The Boynton Dive Chronicles (new and improved)

[deepstops]

Kev,

It was a pleasure to dive with you and Alex again Saturday afternoon. Did you talk to
Bill, Bill, and Martha and find out why they shined us on the dinner plans??

Also, looking at the PB County NOAA station, there was a wind gust Saturday evening between 9 and 10 pm
of 42 mph, probably enough to cause chairs to blow down the road

 

[Scubakevdm]

Kev,

It was a pleasure to dive with you and Alex again Saturday afternoon. Did you talk to
Bill, Bill, and Martha and find out why they shined us on the dinner plans??

Also, looking at the PB County NOAA station, there was a wind gust Saturday evening between 9 and 10 pm
of 42 mph, probably enough to cause chairs to blow down the road

I did not. I did go diving today though. Here's how it went:

Seas were actually quite calm despite the 4'-6' predictions. Definitely 2' or less. The water was kinda cloudy though, it looked like it was due to run off. There were alot of suspended solids and vis was around 35' on both dives. We did Black condo and then Lynn's. The current was very, very mild to non-existent, and there was a slight surge. Water temps felt like 83 or 84... I didn't check.
My adjuster wheel on my housing is worn out or something, and so I couldn't change my F-stop for either dive. My pics aren't so hot. I did have an interesting encounter though and I have crappy pictures to prove that it happened. I saw a Goliath grouper on Black Condo... a small one, but it was a first for me (at least in this location). So, he sees me and cruises into a deep cave-like undercut section of the ledge. Now, I've been there a time or two, and I know that the cave is pretty roomy, and that I could probably get a shot or two of him in there, so in I go. Low and behold, there's the grouper just sitting there looking at me! I took a couple of pictures, and suddenly I see the rock on the left side of the cave start on move! Ahhh! Cave in! Not. It was a turtle. The turtle, the grouper and I spent a little quality time together inside the reef, and then the turtle had to go... maybe to breathe. He didn't seem to be in any particular hurry. He also didn't seem to be afraid of me in at all. In fact he sauntered over to me all matter of fact like, battered me with his left forefin, and then left. I was poised and ready to snap a picture when the battering took place. The turtle knocked the camera out of his way, at the same time jarring my hand and tripping the shutter. After the usual 1.5 second lag, the shutter opened and strobe fired producing a wonderful photo of the turtle's neck, and the only self portrait of a turtle that I am aware of.

The turtle and the grouper. I know it sucks, but it was dark and I needed proof.

The turtle self portrait.

A goldentailed moray munching on something... maybe a crab.

Next we did Castle ledge to Lynn's. The current started trickling to the north. There were tons and tons of fish all over the place, but not alot of light. I took a picture while we were still on the Castle ledge at the beginning of the dive to try to capture actual conditions underwater today. Hopefully the vis will open up for tomorrow and I'll be able to fix my housing.

The end of the second amphitheater on Castle. This is how diving in Boynton looked today.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Hi! I just deleted the entire dive report again! Woo-Hoo!

Take 2.
Seas today were nice and calm, less than 2'. The water was still a bit cruddy though. We did the Castor and Clubhouse, and vis was about 50' and 35' respectively. The current ran north, pretty mild on both dives. My camera housing is still whacked and I couldn't adjust my camera all day so my pics are crappy, but Ryan and Kenji were along. They probably got some good stuff.

I studied coral on the reef dive, so no exciting cave exploration today. I did find a dive flag, a pair of sunglasses and a few lobsters. I only took one bug, because my hands were kinda full. I also found the smallest Florida lobster I've ever seen on the reef... maybe 4" not including antennae.

This is what diving in Boynton looked like today.

The tiny lobster.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Well... It was rough, but it was great. No camera today... sorry. It was 5:30 in the morning, and I said to myself "It's gonna be rough... better leave the camera behind." All day long I kicked myself. What difference would it have made if I'd brought the camera?
Anyway, seas in the morning were big. Something like 3-5 out the gate, and maybe 4-6 at the end of the trip. Seas in the afternoon were 4-6 and built to 5-7, sometimes 8. The boat's pretty good in big water though and Alex really mitigates the effects of the seas with how he handles it, so the general consensus on both trips (am and pm) was that it reallty wasn't that bad.
The payoff was the diving. Typically it hovered around 100'. A true 100'. Sometimes, when the sun peeked out it was easily 150'. At worst it was 80', when it was dark, up at the north end of the reef. The current trickled north all day long. Water temps were warm... 84 or 85 (I didn't look, but it was noticably warmer than Friday). Lobsters were everywhere since there hasn't been anyone to pluck them off of the reef. Everybody who lobstered limited out on their first dive, and it wasn't just barely getting 6, it was like "Hmm, out of these 8 lobsters in front of me, these three are definately bigger than the ones I already have in my bag so I start by catching them".

There was a little surge, not too bad. Maybe a foot at 45' it disapeared by 60'.

 

[laurelgsc]

We're coming down to dive with you this weekend. How does the forecast look? I can't wait.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Hey Laurel! Right now the Marine forecast only goes to Saturday, But here's a link to it so you can follow along. They're not always right, but they do pretty well if it's only one or two days away. I look forward to meeting you!

 

[fisheyeview]

Kev,

What's the viz been like lately? Trying to decide which lens to use on Saturday.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Kev,

What's the viz been like lately? Trying to decide which lens to use on Saturday.

Anywhere between 80 and 150', but I would either wait until the night before to decide which lens, or bring a couple. Actually, I would bring a couple regardless. That's just me though. We have plenty of room for lenses.

 

[fisheyeview]

Anywhere between 80 and 150', but I would either wait until the night before to decide which lens, or bring a couple. Actually, I would bring a couple regardless. That's just me though. We have plenty of room for lenses.

I'll probably choose the night before then. I shoot a housed DSLR. The last time I decided to change lenses on the boat it cost me a new camera and lens.

 

[moneysavr]

THANKS KEVIN!
Kev,
Jim and I had a great two trips with you, Thanks for getting us on the dive with the Goliath grouper.
Jim could not figure out why I kept pushing him closer to the fish by the yoke on his tank but the photos tell all!
The weather was great, vis sweet,dives max,and tons of video and photos even made it down to dive the Duane.
Tanks and hope to dive with you soon,
Brad

Man you could walk on the jelly's that day!