well. It seems like some boats you go on, they just get tossed around in the seas, but not this one. There was a slight surge, hardly noticeable. Very light northern current.
First dive: Danny to Spud Barge. Water temp 78. My toes were going numb prior to the dive and felt much better once warmed up in the water. We saw a loggerhead and a smaller turtle (not sure what kind) and a couple Goliath Groupers.
Second dive: Corridor wreck trek. We spent the entire 2nd dive inside the Ana C. Water temp 77.
Sunday:
Capt Jason, shallow dive trip. Forecast was 3.5-4ft seas. It wasn't nearly as sporty as Saturday. Topside seas were actually nice, except it was COLD and windy. We brought DPVs on this day. There was a very light south surface current. I couldn't tell which way it was going underwater, maybe slightly west. All dives were guided to the south.
First dive: Dive-O-Rama. We zoomed around east and west. We found this pipe with a Goliath Grouper hiding in it. It was a deep pipe, so deep that our flashlights couldn't shine far into the depths of it. We'd leave and the GG would come out swimming and then head for the pipe as we came near and go so deep that we couldn't see it in the pipe. Some divers reported seeing a Bull Shark which was overly curious. The only shark I found was a nurse shark sleeping up under a ledge. Water temp 76-77.
Second dive: 4th Window. We rode the entire ledge past a mark on the dive brief and turned back around until we ran back into the group. I must have seen 7 moray eels, they were everywhere on this ledge. I saw a small black grouper that let me follow for some time, and it eventually tried to hide behind a barrel sponge with some soft coral. Water temp 77.
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