By Tommy Smedley – September 28, 2008
A high pressure cell settled in over the Florida panhandle this past weekend and created the perfect dive situation. Seas were less than a foot, surface temperature 79, air in the low 80s and a neap tide.
Every first or third quarter the Earth lies at right angles to the moon and sun. The gravitational pull of the sun partially cancels that of the moon and tidal changes on Earth are at a minimum. This past Sunday there was only two-tenths of a foot difference between high and low tides. This did mean a somewhat drop in overall visibility but the warm water and outstanding marine life placed dives in the fantastic range on the Tommy scale. Add some quality dive partners and the scale jumps to suburb.
High tide was at 12:22 and we started our first dive at 10:45. The current stayed generally slack and visibility averaged 25 feet. We began at the large metallic object with the dive flag on it and went south along the hard bottom. There were great piles of shell rubble and crabs of every sort. We saw a number of striped burr fish that ranged in size from two inches to more than six. The toadfish sang and the shrimp and barnacles snapped one of the best melodies imaginable.
There were stone crabs in most every crevice, some dining on jellyfish. The toadfish here are amongst the most ornate I have seen. They have fleshy cirri above their eyes that I don’t notice on the same species at other sites. The anemones are awesomely beautiful. These flowerlike creatures are actually colonies of voracious eaters. One cluster, about three inches across, perched on top of a rock with its tentacles swaying in the mild current.
We reluctantly ended the first dive; our bottom time was 53 minutes with a maximum depth of 43 feet. We enjoyed the beach while waiting anxiously for the surface interval to end.
We began the second dive at 12:10 and once again found the current mild to slack. It seemed a little stronger in shallower areas but never uncomfortable. I was amused watching a stone crab claiming a pair of swimmer’s goggles as his new toy. We know for a fact that fish are curious and it seems crabs are just as much so.
We retraced the path of the first dive and discovered the same wonderful variety of creatures as life goes on amongst the rocks. Our bottom time on this one was 56 minutes with 43 feet maximum depth. We ended the dive with sadness and didn’t stop until we reached the car with our equipment. The fresh water shower felt sublime after our trek across the sugar white sand.
A fish sandwich at AJs ended the perfect day.
The Destin East Jetty is a fantastic dive site and best of all it’s free. You can get there from the O’Steen Public Access Area on Gulf Shore Drive. The walk from the parking area to the rocks is about 450 yards. The dives are absolutely more than worth the trouble to get there.
We followed the setting sun as we headed home. The drive made pleasant by light conversation; where we’d been, what we saw, when we’re going back, stuff like that – good stuff.
A high pressure cell settled in over the Florida panhandle this past weekend and created the perfect dive situation. Seas were less than a foot, surface temperature 79, air in the low 80s and a neap tide.
Every first or third quarter the Earth lies at right angles to the moon and sun. The gravitational pull of the sun partially cancels that of the moon and tidal changes on Earth are at a minimum. This past Sunday there was only two-tenths of a foot difference between high and low tides. This did mean a somewhat drop in overall visibility but the warm water and outstanding marine life placed dives in the fantastic range on the Tommy scale. Add some quality dive partners and the scale jumps to suburb.
High tide was at 12:22 and we started our first dive at 10:45. The current stayed generally slack and visibility averaged 25 feet. We began at the large metallic object with the dive flag on it and went south along the hard bottom. There were great piles of shell rubble and crabs of every sort. We saw a number of striped burr fish that ranged in size from two inches to more than six. The toadfish sang and the shrimp and barnacles snapped one of the best melodies imaginable.
There were stone crabs in most every crevice, some dining on jellyfish. The toadfish here are amongst the most ornate I have seen. They have fleshy cirri above their eyes that I don’t notice on the same species at other sites. The anemones are awesomely beautiful. These flowerlike creatures are actually colonies of voracious eaters. One cluster, about three inches across, perched on top of a rock with its tentacles swaying in the mild current.
We reluctantly ended the first dive; our bottom time was 53 minutes with a maximum depth of 43 feet. We enjoyed the beach while waiting anxiously for the surface interval to end.
We began the second dive at 12:10 and once again found the current mild to slack. It seemed a little stronger in shallower areas but never uncomfortable. I was amused watching a stone crab claiming a pair of swimmer’s goggles as his new toy. We know for a fact that fish are curious and it seems crabs are just as much so.
We retraced the path of the first dive and discovered the same wonderful variety of creatures as life goes on amongst the rocks. Our bottom time on this one was 56 minutes with 43 feet maximum depth. We ended the dive with sadness and didn’t stop until we reached the car with our equipment. The fresh water shower felt sublime after our trek across the sugar white sand.
A fish sandwich at AJs ended the perfect day.
The Destin East Jetty is a fantastic dive site and best of all it’s free. You can get there from the O’Steen Public Access Area on Gulf Shore Drive. The walk from the parking area to the rocks is about 450 yards. The dives are absolutely more than worth the trouble to get there.
We followed the setting sun as we headed home. The drive made pleasant by light conversation; where we’d been, what we saw, when we’re going back, stuff like that – good stuff.
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