Finn and Jerry make their first Night Dive

Finn and Jerry got to the apartment about 5:45 pm. We loaded up the truck and headed to the beach. Took longer than I had hoped to gear up and get in the water, but there was still some light and everyone got in easily. We swam out to the swim buoy and descended. Once again, Finn had trouble getting down but did fine once he was on the bottom. We set up and then swam more or less East over the Algae Patch and then the sand to the 3-tiered reef. After the excellent dives this morning I had hoped to see a lot of interesting creatures, but the dive was pretty boring. We saw a few shrimp but not much else. No camera as it was a training dive, but nothing to shoot anyway. Finn got to 1500 psi just over the 3-tiered reef and we turned the dive.

Water temperature was 73 degrees; dive time was 74 minutes; consumption was 24.93 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet; SAC rate was 16.79 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Diving the T2 Algae Patch

This morning was overcast but calm. My camera was working and I got this great shot of a single empty chair on the beach facing the ocean with dark clouds covering the sky except for a narrow strip of light across the horizon.


I decided to explore the Algae Patch off Tower 2 and swam on the surface out to the swim buoy where I descended. I moved slowly along the patch heading East, but would get turned around easily.




 I found a few shells and took some pictures as I moved towards the sand, including this shot of a couple of Juvenile French Grunts on a lonely patch of coral.

A little further on, I spotted this Purplemouth Moray Eel under some rocks.

I was moving quickly off the algae patch when looked up to see a Loggerhead Turtle directly in front of me. I got some pictures, but I was not close enough for them to turn out well. Had I seen the turtle earlier, I might have been able to approach more obliquely, but I startled it by heading directly for it. She was not interested in letting me tag along and I simply could not keep up.



Shortly after encountering the Loggerhead, I spotted something green with white/yellow spots in the sand. At first I thought it might be some kind of Zoanthid, but as I dusted away the sand, I found it was a fish. I think it was one of the stargazers, but really did not get that good a look at it. I had just decided it was a fish and was pulling the camera up to get a shot and it took off. I never did get a picture and I didn't even try to follow. It was fast.

I continued across the sand looking for shells and spotted Leo's coffin from an earlier dive this year. I took some pictures of a Yellow Sand Ray next to the box, but didn't try to break it open.

I kept swimming roughly East and went up from 24 feet of water near the 3-tiered reef.


Water Temperature was 73 degrees; Dive time was 61 minutes; consumption was 24.77 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet; SAC was 16.35 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.



I got tangled up in the damn flag line while at the surface. Decided to wind it up some, but it was wrapped around my right leg and I could not get it off while on the surface. I let it go and straightened everything out when I descended.

Got this shot of a Red Grouper

 This shot of a Split Crown Feather Duster.

This shot of what I think is a Sun Zoanthid. There were several colonies of these.

I had traveled South during my surface interval and went down to 21 feet. I headed WSW and moved towards the beach.

 Just as I was leaving the sand, I spotted an Atlantic Guitarfish racing across the sand. It was being shadowed by a Blue Runner. I took a couple of shots, but like the Loggerhead, I was too far away to expecgt much.

I got over the algae patch in 50 minutes but still had 400 psi left, so I just drifted across the sand and ran out another 10 minutes.





Water temperature was 73 degrees; Dive Time was 60 minutes; consumption was 24.12 psi/minute at an average depth of 14 feet; SAC rate was 16.93 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

A working camera on the Yankee Clipper Jacks

I swam on the surface out to the Jacks this morning. Turns out that the parking lot lamp and the Fire House chimney put me well North of the Jacks, but if I swim on the bearing defined by the Yankee Clipper and the building behind it, I get right on the Jacks. So I descended on the South side of the Jacks and took some photos,

 Shot this Giant Anemone on the Jacks.














Got this shot of an Initial Phase Queen Parrotfish,

and this one of a Terminal Phase Queen Parrotfish.

 Got this photo of a Sand Diver,

and then this one of a Scrawled Filefish near my flagline.








I went over the Jacks and swam North looking for shells. Found several, including a small Lightning Welk. Then I swam back to the Jacks and ascended to warm up.

Water temperature was 73 degrees; Dive Time was 51 minutes; Consumption was 27.02 psi/minute at an average depth of 20 feet; SAC rate was 16.82 psi/minute on an aluminum 80 tank.


Stayed on the surface for several minutes looking at bearings and position, then descended just North of the Jacks and headed NW over the 3-tiered reef looking for the single Jack, which I now know is located well North of the Jacks.

Got this shot of a small school of Chub as I was leaving the Jacks.

 Picked up several Triggerfish when I was on the sand and got this interesting shot of one of the bigger ones.

I also found and got this shot of a Sheepshead Porgy along the sand North of the Jacks.

I shifted to due West once I found the single Jack and went up just before the white sand to find I was just East of the swim buoy in front of Tower 1. I killed some time, then went in.  Came up in 8 feet of water and secured the reel and the flag. Got my fins off and was walking in, but fell, rolled over on my tank so I was turtled and really struggled to get back into water deep enough to get my legs under me. Must have looked bad because a tourist came off the beach and asked if I needed help. I told him it was really just a matter of timing and successfully rode the next wave onto the beach and walked out of the water.


