sportxlh
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The continuing sagas of the Blue Heron Bridge
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just e-mailed it a moment ago
D2Diver
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Oops here is the correct spelling: Chromodoris clenchi (anyway you spell it it is still a very pretty nudibranch)
jet126
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Well, I feel I have been truly initiated ... we dove yesterday afternoon. I have a friend in town who really wanted to go - she had never been there.
Got there at 12:45 (for the 2:30 tide). I thought I might have to park in Riviera Beach so we circled the parking lot once and of course it was an absolute madhouse. I have never seen so many picnicers! I dropped my friend and all the gear on the sidewalk and then drove east. No parking to be found. Cops were ticketing any car that looked out of place. So I drove west and parked in the Force E lot. (Went in and asked them of course). And then had to walk back.
In spite of all that ... all the people in the water, the crappy viz from everything kicked up ... it was still an INCREDIBLE dive. We saw octopi, eels, the snook are still hanging around, a ginormous batfish, two sea robins, a big northern ray silently gliding by, plus the usual cast of characters. It was beautiful.
I would not recommend diving on a holiday if you don't have to. But it's nice to know that even under the worst of circumstances things are still magic under the surface.
Got there at 12:45 (for the 2:30 tide). I thought I might have to park in Riviera Beach so we circled the parking lot once and of course it was an absolute madhouse. I have never seen so many picnicers! I dropped my friend and all the gear on the sidewalk and then drove east. No parking to be found. Cops were ticketing any car that looked out of place. So I drove west and parked in the Force E lot. (Went in and asked them of course). And then had to walk back.
In spite of all that ... all the people in the water, the crappy viz from everything kicked up ... it was still an INCREDIBLE dive. We saw octopi, eels, the snook are still hanging around, a ginormous batfish, two sea robins, a big northern ray silently gliding by, plus the usual cast of characters. It was beautiful.
I would not recommend diving on a holiday if you don't have to. But it's nice to know that even under the worst of circumstances things are still magic under the surface.
WOW Joanie, it sounds like a terrific dive, and what a contrast to the mayhem above the surface!
Granny Scuba
Contributor
We dove the BHB on Sat afternoon. We had 4 cert divers, 2 of my sons, my hubby and myself but only 2 tanks. My hubby and I went first, and then we gave our BCDS to our sons who then explored the bridge columns. There was still enough air for my husband and me to take a 3rd dive. When my sons were diving their wife and girlfriend snorkeled aboved them. We had gotten there an hour or so before high tide and by the time our tanks were empty the visibilty was drastically decreased and the current was getting pretty strong.
I really liked the fact that the girls could snorkle above my sons while my husband and I watched from under the bridge. This is a great situation for a mixed family. We saw lots of creatures and a good time was had by all. My husband had wanted to explore a wreck that he had heard about from a new found friend, but we didnt have time.
Being a Saturday and the 3rd of July it was a madhouse and I saw a diver get into a confrontation with a kid.
We were just going to wash our gear out with the fresh water hose, and re-rinse at the campground that night, but we met some new found friends who encourage us to share their dawn suds. They told us that due to the high concentration of people there, there was considerable bacteria in the water.
We were in a large RV. We initially parked in a boat-trailer space, but some kind of mall cop (a county park ranger?) came and told us we couldnt park there. We moved and two cars claimed the spot.
We really had a good time and if ever back in the area we will do this again.
I really liked the fact that the girls could snorkle above my sons while my husband and I watched from under the bridge. This is a great situation for a mixed family. We saw lots of creatures and a good time was had by all. My husband had wanted to explore a wreck that he had heard about from a new found friend, but we didnt have time.
Being a Saturday and the 3rd of July it was a madhouse and I saw a diver get into a confrontation with a kid.
We were just going to wash our gear out with the fresh water hose, and re-rinse at the campground that night, but we met some new found friends who encourage us to share their dawn suds. They told us that due to the high concentration of people there, there was considerable bacteria in the water.
We were in a large RV. We initially parked in a boat-trailer space, but some kind of mall cop (a county park ranger?) came and told us we couldnt park there. We moved and two cars claimed the spot.
We really had a good time and if ever back in the area we will do this again.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/so...eeting-blue-heron-bridge-suzan-meldonian.html
Visitors always welcome...this is a presentation you WON'T want to miss!
Visitors always welcome...this is a presentation you WON'T want to miss!
I was down visiting family for the 4th of July weekend in West Palm and we tried to get out to the Mizpah (and/or another artificial reef/wreck site) but due to weather conditions it looked like a dive was not going to happen.
I live near Gainesville, Florida but have family in Palm Beach County as well as the Tampa Bay area. My West Palm family has a number of open water certified divers with my cousin recently getting back into diving.
So, when I woke up on the morning of July 5th and saw the overcast skies, etc., I was already thinking shore dive just in case.
We stopped in to the Force-E dive shop on Blue Heron as my cousin needed some new gear and I asked about local shore diving. Obviously, the Blue Heron Bridge site came up immediately. We got a good briefing and even a map we could take with us.
Even though I only had my usual doubles set-up for diving we decided to do this dive and we got there ahead of slack tide to already find divers heading in. (We had no problems finding a close parking space and with plenty of police protection with numerous cars and ATVs on constant patrol.)
We checked out where we were going in and then donned our gear at the car and headed in. We hit the two "wrecks" first with the first one being the better of the two. (The one right side up. And what's the story with the mirror?) We saw numerous tropical fish, a rock fish and a large Florida lobster hiding under the hull.
We then swam to the next wreck, (the turtled one), and then swam to see part of the bridge piling area. (I couldn't resist swimming through the tight part of the pilings.)
We then got out at the beach, rinsed off our gear and headed back home for supper with the family. My cousin and I were both happy and I could see that I had managed to get my cousin excited about being a diver again.
I plan on going back to this site with other family members the next time we're down.
Gene
I live near Gainesville, Florida but have family in Palm Beach County as well as the Tampa Bay area. My West Palm family has a number of open water certified divers with my cousin recently getting back into diving.
So, when I woke up on the morning of July 5th and saw the overcast skies, etc., I was already thinking shore dive just in case.
We stopped in to the Force-E dive shop on Blue Heron as my cousin needed some new gear and I asked about local shore diving. Obviously, the Blue Heron Bridge site came up immediately. We got a good briefing and even a map we could take with us.
Even though I only had my usual doubles set-up for diving we decided to do this dive and we got there ahead of slack tide to already find divers heading in. (We had no problems finding a close parking space and with plenty of police protection with numerous cars and ATVs on constant patrol.)
We checked out where we were going in and then donned our gear at the car and headed in. We hit the two "wrecks" first with the first one being the better of the two. (The one right side up. And what's the story with the mirror?) We saw numerous tropical fish, a rock fish and a large Florida lobster hiding under the hull.
We then swam to the next wreck, (the turtled one), and then swam to see part of the bridge piling area. (I couldn't resist swimming through the tight part of the pilings.)
We then got out at the beach, rinsed off our gear and headed back home for supper with the family. My cousin and I were both happy and I could see that I had managed to get my cousin excited about being a diver again.
I plan on going back to this site with other family members the next time we're down.
Gene
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Glad to see this thread still active. I have not been to the bridge since the middle of March.
jet126
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I'm sure there are BHB veterans on this board who know the story. I just think it's pretty cool seeing the fish swim straight up to it. AND - it makes for great photos and self portraits!
Speaking of stories ... did you see the jumble of shopping carts? Another what the heck.
Glad you had such a great time. It's such a special place. I make the drive up from Hollywood every chance I get!
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