We Carry Three Bottles With Us
Two of Air, One of Rum!
Last Updated: 15-April-2003
PLEASE CHECK THE WEATHER AND CALL THE PARK LIFE GUARDS BEFORE YOU BEACH DIVE! Do not beach dive if the winds are out of the EAST or the Waves are over a few INCHES high! As the beginning of the summer approaches, we start Beach Diving South in Ft. Pierce at Pepper Park. The further south you go, the better the vis! Don't beach dive in vis less than 10 feet or waves over a few INCHES or the winds anywhere out of the East (NE, E, SE)! As the summer passes, we can start beach diving further up north - Vero Boiler Wreck and other locations near Sebastian. It's very hard to find a clear water day in the Sebastian Area to beach dive. These are usually in the August timeframe and can come and go in a few hours!!
During 1999, a group of divers organized a small group for Beach Diving. The group would meet at 7 or 8 am at various Beach Dive Locations between Sebastian Inlet and Ft. Pierce, Pepper Park for the purpose of Beach Diving. The conditions had to be perfect - light winds or winds out of the west for three days before the dive, waves no higher than 6 inches and underwater visibility of at least 10 ft! We would call the various life guard stations up and down the coast area to verify the conditions. Weather and Conditions were confirmed by noon on Friday! The Saturday Dives turned out to be a Two Tank Dive (You bring all equipment – none supplied)! We would dive at two separate locations . One 80 cu ft air tank would give us a little over an hour of bottom time. We would go out as far as the 4th reef (1/2 mile out) , in water usually 15 ft deep , but sometimes we would hit 20 ft of depth. On the 4th reef, we swam against the current (South) until the first diver was down to 1400 lbs of air. We then went in to the 3rd reef and swam back to our entrance location. A full wet suit is recommended due to the spiny urchins! After the last dive, all would break out a lunch and we would partake of some bacardi Limon Rum!! Hence the name - bacardi Limon Beach Dive Team.
Here is a link to our Beach Diving Locations and Past Dive Trip Reports: http://www.IrishmanSoftware.com/beach_dive_locations.htm
The dives were fun. We see the various rock and reef formations at the different dive spots. There are various ships wrecks both new and old to visit. Fish, Sharks, Lobsters and even some sea snakes were spotted. The dives can also be exhausting . Divers must get fully suited up, weights and all, then walk up to 100 yards to the water over sometimes soft sand. Then for the Beach Entry, we walk out to waist deep water with BC's inflated. At this time we'll put on our fins and then start the swim out to at least the 3rd reef on the surface. Around this point, under we go, head out one more reef and start our turn South along the reef line. When the first diver is down to 1400 lbs of air, we turn back north. Sometimes we'll go out one more reef, sometimes go in one reefline. When were down to 500 lbs of air, we start directly back to our entry point. The exit is a reverse of the entrance. Both the entrance and exit must proceed with caution (regs in your mouth) in case you trip and fall while walkng in the surf!
For our First Dive of the Year, we are planning on meeting at Pepper Park in Ft. Pierce at 8 am. From A1A and Eau Galley, go south about 50 miles. If you come to the end of the road, where it turns inland, you've gone about 1 mile too far. Just past the Park, south of the park, is the Navy Seal Museum. The Park Entrance is between the Park and the Museum - the southern end of the park. As you turn EAST (left going south) off A1A and head for the ocean (about 100 ft) there is a shower and changing building on the left. Park in this area. I drive a Blue Chev Astro Van. Yea, it's a fresh water shower to clean off with after the dive. The beach entrance trail is just opposite the shower. There are life guards. Open containers are not permitted! Non Divers are welcome - they can lay on the beach or swim. The water temperature is about 78 degrees – still COLD! Bring a Lunch. Bring all of your own dive gear. Bring a mixer - Coke or Pepsi recommended!
E-mail for the current's weekend meeting time and dive location!
Remember if your diving close to Sebastian Inlet , check the tids. When the current comes out the inlet, it goes offshore about a mile, turns southward and comes in close to shore right about the Museum. This can kill your Beach Diving!! The best diving in this area is on an incoming or high tide, regardless of the time of day.
Last Updated: 20-Oct-2002