Diving the Clipper Jacks with Luis Monroy

I got down to the South Beach Parking Lot at about 7:00 am and missed a glorious sunrise by just minutes. Need to get there about 6:30 am. Luis came at 7:30 am and we geared up and got in the water.  Made a 20 minute surface swim out towards the Jacks.  I felt something bump my shoulder and sting the underside of my arm. Didn't see anything at the time, but we ran in to a lot of Moon Jellies soon after and decided to descend. We swam East to the sand and didn't see any Jacks, but headed North and swam right to them.  I filled tanks yesterday and thought I got 3400 psi, but only had 2800 when I checked on the bottom.  Poor visibility.  Saw some more of the yellow fish and checked but could not see any barbells so they may not be Yellow Goatfish, through they look similar.

I got pictures of

 a Bar Jack,

a Glassy Sweeper,

a Nurse  Shark swimming over the Jacks,

 Some Spotted Goatfish,

a Scrawled Filefish

a Spotted Trunkfish,

a Porcupinefish,

and a little Sand Diver.


Bottom time was 111 minutes.  Bottom temperature was 88 degrees.  My SAC rate was 14.98 psi/minute and my RMV was 0.39 ft3/minute.

Solo Dive on the Clipper Jacks

Got to the beach about 8:30 am.  Read for a bit and finished my coffee, then geared up and got in the water. Swam out to the Jacks on the surface, but had some trouble fighting the surface current.  Spotted a single Jack and then one more as I worked my way East.  Spotted the Jacks to the SE, and pulled myself over to them, then continued going East.  Visibility was not good.  Tried to stay close to subjects and get good shots, but it was difficult in the current and the low visibility.

 Got a few shots of this Atlantic Spadefish as it swam along the top of the Jacks headed East.

This Blue Tang hung out in pretty much the same spot the whole time I was watching.

Same with this Bluestriped Grunt.

 This Gray Snapper traveled East along the Jacks, but would also head South over sand and then return.












This Spotted Goatfish moved East along the Jacks, generally, but actively searched for food along the bottom.

Finally figured out that these fish are Yellow Goatfish.  Can't see it in this picture (or the picture of the spotted Goatfish above), but the fish have barbells under their lower jaw.  



Poor visibility, but good give:  152 minutes long.  At an average depth of 16 ft my actual consumption rate was 21 psi/min; SAC was 14.05 psi/min and the RMV was 0.36 ft3/min.

Solo Dive on the Clipper Jacks

Up early this morning to change the battery in my Suunto transmitter and clear and reset the ID so I could track my tank pressure.  It took a while, but I got it done.  Packed up and headed to the beach.  There were caution cones reserving the section where I usually park, so I parked a bit to the South and hoped I could get out when the time came.  Geared up at the truck and found mold growing in the nose of my mask.  Yuk.  A lot of mold considering I dove on the 16th.  Yuk.  Cleaned it out then swam on the surface to the Jacks.

I descended at the first Jack and headed East to the others, then East along the Jacks taking pictures.

Atlantic Spadefish.

Haven't identified this fish yet.

 Nurse Shark

Queen Parrotfish

 Rainbow Parrotfish

 Sand Diver

Smallmouth Grunt.


Spotted two snorkelers who had apparently come out on a kayak.  Also saw a spear fisherman who came by in scuba gear dragging a flag and a bag for his kill.  I have no idea what he was hunting.  All I saw was reef fish.

Been out of the water 4 days and my breathing was not so good.  Dive Time was 142 minutes and RMV was 0.39.ft3/minute    Last Wednesday  my RMV was 0.33 ft3/minute.