Venice Beach Red Tide

[aquaholic901]

Hi everybody, I'm a fairly new poster though I've been lurking around here for awhile now. Some friends and I are thinking about either scalloping up near homaosassa or tooth diving Venice this weekend. I've heard the red tide is still pretty bad around Venice though. It seems like a few of you are from the area, how is it now? I've searched around and all I can find is that the viz is iffy (usually is anyways) and some older reports about the tide. Any info you can provide is much appreciated. We usually go to the area just north of the pier, from what I gather that seems to have been "renourished" recently, are there any other promising areas to get to from shore? Thanks in advance!

 

[CBulla]

You can get red tide info here:
http://isurus.mote.org/~mhenry/rtupdate.phtml

Looks like its just lingering off of Sarasota county beaches.. FUN if you like to feel asthmatic!

 

[aquaholic901]

Thanks for the link, looks like we'll be heading north this weekend for some snorkeling.

 

[ReefGuy]

Also, you can call Florida West Scuba School (941) 486-1400. They're off Venice beach several times a week, and usually have a pretty good idea of conditions at the beach.

 

[aquaholic901]

I called them but they didn't really know anything specific either. I think we're gonna give it a shot. I'm thinking about dragging the boat down there to try the "boneyard" but I've never been there before and I'm just wondering if its worth the trouble to haul it down there or not. Is it a pretty large area so I can just get about 1/2 mile offshore from the condos and find it pretty easily? Anyone have GPS coords? We usually dive down by the pier but with the whole "renourishment" thing I don't know how thats gonna be anymore. Thanks!

 

[2TH DIVR]

Just got back from Service Club park ( aquick dive after work)
The vis was 2'-4' there is a layer of silt over most areas.
Some of the Patch reefs further out 19' have been expossed some standing 4'-5' high, with nice under cuts holding lots of fish.
There are lots of jelly fish and they are the kind that sting so wear a skin

I did find another mammoth tooth, 1/2 a 5" meg and a few dozen small teeth.

Think I will go back Sunday

Good luck

 

[2TH DIVR]

Forgot to mention didn't notice any red tide.
The water has a brownish tint, from all the runoff and beach renourishment.

 

[aquaholic901]

Thanks for the report, we are getting ready to leave shortly, maybe we'll see ya down there.

 

[aquaholic901]

We had a pretty good day. Water was almost glassy calm and viz was pretty decent (by Venice standards) at about 5'. No big meg teeth found but I did find one about 1 1/2 - 2" long and a really nice camel (I think) tooth as well as some small teeth and a few nice bone pieces. No red tide that I could detect.