St. Andrew's Jetties Question

[moosicman]

So I dove the jetties today here in PCB for the first time since moving here. Absolutely LOVED it! We planned on drifting down the entire wall, going around the point and then head back up the beach area but we surfaced to see about where we were and noticed no divers and tons of fisherfolks on the rocks. That got me pretty nervous as I don't fancy becoming someone's really good fight and "the big one that got away" story. We dove back down and planned on high tailing it around the point and getting out of the risk.

It ended up being a further trip around that point than expected so we climbed up over the rocks and hit the other side. My question is this: while climbing up those rocks, this fisherman yells out (not rudely, just informatively) that we could be fined for diving there. I've never heard that before and think he's wrong but then again we were the only two divers there so it makes me doubt myself and I now wanna be sure. Is there a fine or no? Even as I'm typing this I'm thinking to myself - that's crazy talk, there no fines....there's no fines in scuba diving! So be there or no?

 

[ReefHound]

I was there today as well. You can dive there if you have a flag in tow. You have to go pretty far to where you can easily get over the rocks. Cross over too soon and it's a scramble to avoid being tossed onto rocks and urchin.

 

[moosicman]

Yeah, we had a flag but I was actually thinking of there being some sort of oversight of divers and fishermen mixing there at the end of the jetty. We didn't have any issues crossing over and actually wanted to go all the way around the point, just decided we'd better get out sooner rather than later as there were a ton of fishermen out there. It was my first time diving the jetties so I'm hoping that was a bit of an elevated amount of fishermen with it being the holiday weekend.

 

[Tessunderwater]

I know people who have drifted it going from the point in at high tide and I've heard of no such fine. The only reason I can think for getting in trouble is if your not diving with your flag. Sounds like the fisherman was confused.

 

[bletso]

The anglers can be real jerks. Many will snag the flag and try to pull up up. We dive around the point all the time. It is a long hike bayside to the cars though.

Dale

 

[Hetland]

I thought diving was a lazy-man's sport!?! (or lazy woman's).

I've done 30+ dives at the jetties, and have yet to find it necessary to circle the point. I usually dive to the area around the sunken boat, maybe 200ft further, turn, and work my way back to the entry point. You'll see 10,000 more things just taking your time and looking for the small critters.

There's nothing illegal about diving the jetties as long as you have a flag, and don't have a speargun. I suspect the fisherman was just protecting his spot by feeding you some misinformation.

This happened in 2008:

I have an update and permission to post names here this time. The boat was a 15 or 16 foot Sea Chaser, and it had three fishermen on board. The fishermen on the boat pulled the diver up by his dive flag and cleated him off to the boat, took his camera and flag, and threatened him and his wife with a .357. The divers involved were _______ and _____, and both of them are very good friends of the Dive Locker, and Shawn sometimes drives the fintastic for us. The numbers on the boat were something similar to, but not FL 1234 AB. Watch out for those boaters fishing the super secret spot over by the east jetties.

​

​

​

 

[Tessunderwater]

I thought diving was a lazy-man's sport!?! (or lazy woman's).

I've done 30+ dives at the jetties, and have yet to find it necessary to circle the point. I usually dive to the area around the sunken boat, maybe 200ft further, turn, and work my way back to the entry point. You'll see 10,000 more things just taking your time and looking for the small critters.

There's nothing illegal about diving the jetties as long as you have a flag, and don't have a speargun. I suspect the fisherman was just protecting his spot by feeding you some misinformation.

This happened in 2008:

​

Wow that's crazy, too bad they didn't have video footage or they could have gone to the cops with evidence.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[scubamiller]

There are such a thing as tickets for SCUBA diving, I am living proof:
1. No flag is obviously a big no-no (if you are not in a designated swimming area, like the kiddie pool or Morrison's springs)
2. Diving/swimming with in 50 feet of a public boating access site (public boat launch)
3. Speargun possession in fresh water, or within the Jetty areas
4. Numerous trespassing violations especially near bridges, dams, and restricted infrastructure (hydroelectric, nuclear, etc...)

I go to court for my two tickets (#1 & #2 above) this tuesday in Wetumpka for diving in Lake Martin and having my flag pulled out of the water by two Marine patrol/Fish & Wildlife officers...will let you know how that turns out.

Mike

 

[Hetland]

Wow that's crazy, too bad they didn't have video footage or they could have gone to the cops with evidence.

There was an investigation, but I never heard if anything became of it.

I try to help fishers out whenever I can. I've recovered stuck anchors, handed out recovered lead/lures, and generally share what I've seen on the dive (kind of fish, where they are, etc.) A little good PR up front smooths things out later on... sometimes.

I've also had to threaten to board vessels and do some creative re-wiring once or twice, but that always seems to happen during red snapper season when tempers are shorter than usual.

 

[moosicman]

I'd love to know how that turns out Scubamiller! Let me know for sure.