Pre-weekend visibility report 04-30... it's really good!

[InstructorMike]

Miss D,

Sadly many boaters and some captains can't tell which wreck they are on, due to their close proximity.

Hitting all 3 on a single wreck-trek dive is very cool, especially for divers on repeat visits to the Pinellas #2 Reef.

Other than the Sheridan, Mexican Pride and Long Island, I believe no other wrecks in the greater Tampa Bay area have more structure than the Blackthorn. The Orange Tug and Fin Barge are not taller and only the latter of the two is longer. The Anclote Tug is about the same size with similar relief as the Blackthorn, although upside-down.

I hope your spearfishing is fruitful!

Chad

Thanks Chad,

Agree with YOU 100 %

First time I did a Dive on the BT it was Bad vis and I was on the wrong section. That was the year it went down. (tells you how old I am!!) Because it looked so Bad I never went back again until Thrusday and I was Glad I did. I have WELL over 5,000 dives in the Gulf including many cool wrecks in the Grounds and other places but that was a pretty dive Thrusday. The little swim thru in the Wreck was not like the pretty swim thru in Fiji but then I did not spend a $ 1.000 getting their or 18 hours in a plane either.

Very pretty dive. Told everyone for 30 years it Sucked.... Know better now!!!!!!.

Took a charter of 10 divers out today. Great day. Top to bottom on Veterns.

I was so happy. This had been the Worst year in OVER 30 years as far as weather.

Spoke to Dr. Hayward Matthews this A.M. and he said the same. ( the guy who started all the Artifical reefs)

Great day of diving today.

Sucked for me... The Captain can NOT leave the Deck... even to save someone from drowning.

Heard of a lost diver South of here Today on the Radio.

It has been 10 years since I been on the Tarpon Tug. It used to be really pretty dive about sunset. Last time I was there we hit it about sunset on the way in from off shore and shot a 75 pound A.J.

I want to take my wife up there to dive it. What does it look like today. Thinking of taking her off shore for 3 days for the mini season and hitting some of my old lobster spots off Tarpon.

Have some Killer grouper spots about a mile south of the tug. Little 1 foot breaks that are loaded with 20 pound gags in the summer. Always shot about 200 pounds a day there.

Capt. Mike

 

[InstructorMike]

P.S.

WATER temp was up 2 degrees from last week. 73 to 75 today!!
45 to 50 off clearwater

 

[Chad Carney]

Capt Mike,

Glad to hear you had a good day today! Veterans Reef is a cool dive too. I'm glad I got to dive it once before the plane flew off the barge. It was bobbing that day in a 1' sea.

I've dove the Blackthorn 40 times since it was put down offshore in 1981. I was in charge of the dive store I managed the day that the store owner and Bob Hite from Chanel 8 news dove it, right after they secretly blew the hull and sunk it. I was so pissed!

Years later after they sunk the Sheridan, while diving the clean new wreck, I saw a boat on the Blackthorn and got the bearing. I swam across at a depth of 55' and in about 3 minutes T-boned the Blackthorn. It's a little tougher crossing back because your heading is parallel to the Sheridan hull from bow to stern.

I plan to dive the wrecks again soon and shoot more pics and video.

I'll be showing some video of the Sheridan & Blackthorn, as well as others, at the Tampa Fairgrounds Boat Show on the weekend of May 16 & 17 at 11 am both days.

Come on out if it's lousy weather... otherwise go diving!

The pic is me with a firehose nozzle and port hole I salvaged from the Blackthorn wreck.

Capt Chad

 

[InstructorMike]

Capt Mike,

Glad to hear you had a good day today! Veterans Reef is a cool dive too. I'm glad I got to dive it once before the plane flew off the barge. It was bobbing that day in a 1' sea.

I've dove the Blackthorn 40 times since it was put down offshore in 1981. I was in charge of the dive store I managed the day that the store owner and Bob Hite from Chanel 8 news dove it, right after they secretly blew the hull and sunk it. I was so pissed!

Years later after they sunk the Sheridan, while diving the clean new wreck, I saw a boat on the Blackthorn and got the bearing. I swam across at a depth of 55' and in about 3 minutes T-boned the Blackthorn. It's a little tougher crossing back because your heading is parallel to the Sheridan hull from bow to stern.


I plan to dive the wrecks again soon and shoot more pics and video.

I'll be showing some video of the Sheridan & Blackthorn, as well as others, at the Tampa Fairgrounds Boat Show on the weekend of May 16 & 17 at 11 am both days.

Come on out if it's lousy weather... otherwise go diving!

