John from the burg
Contributor
Pushed off Belleair Causeway boat ramp at 7am sat morning (yes we checked the weather lol) heading for Pinellas #2. It was choppy as expected but we had a window of light rain to aim for so we could get some diving in. One very wet hour later we checked the current and dropped the hook sw of the buoy about 50 feet off the Dans bow, current carried us right over her and the bottom finder lit up. Any other sat at 8 am i would expect 4 boats at least there but we had the whole site to ourselves, I didn't think it was that bad out, 2-4s and raining but no lightning.
Obviously vis suffers with rain and big dark clouds blocking out the sunlight but we still had 20+ feet easy down on the Dan and 40+ up over her. Saw a 48" cobia as he swam right up to my face within inches, tons of small jacks, cudas from 12'' up to 36" and jew fish poking their heads out of the pilot house and port holes as i shined my 800 lumen light in them. Few laps around and over and it time to head up to 40 feet, then my safety stop, then pull my ass up a ladder not made for diving lol.
In a attempt to outrun the rain we went to veterans instead of Indian shores like we originally planned, same depth just further north out of the suck. Middle 3 barges have a charter boat on them and our favorite rock pile has a private boat on it so we drop on the lash barge around 1pm to the westish of the buoy and kick over to the 3 barges. All the same fish except the big cobia but way more grouper here around 22", vis was 10+ on the reef and 20+ up over it but vets is always a nice dive.
I see the charter boat dropped their hook right on our damn reef the bastards, now they cant get it unhooked as i see them tugging on it. I don't know why I'm a nice guy, especially to people destroying what i came way out here to see but i located their boat and popped up 30+ feet off their starboard side to ask if they wanted me to unhook them before they do more damage to my reef. Before i could get my reg out of my mouth their capt yells at me to "get the hell outa my way" now I know your trying to unhook yourself and moving around under power so i say fine ass hole add your anchor to the reef i don't give a ****. No less than 20 min of them tugging and us laughing later these amateurs finally get the hook lashed down on deck and power off toward land as the rain and waves are getting worse. About this time a diver pops up, I still had 2 in the water so i thought it was one of ours, i give a holler and ask for a ok only to see a black mask looking back at me. Holy **** both our divers had yellow masks on, that man is not off our boat and being left 10 miles out by capt rookie of the SS manslaughter. I start yelling because my whistle is in my bc still, then i turn that 800 lumen light on strobe and point it at them while pointing at their diver now 100 yards away from them. They stop and sit for a second i assume trying to see what i was saying then finally turn around to pick up their man.
So i went diving and saved a life on sat, toot toot!!!
Obviously vis suffers with rain and big dark clouds blocking out the sunlight but we still had 20+ feet easy down on the Dan and 40+ up over her. Saw a 48" cobia as he swam right up to my face within inches, tons of small jacks, cudas from 12'' up to 36" and jew fish poking their heads out of the pilot house and port holes as i shined my 800 lumen light in them. Few laps around and over and it time to head up to 40 feet, then my safety stop, then pull my ass up a ladder not made for diving lol.
In a attempt to outrun the rain we went to veterans instead of Indian shores like we originally planned, same depth just further north out of the suck. Middle 3 barges have a charter boat on them and our favorite rock pile has a private boat on it so we drop on the lash barge around 1pm to the westish of the buoy and kick over to the 3 barges. All the same fish except the big cobia but way more grouper here around 22", vis was 10+ on the reef and 20+ up over it but vets is always a nice dive.
I see the charter boat dropped their hook right on our damn reef the bastards, now they cant get it unhooked as i see them tugging on it. I don't know why I'm a nice guy, especially to people destroying what i came way out here to see but i located their boat and popped up 30+ feet off their starboard side to ask if they wanted me to unhook them before they do more damage to my reef. Before i could get my reg out of my mouth their capt yells at me to "get the hell outa my way" now I know your trying to unhook yourself and moving around under power so i say fine ass hole add your anchor to the reef i don't give a ****. No less than 20 min of them tugging and us laughing later these amateurs finally get the hook lashed down on deck and power off toward land as the rain and waves are getting worse. About this time a diver pops up, I still had 2 in the water so i thought it was one of ours, i give a holler and ask for a ok only to see a black mask looking back at me. Holy **** both our divers had yellow masks on, that man is not off our boat and being left 10 miles out by capt rookie of the SS manslaughter. I start yelling because my whistle is in my bc still, then i turn that 800 lumen light on strobe and point it at them while pointing at their diver now 100 yards away from them. They stop and sit for a second i assume trying to see what i was saying then finally turn around to pick up their man.
So i went diving and saved a life on sat, toot toot!!!