Water temperature was 73 degrees; Dive time was 51 minutes; consumption was 29.90 psi/minute at an average depth of 15 feet; SAC rate was 20.56 psi/minute on an aluminum 80 tank.

No Stobe again on the Jacks

I thought I had checked out the strobe before I left home and it worked fine. When I set up the camera in the parking lot, however, I had no charge in the battery and no strobe. So I left the camera in the truck.

Visibility was much worse today than yesterday, but it still would have been nice to have the camera. Had a close face-to-face meeting with a Spotted Moray Eel as I went up the 3-tiered reef. Both of us were startled but I just swam on. Got to 24 feet of water and spent some time looking for shells before turning South to the Jacks. I came up after 50 minutes.

Water temperature was 73 degrees; Dive time was 51 minutes; consumption was 27.69 psi/minute at 19 feet average depth; SAC rate was 17.57 on an aluminum 80 tank


Stayed over the Jacks while on the surface, then descended to 24 feet just North of the Jacks. I swam West along the North side of the Jacks and left the Jacks with about 1500 psi. The surge was strong past the Jacks and I flew over the reef to the sand.

Kept looking for more Gaudy Naticas, but did not find any. Swam easily over the Algae Patch and to the sand at 800 psi. Ran down the tank to 300 psi and headed to the beach. Came up in 8 feet of water. Reeled in the flag and swam into shallow water. Strong undertow and crashing breakers, but quickly got out of the water and walked to the truck.

Water temperature was 73 degrees; Dive time was 53 minutes; consumption was 28.09 psi/minute at 15 feet average depth; SAC rate was 19.31 on an aluminum 80 tank.

Diving the Yankee Clipper Jacks

Found that my second battery works on the strobe. I don't know why the first doesn't. Took the camera, but not much to shoot, really. Swam over the Algae Patch to the sand before descending.

Found this Black Spotted Feather Duster just West of the sand when I first went down.

Saw and photographed this Queen Conch along the sand before the 3-tiered reef.  Got a close of up the Conch's eyes.

Found this Slippery Dick on the 3-tiered reef. Swam over the 3-tiered reef then headed South to the Jacks before coming up at 46 minutes.












Water temperature was 71 degrees; dive time was 46 minutes; consumption was 25.83 psi/minute at an average depth of 20 feet; SAC rate was 16.08 on an aluminum 80.


I warmed up a bit on the surface, then went back down to 25 ft just North of the Jacks. Got this shot of an Atlantic Spadefish as I approached the Jacks.

Also took this shot of a pair of French Angelfish

Unfortunately, I found a Lionfish on the Jacks. Didn't take my spear.

 Found this Sand Diver.

 Found this Spotted Burrfish on the Jacks.

Also found this Yellowtail Snapper.








I left the Jacks and headed West to the beach. Found a very large but broken Gaudy Natica in about 16 ft of water just getting onto the Algae Patch. Biggest one yet, but not in great condition. Wish I had taken a picture of it.

Water temperature 71 degrees; Dive Time 51 minutes; consumption 28.1 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet; SAC rate of 18.92 psi/minute on an aluminum 80 tank.

Diving on the Yankee Clipper Jacks off the South Beach parking lot

Water was rough and the air was cold all last week.  I had not been diving since the boys earned their Open Water certifications on the 15th.

I got to the beach only to discover that either the strobe or the strobe battery was dysfunctional. I took a fully charged battery off the charger before I left, but nothing lit up at the beach. Left the camera in the truck.

I got into the water and swam out beyond the swim buoy to descend. Water was cold. Went slowly East across the Algae Patch, the sand, then a leg of the 3-tiered reef. I got on more sand, but at only 21 feet and was beginning to think that the tide was out,  It wasn't. I came to another patch of reef and 24 feet of water after that.

My medium 3 mm neoprene jacket came Saturday and I brought it today. It worked better than the large, but I still felt cold mater move through the jacket if I moved my arms. I went South and found the Jacks, then went up to the surface to warm up.

Water temperature was 71 degrees; Dive time was 52 minutes; consumption was 26.73 at an average depth of 18 feet; SAC rate was 17.3 on an aluminum 80.

I was careful not to touch the computer mode button, but just let it time out. It didn't. It ran for 10 minutes before it kicked over to a second dive. When it did, I went down to 25 ft and headed West along the North side of the Jacks.

There were some fish on the Jacks, but not an overwhelming number. Probably didn't miss any shots except maybe a Spotted Moray Eel in the Caves just West of the Jacks on the 3-tiered reef. I might have gotten a good shot of that. Not much else was unusual or presented itself. I came back in just a minute more than it took to go out. Nice dive, but cold. Might have made a second dive if the Lifeguards weren't there.  The water was exceptionally calm and the visibility was good.

Water temperature was 71 degrees; Dive time was 53 minutes; consumption was 28.17 at an average depth of 17 feet; SAC rate was 18.59 on an aluminum 80.