Trip Report 7/15-7/17:
7/15: Friday Night- A full moon night dive at Radio Island. Slack high tide on the night of a Carolina Full Moon! Beautiful! 12 divers were out Friday night at RI. Balloonfish were in abundance. A searobin, and out of season stone crab were taunting us with their claws. A few small flounder were out, but nothing legal.
7/16: Saturday- Everyone stayed inshore due to bumpy water offshore. On SeaQuest II, we made 2 dives on the Indra. Fabry (1st mate) shot 5-6 flounder and 2 spanish mackerel but the barracudas ate one of the spanish for him.
I (2nd mate) shot 2 sheepshead and 2 porgy. I think most everyone was on the Indra on Saturday. Vis was 30'. Water temps in the upper 70's. Seas 3-4' My only comment is: If you don't put any food IN the community 'fridge, don't take any food OUT of the community 'fridge! A few people from the group found an octopus hiding on the wreck. A beautiful day for diving!
7/17: Sunday- Aboard SeaQuest II, we headed offshore today as seas weren't as lumpy as the past few days. We headed for the U-352 and Aeolus. The sub was beautiful. Vis was 50' with a slight current. Water temps in the 80's on the surface down to 85' then a thermocline dropped water temp to 71. Brrrr! In my coveralls, it was a shocker but not too bad. We saw a couple large southern stingrays, a school of jacks, and a small reticulated(?) moray eel. Fabry (The King of Spearfishermen) shot a large Cobia and Amberjack.
Second dive on the Aeolus was just as nice with no thermocline and less than a slight current. Vis was 50' and water temps were 80 on the surface and 78 at depth. Seas 2-3'. A few small sandtiger sharks (2-3') made an appearance. Schools of amberjack, barracuda, spanish mackerel, and various baitfish swam around the wreck. Spadefish, the size of serving platters, were hiding in the broken places of the hull and decks. A dark Highhat or Cubbyu was seen. As were seven-arm starfish, queen angelfish, cocoa damselfish, and assorted blennies.
A beautiful weekend for diving!
7/15: Friday Night- A full moon night dive at Radio Island. Slack high tide on the night of a Carolina Full Moon! Beautiful! 12 divers were out Friday night at RI. Balloonfish were in abundance. A searobin, and out of season stone crab were taunting us with their claws. A few small flounder were out, but nothing legal.
7/16: Saturday- Everyone stayed inshore due to bumpy water offshore. On SeaQuest II, we made 2 dives on the Indra. Fabry (1st mate) shot 5-6 flounder and 2 spanish mackerel but the barracudas ate one of the spanish for him.
I (2nd mate) shot 2 sheepshead and 2 porgy. I think most everyone was on the Indra on Saturday. Vis was 30'. Water temps in the upper 70's. Seas 3-4' My only comment is: If you don't put any food IN the community 'fridge, don't take any food OUT of the community 'fridge! A few people from the group found an octopus hiding on the wreck. A beautiful day for diving!
7/17: Sunday- Aboard SeaQuest II, we headed offshore today as seas weren't as lumpy as the past few days. We headed for the U-352 and Aeolus. The sub was beautiful. Vis was 50' with a slight current. Water temps in the 80's on the surface down to 85' then a thermocline dropped water temp to 71. Brrrr! In my coveralls, it was a shocker but not too bad. We saw a couple large southern stingrays, a school of jacks, and a small reticulated(?) moray eel. Fabry (The King of Spearfishermen) shot a large Cobia and Amberjack.
Second dive on the Aeolus was just as nice with no thermocline and less than a slight current. Vis was 50' and water temps were 80 on the surface and 78 at depth. Seas 2-3'. A few small sandtiger sharks (2-3') made an appearance. Schools of amberjack, barracuda, spanish mackerel, and various baitfish swam around the wreck. Spadefish, the size of serving platters, were hiding in the broken places of the hull and decks. A dark Highhat or Cubbyu was seen. As were seven-arm starfish, queen angelfish, cocoa damselfish, and assorted blennies.
A beautiful weekend for diving!
