Jupiter and bucket list dives today +

[Amazz]

Need to dust off the camera for proof of what we did today while on Emerald. WILL TAKE CAMERA NEXT TIME!! Others got proof as seen on Emerald Charters FB page. Sharks were out and in great numbers. Dive one: 4 hammerheads, half a dozen up close and personal sandbar sharks, several silkies. Another dive brought a lemon shark and reefies. These sharks got close and I mean close. Incredible day. I'm still laughing. Back out Wednesday for more sharks and camera this time.

There was a thermocline at depth. It didn't matter. We stayed up with the sharks. They stole the show. Thanks Randy for a great day.

 

[DiverDean59]

What dive site was this?

 

[Amazz]

What dive site was this?

We were playing near the surface in about 30 ft. of water with the sharks. They like to hang near that ledge and will greet us when we splash.

 

[Murfdizzle21]

Hey Angie, it's Mickey, we had an awesome time on Saturday on the Emerald. Here's the video I shot. We're going back this Saturday AM for more!

[video=youtube;y_NJMaijDEM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_NJMaijDEM[/video]

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Because there seems to be a determination to market these dives as photography or shark viewing dives, I will repeat, here, the perspective I shared in the other related thread. Anyone thinking about this should consider carefully . . . . .

Whoa, folks, you need to clear your heads. Sorry to be the dissenting voice here, as I am a true shark lover. But, there is no way this is going to end well.

This particular operation was and is primarily a spearfishing boat, run by a highly respected, experienced captain, diver and spearfisher. Due to this heritage, however, their "shark attractant" is speared, bloody fish, or maybe chunky, bloody chum (see photo, could be either). This takes place, most often, in 130'. Florida has long banned "shark feeding" dives in State waters, and for good reason. The pretext of spearing is a convenient way to get around this ban as photographers are just "onlookers" and this is not really a "shark dive."

Exciting, sure, nice cowboy action and everyone can pound their chests, but does anyone doubt for a moment that it is just a matter of time . . . . .?

Spearfishers take the risk of shark problems as part of their hunting, and that is fine, but this should never be promoted as conservation or photography diving. The "photo action" that everyone brags about is from fending off aggressive sharks whipped into a frenzy by blood in the water. Even one of the most experienced and professional shark operators (not this one, for sure), has had bites and incidents (even a fatality), under safer, shallower, and far more controlled conditions than these cowboy dives.

I am saddened to see true conservation operations like Laz's signing on to this, and also a well known dive shop that, I wonder, does it really know what is going on when it sends divers on this charter? The persons marketing these dives to photographers or people who want to see sharks really need to sit back and re-think their actions. The lack of common sense with this is simply breathtaking.

Getting away with it once, or even many times, leads people to think that it can never happen, that a shark in a feeding frenzy still would never bite, and that we are invincible because we admire sharks or that we can "take 'em on" because we are armed with either spears or cameras to fend them off. On a borderline deco dive in strong current, no less. This is just hubris.

 

[Murfdizzle21]

Guy have you gone diving with the emerald lately? or ever?

 

[Amazz]

Welcome to the dark side. It's amazing how smart those sharks are. I'll try to join you Sat, but I think he might be full. Summer vacation is here. I might be out on Enerald with camera on Wed.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I did my AOW dives with them a few weeks ago (yes, even with 1000 dives I had to get the card). As I posted in the other forum, I liked Randy and how he operated his boat. There were regular spearfishers (not too successful, it was a slow day) but no intentional spearing or chumming to excite sharks on my trip. If he ran his regular trips to the hole without that, I would be happy to dive with him. I know Angie and Chuck well from the Blue Tang, Chuck DM's Maribi first true deep dive, on the hole in the wall. They are people I respect, but adrenaline rush can impair anyone's perspective.

This new thing, it's just crazy. Just look at those videos and tell me no one is going to get hurt, or worse . . . . . No buddy system, no organization, no grouping together to present an intimidating bulk to the sharks, arms and legs flailing as divers struggle to maintain body position, no one watching where the sharks are (almost impossible anyway in open water with sharks chummed to the point of aggression), exposed hands and feet as least one diver assumed a "flying" position (thought they were superman??) and those exposed extremities are the same pasty white color as the bait the sharks are eating, chuncks of bait floating right next to the divers, no safety divers, divers glued to their cameras with no situational awareness, sharks in a high state of agitation.

I have done shark dives in the Bahamas, including Stuart Cove's feeding show, and a week on tiger beach with Abernethy. I have spearfished many times and encountered shark activity then. I have been diving since 1976. I have never seen anything more dangerous, haphazard and irresponsible than what I saw in these videos. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

 

[Superlyte27]

I disagree. I have no affiliation with anyone in the video or the charter or anyone who has posted on this page. I think you're blowing it out of proportion. Diving is dangerous. See my thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/no...456154-sex-dangerous-everyone-quit-doing.html.

It's risk vs. reward. We understand that this sport may hurt or kill us. We understand the risks and do it anyway. I used to race motorcycles. I used to jump out of boats travelling 60mph. One day I hope to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. All of this stuff could possibly hurt or kill us. We do it anyway because we believe the risk is lower than the reward. And we're going to keep doing it.

Relax a bit. Tens of thousands of people go on shark dives, the number of instances is very low. And honestly 5 or 6 fish in the water is hardly considered chumming.

 

[Amazz]

Sorry, I mean Guy...can't edit the subject line. It's risky and probably not all that smart of an activity. But it's fun as hell. Besides Randy, I probably had the most dives under my belt of the folks who jumped in the water during the surface interval. I was also the first out of the water when I had enough. I do sport some common sense at times. It's an interesting scene to watch. The sharks are so keenly aware of where the food is. It's rather uncanny when you are there. I always joke with Randy: it's not a matter of if but when...he will get bitten one day. Hopefully it won't be as serious as the puffer injury. I was keenly aware of the bits of dead fish floating around. I watched in awe as a dusky grabbed a fish head, shook it ripping it in two, gulped half, and turned on a dime to grab the other half. There is quite a bit more situational awareness than what you think. All divers were seasoned and had each others' backs. Those who weren't comfortable stayed on the boat for the SI. Randy called me over to beat the sharks off him and I respectfully declined. He's fine and I bought him lunch today. Beef.