Destin East Jetty - Possibly Dismantled ???

[Nemrod]

At what point do we finally realize we can not pad, helmet, post, restrict, eliminate every bit of danger and risk we encounter? Where does this thinking come from?

Yeah, diving in the ocean can be dangerous and you might rarely die as a result. I do not care, let me decide my risk and for those who refuse to educate themselves due to their cow like belief that safety can be guaranteed and is guaranteed, maybe they should stick with video games.

Many springs were dynamited for the same reason and now I guess we will fence the ocean off, where does this end---mooooooooo, mooooooooooooo, moooooo.

N

 

[mike_s]

If they are "dismantling" dangerous stuff around here, I guess they will also dismantle Hwy 98 because a whole lot of people die on that road every year! There is no danger of them dismantling the jetties, just a typical politician speaking before thinking. They can't even get permission to put sand on Noriega Point...I would like to see them get permission to remove the jetties and let the Destin Pass close up. Ain't Happening.

You have an excellent point.


however, I still sent a respectful email to the council including how many divers a year use it and how they all stay in condo's, buy gas, eat out, shop, etc. and how if it was closed, the out of town dive shops that use it for checkouts will just go to other competing cities such as Panama city and take their tax dollars with them.

 

[GLENFWB]

That's a good idea Mike. I have been watching our local news to see if anything regarding the jetties shows up. I will let everyone know if I hear of anything.

You have an excellent point.


however, I still sent a respectful email to the council including how many divers a year use it and how they all stay in condo's, buy gas, eat out, shop, etc. and how if it was closed, the out of town dive shops that use it for checkouts will just go to other competing cities such as Panama city and take their tax dollars with them.

 

[Angry Turtle]

The Destin jetties are affected by tides, currents, seas, and even rainfall. Choctawhatchee Bay empties through the Destin Pass. When there are large tidal changes the water can turn suddenly at the jetties. Nice clear water that was pushing in from the Gulf can suddenly switch and pull violently out toward the Gulf. Suddenly dark brown water can rush out the pass toward the Gulf. I have had some dives at the jetties were I pulled myself hand over hand on the rocks to fight the current. When you have a tank on your back that is not a big issue.

But most of the problems/deaths at the jetties have been snorkelers. They start getting pulled out with the current and try to fight their way back...we all know that is a losing battle. As CompAirJunkie stated you can even get pulled in different directions depending upon which part of the jetty you are diving. If you are out toward the anchor you can get pulled in a different direction then if you are hanging around the shell pile or the metal box.

The Destin Jetties are a great dive...IF the right people are diving it at the right time. When the wrong people dive it at the wrong time it is a recipe for bad things to happen....but isn't that pretty much true for every dive sight!

Is it predictable like you could dive maybe during slack tide and be ok?

 

[mike_s]

Is it predictable like you could dive maybe during slack tide and be ok?

most people dive it during "high slack dive". The water is clearest at high slack tide due to incoming gulf water. It's dirtier at low slack tide due to outgoing bay water.


You need to check tide charts and based your dive time off that. however, tide charts are merely a prediction. been out there several times during what was "high slack tide" and the current was so great that you had to hang on to the rocks with your goves.


A good notifier, taught to me by Sea Yoda, was to drive across the bridge (hwy 98) and look out at the can buoys. If they are bent over heavily from incoming tide at (or right before) high slack tide time, then the tides are a little off predictions for that day.

 

[mike_s]

You have an excellent point.


however, I still sent a respectful email to the council including how many divers a year use it and how they all stay in condo's, buy gas, eat out, shop, etc. and how if it was closed, the out of town dive shops that use it for checkouts will just go to other competing cities such as Panama city and take their tax dollars with them.

well it's been about 2 weeks and no one from the council or mayors office or chamber of commerce even bothered to reply to my email.

which is what I expected.


When their generating dollars go elsewhere, screw em.


I've noticed this a lot from city council employees in beach towns. They could care less about the tourist, except for something like the BP spill when tourist "quit coming".

 

[Dave C]

As someone who has been visiting Destin for over 14 years and who owns a vacation condo near the jetties, I don't think you need to worry about "dismantling" of the finger jetty. There are hydrologic reasons for the finger jetty's existence. This is merely an example of an official spouting off about something about which he doesn't much knowledge. Besides, imagine the outcry from snorkeling tour boats if this were to happen - it would put them out of business. I'm not sure if you have been to the jetty lately, but they now have a lifeguard stand there with a lifeguard and jet ski to prevent accidents and to make rescues if need be. Apparently this just started a couple of weeks ago, and it's clearly the appropriate solution to the problem. A bigger concern for me is the lack of parking on crowded weekends!

 

[mike_s]

they now have a lifeguard stand there with a lifeguard and jet ski to prevent accidents and to make rescues if need be. Apparently this just started a couple of weeks ago, and it's clearly the appropriate solution to the problem.

This is a partial solution to recent swimming accidents.

the real solution is for swimmers not to get in over their skill level. But you'll have that any time you've got a lot of people coming in that aren't used to the ocean and tidal currents.

A bigger concern for me is the lack of parking on crowded weekends!

I spoke with the Mayor several years ago and gave him the idea of turning the parallel parking along the jetty beach access into diagonal parking.

He liked the idea, but said that the Holiday Isle Home Owners Association had "more power" there than the city did. And that they didn't really want "more people" there with more parking.



I've thought about taking my boat down and taking it over to the jetties and anchoring stern in to the beach (two anchor system) like many due. But the condo we rent doesn't allow boat parking and we've not really looked past that....