Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Divin'Papaw]

I regularly enter 1.5 hrs before high tide without issue. I stay along the snorkel trail early and don't venture toward either side (west span or east span) until closer to 45 min before high tide roughly. I've never had an issue with the current not being manageable. Black Friday (yesterday) I got in at 8:30 am and high tide was 10:04 am. Current was manageable and the viz gradually improved as high tide approached. I did a 2h10m dive. My longest dive currently at the bridge is 2h30m on a HP100.

 

[sportxlh]

Stars aligned once a few years ago and I did a three hour dive on a steel 120. Like Jim, I started south of the beach. I checked out some of the mooring lines and misc debris which sometimes have seahorses and other critters before moving to the west side. That was one of the few times I found a stargazer at the bridge too.

 

[Diver below 83]

I regularly enter 1.5 hrs before high tide without issue. I stay along the snorkel trail early and don't venture toward either side (west span or east span) until closer to 45 min before high tide roughly. I've never had an issue with the current not being manageable. Black Friday (yesterday) I got in at 8:30 am and high tide was 10:04 am. Current was manageable and the viz gradually improved as high tide approached. I did a 2h10m dive. My longest dive currently at the bridge is 2h30m on a HP100.

there is a snorkel trail as well? I’ve never been to this location so curious. My gf doesn’t dive but does snorkel. If she was snorkeling the trail would it be worth it for me to scuba below her?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

yes, the snorkel trail straight south of the sandy beach area. If you do a search for BHB you will find many maps with the snorkel trail notated.

 

[Diver below 83]

yes, the snorkel trail straight south of the sandy beach area. If you do a search for BHB you will find many maps with the snorkel trail notated.

Thanks. Looks like we need to take a little trip up there.

 

[BrackaFish]

All this talk of nice long dives has awaken dormant feelings for a BHB dive. So does anyone have some current visibility and Temp reports. Thanks in advance

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I heard todays dive was 15' vis and 78°.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Here are two great websites with info for those who have never been. These are the two dive shops closest to BHB.

Blue Heron Bridge Diving and Tides | Force-E Scuba Centers

Dive Blue Heron Bridge - Phil Foster Park Pura Vida Divers : Discover South Florida SCUBA Diving

 

[Lorenzoid]

When the tide stops there is roughly an hour before it starts moving again, 45 minutes before high tide and 45 after with the hour slack is almost three hours.

My wife is almost as good as Jenny on an 80 and we have had 2 1/2 hour dives at the BHB?

I have to use a steel 120 to keep up...

I'm not talking about SAC--we have exited with gas to spare. But what we have experienced is that if we enter earlier than about 45 minutes before peak high tide, the current has tried to sweep us off our feet when we are putting our fins on, and vice versa for exiting later than about 45 minutes after peak high tide. So we have never dared trying for a dive longer than 90 minutes. Which is why it occurred to me that maybe Jenny enters/exits in a protected spot rather than where most people do, and times the dive to position herself in the places subject to the strongest current at the peak of slack (no current).

But it's sort of an academic question right now for us, as we have been occupied by so many other diving endeavors that we haven't made it to BHB in over two years. We love the place, though. Long live the trolls!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I'm not talking about SAC--we have exited with gas to spare. But what we have experienced is that if we enter earlier than about 45 minutes before peak high tide, the current has tried to sweep us off our feet when we are putting our fins on, and vice versa for exiting later than about 45 minutes after peak high tide. So we have never dared trying for a dive longer than 90 minutes. Which is why it occurred to me that maybe Jenny enters/exits in a protected spot rather than where most people do, and times the dive to position herself in the places subject to the strongest current at the peak of slack (no current).

But it's sort of an academic question right now for us, as we have been occupied by so many other diving endeavors that we haven't made it to BHB in over two years. We love the place, though. Long live the trolls!

yep. exactly. Dang. Now you know my secret..



Ok, one of them..


LOL