Dive Trip Report to:
The Loran Towers - between Stuart and Jupiter - 5 miles out - 80 ft depth
Purpose:
Acquire LOBSTER!!
Date / Dive #:
Dive #1, 10-Aug-2001, Friday, Morning Dive.
My Dive #
362
A. Dive Location:
Stuart - It's-U-&-I, Den South, N27 02.792 and W80 01.797
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
The top 30 feet was bad - decompressing at 15 ft you couldn't see the surface.
On the bottom, vis was about 40 ft, more than enough to catch Lobster!
Seas:
FLAT to 3 inches!!
Water Temp:
85 on the top, 73 on the bottom. It was refreshing, not to cold, not to hot!!
Skies:
Typical Florida Sunny Clear Blue Skies - Sunny and warm. Not the baking hot
August, just comfortably warm.
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth & Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 79 ft for 13 min
Air consumption:
Me: 80 cu ft, 3400 lb to 2000 lb
Current:
About one knot on the surface (towards the north of course) and much
less below
Description:
Well, on the spot, Capt Bob dropped the anchor. We suited up, jumped in and
followed the anchor line through the muck (top 30 ft). On the bottom, we found
the anchor
was slipping in the sand. We had past the reef and were in no-man's land.
Capt Bob picked up the anchor and we drifted for a while. Nothing but sand.
With half my air supply gone, we reluctantly went back up to try to relocate
and re-dive!!
Date / Dive #:
Dive #2, 10-Aug-2001, Friday, Morning Dive.
My Dive #
363
A. Dive Location:
Stuart - It's-U-&-I, a little more towards the north from above
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
The top 30 feet was bad - decompressing at 15 ft you couldn't see the surface.
On the bottom, vis was about 40 ft, more than enough to catch Lobster!
Seas:
FLAT to 3 inches!!
Water Temp:
85 on the top, 73 on the bottom. It was refreshing, not to cold, not to hot!!
Skies:
Typical Florida Sunny Clear Blue Skies - Sunny and warm. Not the baking hot
August, just comfortably warm.
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth & Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 77 ft for 14 min
Air consumption:
Me: 80 cu ft, air, 2000 lbs (from the last dive) to 500 lb
Current:
See Above
Description:
Ok, the redrop was good. We were on reefs. There was 5 to 10 ft of ledges,
similar to the Juno Type ledge, but at a smaller scale. Starting to drift,
Capt Bob - and the Irishman - spotted three bugs just sitting on top of some
rocks. I was down to 1400 lbs of air. I did get two bugs, the third was toooo
deep and into the rocks. So, this first tank was not a waste. We did get some
Fresh Lobster Dinner!! These reefs are very pretty. There are 5 to 10 ft of
ledge going to the sand. The ledge is ot continuous, but large spotted all
over. There are some deep crevaces, lots of fish, very pretty fish. There is
not the Breakers type of colors. The colors are mostly just reef brown, white
sand and the fish.
Date / Dive #:
Dive #3, 10-Aug-2001, Friday, Morning Dive.
My Dive #
364
A. Dive Location:
Stuart - It's-U-&-I, a little further north from the last dive.
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
The top 30 feet was bad - decompressing at 15 ft you couldn't see the surface.
On the bottom, vis was about 40 ft, more than enough to catch Lobster!
Seas:
FLAT to 3 inches!!
Water Temp:
85 on the top, 73 on the bottom. It was refreshing, not to cold, not to hot!!
Skies:
Typical Florida Sunny Clear Blue Skies - Sunny and warm. Not the baking hot
August, just comfortably warm.
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth & Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 81 ft for 40 min (Good Old NITROX)!!
Air consumption:
Me: 120 cu ft, 3700 lbs to 500 lbs, PO2 1.2 with 35 % NITROX
Current: See above
Description:
Well, we continued where we left off on the last dive. About 1/2 way through
the dive we spotted an area of lot's of bugs. Unfortunately, they were deep
into the cracks and holes. I got none - really I did get a few, but they were
egg laden females!! There were several 4 plus pounders that were deep in a
hole line. I wasted a lot of time trying to get them. So, for this NITROX
dive, great bottom time, no takers bugs!! But it was fun, lots of fish and
some very pretty reefline!!
Date / Dive #:
Dive #4, 10-Aug-2001, Friday, Afternoon Dive.
My Dive #
365
A. Dive Location:
Stuart - It's-U-&-I, a little further north from the last dive
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
The top 30 feet was bad - decompressing at 15 ft you couldn't see the surface.
On the bottom, vis was about 40 ft, more than enough to catch Lobster!
Seas:
FLAT to 3 inches!!
Water Temp:
85 on the top, 73 on the bottom. It was refreshing, not to cold, not to hot!!
Skies:
Typical Florida Sunny Clear Blue Skies - Sunny and warm. Not the baking hot
August, just comfortably warm.
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth & Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 81 ft for 39 min
Air consumption:
Me: 120 cu ft, 3700 lbs to 500 lbs, 37 % NITROX
Current: See Above
Description:
Well we left off as we stopped before, This time I got some more. There was
one real big bug under a ledge. I tried to prod him out, but it backed up and
then stopped. Wouldn't move. So, seeing how it was not backing up any more,
I grabbed it's antenna and worked my way down to it's knob. I pulled and
pulled. My tank was hitting the roof line and I didn't want to get stuck -
lobster one, me none! But, later Capt Bob nailed the sucker! It's now in my
freezer! We got a few more during the dive.
It was a great diving day. The seas were flat, no rain, no wind, temp was good - not toooo hot, not tooo cold, underwater on-the-bottom vis was good, top vis sucked, but so what, water temp was refreshing and not tooo cold or hot.
And, of course the
Final Outcome of the Day
was:
Bacon wrapped steak, Fresh Lobster, Wine for dinner - and - Laura for desert!!
Last Updated: 11-Aug-2001
Last Updated: 10-July-2002