bamaskubacat
Contributor
Anybody want to do an in/mid shore dive this Wed. or Thurs. out of Pensacola or Gulf Shores? I'm only OW cert so nothing too deep.
Boat dive out of Pensacola this week?
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Hetland
Contributor
Forecast is against you atm. Viz yesterday was about 12" at the Mass, and we had 5 footers about 8 miles out. 15-20kt winds and 3-5ft seas all week look bad for boat diving.
Ft. Pickens was diveable though, even close to low tide. In fact, I think it was better just after low than it was just before high
Ft. Pickens was diveable though, even close to low tide. In fact, I think it was better just after low than it was just before high
OP
bamaskubacat
Contributor
Bummer! Thanks for the info! I'm still learning the tides/weather/etc. that effect diving. I assumed since it's sunny, no wind and no rain that it would be good diving this week
guess I have a lot to learn!
SOOO...... Anyone want to dive Pickens Wed. or Thurs.?
guess I have a lot to learn!SOOO...... Anyone want to dive Pickens Wed. or Thurs.?
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
I may be up for a beach dive on Thursday afternoon if there are a few days of calm surf before hand? Would preffer a dive in Gulf Shores, than Pensacola though.
Hetland
Contributor
Bummer! Thanks for the info! I'm still learning the tides/weather/etc. that effect diving. I assumed since it's sunny, no wind and no rain that it would be good diving this week
SOOO...... Anyone want to dive Pickens Wed. or Thurs.?
Offshore, you want to look at the seas, as even a 15kt wind from the correct location could mean diveable conditions.
Generally you shouldn't bother with anything over a 1-3ft forecast, with 3 being debatable. Anything with wind over 15kts is stay-at-home weather too. It might look okay close to shore, but once you get out a bit, the waves will kick your butt, whether on the ride itself, or getting into the boat with your gear on. Sometimes high seas will mess up the viz offshore too. I've occasionally lucked out with good viz in 3-4 footers, but realistically, it's better to wait for good conditions.
courantpublisher
Registered
We went out of Perdido Pass yesterday, after the front moved on, and hit the Allan and the Wallace. The viz was 50 ft. plus on both dives. The seas started out 2-4 or 5'ish, but dropped to almost calm by mid-afternoon.
There were plenty of ERS (Endangered Red Snapper) and also AJ's too. We got an IOU from the ERS for later this next month and stuck some of the other locals.
There were plenty of ERS (Endangered Red Snapper) and also AJ's too. We got an IOU from the ERS for later this next month and stuck some of the other locals.
chris_b
Contributor
...I assumed since it's sunny, no wind and no rain that it would be good diving this week
A good place to get the marine forecast for our area is here.
Notice that none of the next week's conditions include weather that's really conducive to diving in the Gulf--like Hetland said you hope for 1 to 2 foot or maybe 1 to 3 foot seas; more than that and it will be an uncomfortable ride and a higher risk of crappy viz at shallower sites. If this coming Saturday's forecast is accurate it would be a real hoot, I've only been out in 5 to 7 foot seas once and don't care to do it again!
For tide conditions I really like this site. They have printable tide calendars with a visual representation of the tides. I print out a couple of months at a time and tack them up on the wall somewhere. Then with a quick glance I can see what the next few days look like.
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