The continuing sagas of the Blue Heron Bridge

[jet126]

Interesting points have been raised. What is our risk (protected as we divers are) vs. kids swimming near shore? I wonder how scuba divers fare against water born diseases vs. health care workers who face much worse every day on the job?

Is there a doctor in our midst? Or does someone have time to articulate and then post in the Diving Medicine forum? If no one has time to ask I will tonight when I get home from work.

I have friends flying in next week specifically to dive the bridge. I don't want to cry Chicken Little for nothing. I've been hoping this would be a non-issue but in all honesty it's close enough now I need to let them make their own informed choice.

 

[jet126]

Just happened to capture a collector red handed via video last Friday. I'm still terrible with video with this camera.

When I confronted the collector, it looked initially like he might cough up the poor little Seaweed Blenny, but later it looked as though I might be attacked.

Got to work on my editing, I know. . .

YouTube - Seaweed Blenny collector

Kevin

Kevin - your collector has that same wide-mouth grin my pit bulls do whenever they're feeling particularly smug.

 

[mntlblok]

Interesting points have been raised. What is our risk (protected as we divers are) vs. kids swimming near shore? I wonder how scuba divers fare against water born diseases vs. health care workers who face much worse every day on the job?

Is there a doctor in our midst? Or does someone have time to articulate and then post in the Diving Medicine forum? If no one has time to ask I will tonight when I get home from work.

I have friends flying in next week specifically to dive the bridge. I don't want to cry Chicken Little for nothing. I've been hoping this would be a non-issue but in all honesty it's close enough now I need to let them make their own informed choice.

I'm pretty sure that the sea is out to get us.

Kevin

 

[WetLens]

Shen Collazo of Reef Photo in Ft. Lauderdale won OWU 2011 photo competition - macro category with a photo taken at Blue Heron Bridge! Winning Photography | UnderwaterCompetition.com

 

[jet126]

Here's what my big brother (an MD and non-diver) had to say:

Hmmm, interesting question. It's true that in surgery we always have the potential for exposure to nasty things. But we wear masks with eye shields, gloves, and even fluid resistent gowns when we are handling blood or body fluids.

In your situation, it would seem to me that the risk of exposure would be much greater. Even with your swim mask & regulator you are getting some "contaminated" water in and around your mouth, lips, and mucus membranes. I am not a bacteriologist but you're being exposed to a nasty nasty poop bug (that's a technical term) that COULD make you really sick. Personally, if it were me, I wouldn't dive until they re-open it. After all, you are still swimming, just doing it with some equipment and underwater!

Just FYI.

 

[tibenmiami]

Here's what my big brother (an MD and non-diver) had to say:

Hmmm, interesting question. It's true that in surgery we always have the potential for exposure to nasty things. But we wear masks with eye shields, gloves, and even fluid resistent gowns when we are handling blood or body fluids.

In your situation, it would seem to me that the risk of exposure would be much greater. Even with your swim mask & regulator you are getting some "contaminated" water in and around your mouth, lips, and mucus membranes. I am not a bacteriologist but you're being exposed to a nasty nasty poop bug (that's a technical term) that COULD make you really sick. Personally, if it were me, I wouldn't dive until they re-open it. After all, you are still swimming, just doing it with some equipment and underwater!

Just FYI.

I have seen this contaminated problem at the bridge before but it lasted only a few days. This is more serious. I wonder what is new?

 

[luthierlady]

Just posted on the BLue Heron Bridge Dive Club Facebook page

BIG TIME NEWS!!!!!

I spoke with David Polk from Florida DOH about the water testing this morning at PFP... He informed me a lot of the samples have been taken prior to LOW tide. David also informed me that if you are 10 to 15 feet of water shouldn't be much of an issue, also stirring up the bottom which none of us should be doing would stir up the sediments.. So in a nut shell the worst cause of swimming in the water with high Enterococcus levels would be case of diarrhea... David informed me that he is looking into doing test on the incoming tide to compare apples to apples. David agreed that numbers could drop tremendously... If anyone has any question(s) feel free to give David Polk a call at: 850-245-4444 ext. *2459..

Just thought everyone would like to know...

 

[danvolker]

I just got the test kits in and dropped them off at Force E.

We are doing our own tests....Beginning Saturday morning. Hour before peak high tide. At : the shipwreck; at the channel crossing area in about 18feet of water; near the breakwall under the bridge in about 4 feet of water( near the fish cleaning station many of us use for the hose); and a test point way east where we all used to dive--just to see if there is a water quality difference.
We will also do the hour before peak low tide ( when we hear the present reports derrive from), but in our high tide testing points just mentioned...and maybe throw in the right at the beach in 2 inches of water that is so far the method of testing ( from what I hear)...What they have concerned themselves with is small kids crawling around at the waters edge....while the issue is significant from a state agency perspective, and I believe it is absolutely essential they keep doing this, I expect it to have almost no relationship to our test depths, at the time we dive.
I would say start diving now, tests will show how smart this was by around thursday( culture times) , and for any of us that find themselves struggling and choking on water right at the shoreline, Darwin has been waiting ( in other words, none of us have any business ingesting water at the shoreline!!!)

Force E has the test kits at the Shop now, and will help in letting eveyone know our results.

 

[Scott L]

Dan, if test samples are taken during the weekend I am expecting a least one part per million to be expelled Budweiser from the Peanut Island crowd.

As kidding aside, thank you for your efforts. Please dispatch me an address to send a donation.

 

[danvolker]

I can donate a small bar fridge. I have one that's about 3 ft tall (fits under a countertop) and maybe 18" wide. Also happy to chip in a few $$.

You could just visit Force E and offer....I just talked to Skip of Force E, and he is thinking it may be better to spend our money or more tests, and just deal with a couple of extra days for the cultures at room temperature.

At the moment force E does not have a fridge, so they are using a cooler...to keep the test kits that have not been opened ( they need to stay refrigerated prior to using).
The cultures will be fine growing att room temperature, it just takes a couple of days longer.

Thanks for offering!!