The pic is me with a firehose nozzle and port hole I salvaged from the Blackthorn wreck.

Capt Chad

Hi Chad,

It sucks the Navy guys got carried away with the C-4 when the blew it. I could even see some of the holes they blew in it last Thursday. The really peeled the hull back.


I did dive the Airplane barge right after they sunk it. They had huge chains holding the wings down.

Today I was on the 3 big barges on Veterns. The one big barge is starting to fold in now. Use to swim thru it from one end to the other... no more now!

Talked to Dr. Hayward Matthew who was the one in Charge of the Veterns reef progam today at the marina. Even he was surprised it was folding in on its self already.


First time I was on the Sheridan was the week they sank it. Took off work at noon and was anchored on top of it 45 minutes after leaving my house in Ozona.

Flat calm seas and when I got there I could count the rivets in the hull from the deck of my boat...

When was the last time you had vis like that??

I can remember diving the wing off of St. Pete in 150 feet of water and sitting on the bottom and looking up at my boat and it looking like it was in air. The water was so clear you could count the blades on the prop.

Think I will book a few more trips to the BT this year for my divers.

Will post video and pictures soon of that trip on my web site... ( or should I say my super smart Wife will do it!)

IF blowing will stop by and see you... IF not I will be on the water...

Hate to be on land!!!

Capt. Mike

 

[Chad Carney]

The rest of my original report... printed Sun, not Sat as usual.

Captain's Corner: For freedivers, Gulf of Mexico beautiful and clear
Sunday, May 3, 2009

What's beautiful: The gulf. If it were always this clear, there would be as many freedivers as scuba divers. Six miles out on the Madeira Beach artificial reef Thursday, visibility was top to bottom in 32 feet. A speared 5-pound hogfish broke free, but I easily followed it while ascending and recovering my breath on the surface, then dived and shot it again. Gag grouper are plentiful roaming the periphery of the culvert pipes, but they are borderline size or smaller and earned a pass. Bigger keeper gags are at 45 feet and deeper. Bait schools still are sparse this far into spring, and only small kings and amberjack patrolled above the structure, while hefty sheepshead schools have yet to migrate inshore.

What was missing: Oddly, not a single goliath grouper was seen while exploring the widely spread artificial reef and recording more large culvert pipe stack locations than ever before.

What's huge: Seeing a wide head peeking out between pipes gets a grouper hunter excited, but upon closer inspection these are giant snook mimicking grouper appearance and behavior. Dozens of linesiders often hang out at nearshore artificial reefs this time of year.

What's short: Stone crab season is nearly finished, closing May 16. Clear, warming bay water should afford good bridge-diving conditions for a final crab claw hunt.

Chad Carney teaches diving and spearfishing in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at 727-423-7775 or floridaskindiver.com.

 

[InstructorMike]

Agree with you Chad, Goliath Grouper have been few and far between this year. Not sure why yet. Only one or two on Veterns. Have seen as many as 8 there last year. Only one small one on the BT wreck and one 150 pound one on the Sheridan Tug which you can see peeking thru a port hole of the wreck in a photo we took on one of our trips there on our web site at Tanks a Lot under trip photos.

My divers get a big turn on seeing them so I hope they start to move back in soon.

Thinking of running out with my wife to do a late afternoon dive since the wind is laying down. Was a little windy in the A.M.

The Snook were thick in 45 feet when the water was colder but should be moving on to the beachs soon.

Started to see bait for the FIRST time Saturday which was a Great sign. Nothing working yet.

Capt. Mike

 

[Chad Carney]

There were a bunch of GG's on the South County barge last week, but other than Thursday I don't think I've ever dove Mad Bch when it didn't have some.

 

[InstructorMike]

There were a bunch of GG's on the South County barge last week, but other than Thursday I don't think I've ever dove Mad Bch when it didn't have some.

That is Good. They have been very thin off of Clw this year for some reason.

Saw bait for the first time last week so maybe they will start moving into the wrecks now.

 

[InstructorMike]

Weather looks good for this weekend. Have a charter both Sat and Sunday. Water temp was 75 last week but think it will be higher this week. Will post vis and water temps later.

Might be a little more wind Sunday..

 

[InstructorMike]

That is Good. They have been very thin off of Clw this year for some reason.

Saw bait for the first time last week so maybe they will start moving into the wrecks now.

Chad,

Years ago I did some of my wife's Advance class on the Salt Hopper (night dive)

She wanted to dive it again. Is there any thing left?

Thanks,

Capt. Mike