Question Planning a Florida Vacation.

[Divin'Papaw]

Yeah, I purchase an SMB when I got the Nitrox tank. It's not something we use locally. Have watched a few videos on how to carry and deploy them. I will practice this when I get to Blue Hole in April. Although I have not taken an UW Nav class yet, I have experience in orienteering. I will be brushing up on this skill soon. My son took an UW Nav class and not one time did they take him out to a large park and work with him prior to the UW qualifying dive. I coming to the conclusion that some classes are just a way to generate revenue for dive shops. I took my son out and laid out a course for him using tent pegs. After a few attempts he got where he was finding the pegs pretty often. One thing a learned from watching videos on UW Nav is to intentionally take a heading the will just miss desired position either left or right. Then when you have traveled the distance you know which way to turn in order to find your target. That was helpful.

We use a combination of natural and compass navigation alot down here along with an understanding of the geography of the reef or wreck. Underwater Nav is definitely a course which can be fantastic or worthless depending upon the quality of the instructor. I've never taken it myself but years of navigating Midwest quarries, lots of shipwrecks, and ocean shore diving and drift diving here in SEFL have honed those skills pretty well.

One dive that will use ALL of your nav skills and hone them well is Blue Heron Bridge. You will use your compass, the flow of the current as it changes at high tide, the angle of light, the shadows from various things topside, the sounds from boats and shore, and your knowledge of the geography of the area every single dive! Then dive it at night and it's even more challenging! It's a shallow site so technically you can typically pop to the surface, get your bearings, and drop back down. But I take it as a challenge to never do that! I've only had to do that once that I recall and that time alone pissed me off!

Sounds like you will be in good shape to enjoy your time diving here!

 

[CosbySweater]

We use a combination of natural and compass navigation alot down here along with an understanding of the geography of the reef or wreck.

Throw in current direction as a means of natural nav as well. The current typically runs within +-10 degrees of North off PBC. You can navigate simply by knowing which direction the current is running and watching how the soft corals bend in the direction the current is flowing. The soft corals are almost a compass pointing you towards the North.

All that being said, we do occasionally get a south current and that always throws me off a bit .

 

[MudBug]

We navigate by abandoned jug lines.

 

[PapaRod]

Yeah, I purchase an SMB when I got the Nitrox tank. It's not something we use locally. Have watched a few videos on how to carry and deploy them. I will practice this when I get to Blue Hole in April. Although I have not taken an UW Nav class yet, I have experience in orienteering. I will be brushing up on this skill soon. My son took an UW Nav class and not one time did they take him out to a large park and work with him prior to the UW qualifying dive. I coming to the conclusion that some classes are just a way to generate revenue for dive shops. I took my son out and laid out a course for him using tent pegs. After a few attempts he got where he was finding the pegs pretty often. One thing a learned from watching videos on UW Nav is to intentionally take a heading the will just miss desired position either left or right. Then when you have traveled the distance you know which way to turn in order to find your target. That was helpful.

If you want practice with a DSMB, go to Cozumel and do the drift dive speciality, we did 7 dives and used our smb on everyone.

 

[MudBug]

Well, time for an update.

Attended some classes at Blue Hole, New Mexico and have certified in Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver and DSMB. Got to use my Nitrox tanks for the first time and some other new gear. I want to make a couple of more local dives to get everything dialed in before I head to Florida. I enjoyed the Nitrox, was not as fatigued as I thought I would be after doing my third dive of the day.

I'm starting to get excited!!

 

[Ghost95]

If you make it back to the west coast so in around Venice and do a shark tooth dive. You can go with a charter, Aquanutz, or do a beach dive. Lots of little fossilized sharks teeth and maybe a megalodon tooth, plus lots of other fossils. Relaxing dive, long bottom times.

Check out the Venice Fossil Divers sub forum. Lots of cool info and pics.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[MudBug]

If you make it back to the west coast so in around Venice and do a shark tooth dive. You can go with a charter, Aquanutz, or do a beach dive. Lots of little fossilized sharks teeth and maybe a megalodon tooth, plus lots of other fossils. Relaxing dive, long bottom times.

Check out the Venice Fossil Divers sub forum. Lots of cool info and pics.

Enjoy your trip.

Thank you for the heads up.....will check it out...

 

[MudBug]

I plan on purchasing a five dive pass for the Kyalami. I will make dives every other day with the other days doing dives at Blue Heron.

From the dives listed below, would anyone care to pick the five they would recommend?

1: Monkey’s Ledge
2: Captain Kurls
3: Area 51
4: Tunnels
5: Jupiter Wreck Trek
6:Spadefish Point
7:Loggerhead
8: Scarface
9:MG-111
10: Gary’s
11: Julies
12: Lighthouse

 

[Johnoly]

the Kyalami.

would anyone care to pick the five they would recommend?

You are diving over Memorial weekend and the waters will be busy. Kyalami's captain is very good and will get reports right up to the minute on the viz and currents at different spots. Since water temps will be 80 degrees, alot of the sharks will move from Jupiter to up north but Tunnels will produce a few resident reefie sharks year round. In the end the Captain will pick the dive sites for that day.

Here now is how I explain the difference between requesting a dive site you want to go to and a truly effective overt "Food Bribe". On your way to the boat, stop at the Publix Store in Tequesta(you'll pass it on your way). Purchase a big box of 20pcs spicey chicken wings which are available hot in the 'grab & go' warmers. As you get on the boat, open the box for the captain to ?approve/sample/smell?. Then tell him where you want to dive or what you want to see. The boat will magically turn in that direction. Trust Me, it works !!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You are diving over Memorial weekend and the waters will be busy. Kyalami's captain is very good and will get reports right up to the minute on the viz and currents at different spots. Since water temps will be 80 degrees, alot of the sharks will move from Jupiter to up north but Tunnels will produce a few resident reefie sharks year round. In the end the Captain will pick the dive sites for that day.

Here now is how I explain the difference between requesting a dive site you want to go to and a truly effective overt "Food Bribe". On your way to the boat, stop at the Publix Store in Tequesta(you'll pass it on your way). Purchase a big box of 20pcs spicey chicken wings which are available hot in the 'grab & go' warmers. As you get on the boat, open the box for the captain to ?approve/sample/smell?. Then tell him where you want to dive or what you want to see. The boat will magically turn in that direction. Trust Me, it works !!

@Johnoly knows of which he speaks. He is the master of food bribes!