Caribbean Reef Squid near the swim buoy off Tower 1

Got up early intending to go night diving, but just couldn't get motivated after flooding the lights 3 days ago and then hanging my pants out to dry so to speak yesterday. So I gathered my gear and double checked everything then got to the beach around 8:10 am. Read for a bit, then geared up and got in the water.

Descended at the cut and got some photos, including this photo of a Bearded Fireworm,













and this shot of an Orange Spotted Filefish,





.

this shot of a Spotted Scorpionfish,

and this shot of a Trumpetfish. Tt was an altogether ordinary dive except visibility was really good. Just wasn't that much to see.


I headed East over the Algae Patch and the sand then along the North edge of the 3-tiered reef. At 9:30 I surfaced to find that none of the 3 towers on the beach were manned yet. I went back down and continued swimming East until I got into 26 feet of water just East of the reef. I went up for a short surface interval




Water temperature was 75 degrees; dive time was 50 minutes; consumption was 27.18 psi/minute at an average depth of 19 feet; SAC rate was 17.25 psi/minute on an aluminum 80 tank.

Swam to the SE during the surface interval and descended to 25 feet of water. Headed South to the Jacks looking for shells and photos. Headed West from the Jacks, constantly fooling with the damn flagline. Left the Jacks with 1400 psi, way more air than I needed to reach the beach. I was on the lookout for eels or anything else interesting all the way across the Algae Patch. Didn't see much.

Turned South at the white sand and near the buoy off Tower 1. I spotted a small Green Turtle swimming along. I turned as it swam by, then decided against chasing it. I turned back to the South and spotted 2 Caribbean Reef Squid

and then 2 more. So I hung with and photographed these 4 squid until I was down to 300 psi and then I wrapped up and headed to the beach. Surfaced in about 8 feet of water, got control of the flag and swam into the beach. Big step getting out, but easily manageable in the small surf.

Water temperature was 75 degrees; dive time was 57 minutes; consumption was 26.65 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet; SAC rate was 17.95 psi/minute. Nice dives.




As I was stowing my gear at the truck, I watched a solo diver walk to the beach along the Southern edge of the parking lot. I couldn't see if he got in the water of if there were other divers waiting for him at the beach, but the lifeguards did not hassle him, so maybe there is hope.