Hello!
I would recommend you go with somebody who knows the place if it is your first time diving the Jetties. While its not a hard dive, it is always best to have someone around who can show you the ropes. Where to park, where to enter, when to dive, where to dive, etc...
You always want to dive the Jetties on an incoming or high tide. DONT dive it on an outgoing tide. Not only will the viz be terrible, you'll be fighting the current the entire time trying to not get pulled into the gulf. Here in PCB, we only have one tidal range per day (one high and one low) where it seems most other places have always have two tidal ranges per day. Check out
http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/floridagulfsites.html to get the local tide information. You want the St. Andrew Bay channel entrance which is about 3/4 of the way down the page.
As far as viz goes, I have been hearing reports that viz is not very good past 50' or so feet in the gulf. Don't know if it is due to thermoclines, algea, or just marine snow floating around. I'm hoping this will clear up soon with the gulf warming up every day. Here in PCB, the water temp at the surface near shore hit 75F yesterday. I'm hoping we can get close to 80's by the weekend as I'm heading out in the gulf for a few dives on Sunday. But I think this may be wishful thinking.
You should post on this board (maybe in the north florida section) at least a week before you are wanting to do it. People are always looking to dive and you may be able to snag a few souls looking to dive the Jetties as well...
