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Dive4LifeSW
Contributor
does anyone have a good way to "predict" viz... dont care about waves, cold, sharks, mother-in-laws, lightning (have you ever seen a dolphin struck?). Have checked out Swell Info site, but it is hit or miss (more hit, but want to know other thoughts). I don't know if this is the place to post this question, but it seems like we post to inform... so dont tell me about "forms" it is to in-form.... where do the diving spirits go to predict when to take a day off from work with 3 days notice (or call in sick in my case !... c u under...)
LOL - if you find a good way let me know! The best way I've found is to call a local and ask em if they've been down (sometimes even surface conditions won't indicate). There are lots more experienced opinions out there than mine, but here goes:
I always look on the NOAA site for wind direction/speed history and on Venice, Florida Surf Forecast and Surf Report for chop.
Typically sustained East winds are good, swells 0-2, and low wind speed and slack tide. Also, the months from Feb - Sep seem to be better from my experience. Once I forgot to check wind speed and went down there on a week of east winds only to find the east winds were 10-20 knots and the bottom was soup. Learned a lesson there!
Typically late fall and early winter suck (the Thanksgiving turkey fry is a historically bad dive most years). I'm only an occasional toother because I'm from St. Cloud/S. Orlando, but I can tell you I've made a lot of trips that have ended up blown out because conditions change from 8' vis to 6" in the course of a day. It sucks to drive 2 1/2 hours and find relatively bad conditions. Sometimes I go in just to get wet and get at least 1-2 small teeth just to say I've been there. I also got into metal detecting recently so now I take my detector with me and if vis sucks then I go detecting. Also, Peace River to the East is good freshwater fossiling in the Winter if Venice is blown out and you don't mind just wading. Winter is the dry season and the river level is down.
Good luck!
Dive4LifeSW
Contributor
thanks for the info... basically, that is what I thought... I just have more time off in winter.... might try this weekend... Sunday looks promising. Again, thank you for the reply. Wishing you good hunting in 2010! Wishing it to all fellow shark teeth divers... still can't figure out why I am addicted. 
Hey - don't forget to file a dive report if you go. Those of us who aren't Venice locals rely on the reports for conditions. A lot of times I'll decide on spur of the moment to pick up and go for a couple days if the conditions are decent. Good Luck!
Originally Posted by Aristakat 
We'll made our first dive of 2010 to attemp to take advantage of the last two days of East winds and see what has been stirred up in the boneyard. We'll lots of silt hanging on bottom made a cloudy mess if you hit bottom and also made most spots tuff to hunt. We covered a couple of spots looked good when you would find areas of no silt. Found some megs, old medicine btl, sharks teeth. Highlight of the day was a 4 1/4 megladon tooth with coral on top cool find for sure. We only did 1hr first dive, second dive only maybe 20 mintues got cold and called it. So these finds were one tank dive
not our best day but off to a good start considering vis,silt, and weather
Site Location: Bone yard
Date / Time: January 29, 2010 - 9am-1pm
Water Temp: 61 Degrees on surface 55' on bottom
Vizibility: - 2"-4"
Surf: 1-2
lots of silt covering bottom which made it tuff hunting but still did okay
Sharkwatcher:
Must have been snow birds you took out, no local would pay good money to dive in such poor conditions. I'm surprised you even went out but January was a lean month for you. "Caveat Emptor"!
We'll made our first dive of 2010 to attemp to take advantage of the last two days of East winds and see what has been stirred up in the boneyard. We'll lots of silt hanging on bottom made a cloudy mess if you hit bottom and also made most spots tuff to hunt. We covered a couple of spots looked good when you would find areas of no silt. Found some megs, old medicine btl, sharks teeth. Highlight of the day was a 4 1/4 megladon tooth with coral on top cool find for sure. We only did 1hr first dive, second dive only maybe 20 mintues got cold and called it. So these finds were one tank dive
Site Location: Bone yard
Date / Time: January 29, 2010 - 9am-1pm
Water Temp: 61 Degrees on surface 55' on bottom
Vizibility: - 2"-4"
Surf: 1-2
lots of silt covering bottom which made it tuff hunting but still did okay
Sharkwatcher:
Must have been snow birds you took out, no local would pay good money to dive in such poor conditions. I'm surprised you even went out but January was a lean month for you. "Caveat Emptor"!
I have been taking divers up to the springs for the last couple of weeks because the vizibility has been so poor on the beach front. Jamie lives locally so I'm sure he is aware of local diving conditions. Make your own inferences.
Last edited:
OP
I think it's good that we've had a couple of reports from Venice lately! No one knows for sure what conditions you will find on any day that you get out there!!!
A ScubaBoard Staff Message...
Aristakat
Contributor
Wow, After reading and thinking about comments wanted to make sure report was clear. Vis was 2-4 FEET and I along with a friend who happens to be a "snowbird" were really wanting to get out and check out conditions. Conditions were EXACTLY what we thought they would be other then the SILT on the bottom. Was worth the trip though to see what the weather has brought up for us. We both were happy with our finds considering silt on the bottom. As far as a "local paying good money" this local paided the fuel bill to go out there:cool2: and ended up at POPS for lunch turned out to be a great trip as usual. Thanks guys for the support and observations.
I will say that we did see another charter boat running down south with a group of divers
I will say that we did see another charter boat running down south with a group of diversOriginally Posted by Aristakat
We'll made our first dive of 2010 to attemp to take advantage of the last two days of East winds and see what has been stirred up in the boneyard. We'll lots of silt hanging on bottom made a cloudy mess if you hit bottom and also made most spots tuff to hunt. We covered a couple of spots looked good when you would find areas of no silt. Found some megs, old medicine btl, sharks teeth. Highlight of the day was a 4 1/4 megladon tooth with coral on top cool find for sure. We only did 1hr first dive, second dive only maybe 20 mintues got cold and called it. So these finds were one tank divenot our best day but off to a good start considering vis,silt, and weather
Site Location: Bone yard
Date / Time: January 29, 2010 - 9am-1pm
Water Temp: 61 Degrees on surface 55' on bottom
Vizibility: - 2"-4"
Surf: 1-2
lots of silt covering bottom which made it tuff hunting but still did okay
Sharkwatcher:
Must have been snow birds you took out, no local would pay good money to dive in such poor conditions. I'm surprised you even went out but January was a lean month for you. "Caveat Emptor"!
