Little boat question

[Nemrod]

I have been a pilot now since 1978. Never once in several thousand hours of flight have I gotten a weather briefing recommending VFR yet 95.6% of my flight time is VFR. It is so dramatic to say put the names of the boat on the life jackets, his boat probably has no name.

You do not need a 50 foot custom dive boat to venture out of the pass, you just need to use some common sense and get the weather briefings available online and the tidal reports, available on line and use your brain.

He is not going over the horizon, he is going about 1 to 6 miles along the shore, never more than two miles offshore to dive sites that can be reached paddling a kayak, good grief.

And, I might add, I have no fear of going way, way offshore in my little boat. You guys get so dramatic sometimes, once upon a time a 20 footer was a BIG boat, now, spoiled by twenty years of excess everybody thinks they need a triple engine, 36 footer to go one mile offshore, good grief.

If we go offshore and a storm were to somehow manage to flip us, you will find us sitting on top of the boat eating snacks and drinking cokes with my PLB pinging working on our tan.

Oh, buy your SeaTow insurance, it is cheap and Destin has a Sea Tow franchise.

N

 

[simcoediver]

Nemrod, you have a nice big Boston Whaler and you are a very experienced florida boater, thats a lot different from the 15 foot fiberglass Bonita that the O.P. has.

 

[Jupiter31]

Nemrod, you have a nice big Boston Whaler and you are a very experienced florida boater, thats a lot different from the 15 foot fiberglass Bonita that the O.P. has.

Thanks for making my point

Reasons for some of my comments were not just for the OP but also for others reading this thread.

 

[Nemrod]

I may be there in August so the OP can follow me in my old, little bitty BW.

Be all that as it may, for your enjoyment is a Google Earth for the area. Please do not use this for navigation, I only was sorta half way accurate when I placed the locations.

Just off the map, S, SW is the Destin Liberty Ship:

While I have no fear of going here and I have been to the Timber Holes which is about a 50 to 60 mile round trip SW from the pass I do not recommend any of these further locations for small boats and inexperienced boaters. For these you can hire Skipper John but don't be surprised if you were to see me out there in a 14 foot rubber boat.

The Bridge Rubble is actually several locations scattered along the bottom from the thumb tack back toward the pass. The Army Tanks are I think five tanks scattered about the area with other junk sunk to attract fish. Here and there are live bottom areas such as Whitehill, Amberjack, and several other rock outcroppings.

Long ago a buddy and I used paddle boards to get to the Luise and then we did some spearfishing free diving. Back then the 60 foot bottom was no big deal, now the bottom of the pool is a challenge.

OK, OK, I added the big view, again, do not use for navigation as I only approximately placed the locations:

Being as this is a free country, the suitability of vessels, skippers, engines, equipment to reach the depicted locations and return alive is strictly up to the adult free person to determine. YRMV

N

 

[Nemrod]

Tides:

Tides.INFO: Tide predictions from around the globe: East Pass (Destin), Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida

Weather:

National Weather Service Marine Forecasts

and

Destin Weather Forecast and Conditions Florida

and

Marine Weather : Weather Underground

and

Weather Marine Forecast



But, the best indications is to watch the locals, when they are happy and shiny and they go out of the pass you can too, when you notice that all of the boats are pulling anchor and headed back to the pass, you should be too. If nobody is going out of the pass that is a good indication that you should not either.


Dive spot info:

Scuba diving sites and GPS destinations: Wrecks, Coral Reefs, Reviews, Trip Charters. - Dive Spots

More useful for Pensacola area but extending over to Destin, MBT Divers has a GPS Numbers page, you can see the link on the lh side of their web page:

http://www.mbtdivers.com/

I have found this book useful but not so much for Destin:

http://www.diversdirect.com/scuba-diving/florida-shipwrecks-book/

N

 

[awthacker]

You guys are full of info (and I didn't even post in the right forum). Thanks for the help. My 15' is relatively dry. I have a fish finder and will have the SeaTow, handheld GPS, radio, & extra large balls. I just wanna shoot some fish - maybe even a shark if I have to - but I ain't scared.

 

[Nemrod]

Please don't kill the animals, you can legally spear with a license, don't shoot the sharks. N

 

[SkipperJohn]

I have been a pilot now since 1978. Never once in several thousand hours of flight have I gotten a weather briefing recommending VFR yet 95.6% of my flight time is VFR. It is so dramatic to say put the names of the boat on the life jackets, his boat probably has no name.

You do not need a 50 foot custom dive boat to venture out of the pass, you just need to use some common sense and get the weather briefings available online and the tidal reports, available on line and use your brain.

He is not going over the horizon, he is going about 1 to 6 miles along the shore, never more than two miles offshore to dive sites that can be reached paddling a kayak, good grief.

And, I might add, I have no fear of going way, way offshore in my little boat. You guys get so dramatic sometimes, once upon a time a 20 footer was a BIG boat, now, spoiled by twenty years of excess everybody thinks they need a triple engine, 36 footer to go one mile offshore, good grief.

If we go offshore and a storm were to somehow manage to flip us, you will find us sitting on top of the boat eating snacks and drinking cokes with my PLB pinging working on our tan.

Oh, buy your SeaTow insurance, it is cheap and Destin has a Sea Tow franchise.

N

Personally I think knowing the weather is better advice.

awthacker, good luck and do your best to leave nothing to chance.

 

[Nemrod]

Personally I think knowing the weather is better advice.

awthacker, good luck and do your best to leave nothing to chance.

Do you actually read anything? Just wondering?

N

 

[SkipperJohn]

Do you actually read anything? Just wondering?

N

I'm not going to get personal or into any arguments, but I felt the same about your post. At no time did I suggest anyone put their names on anything to identify any bodies. I only repeated what a CG auxiliary stated in a safety class.
In fact I didn't suggest he or anyone else do not take their boats off shore, I only emphasized the importance of being well prepared and knowledgeable.

Back to your latest comment I don't know what it is you think I didn't read. Having reread it now twice more I'm not following your implications. If you have any further comments I would appreciate a PM as is the preferred procedure as I understand it.

Enjoy your day.