Nemrod's Epic Return to South Florida

[Nemrod]

Well, I appear to have survived my annual south Florida/Keys adventure yet again but not unscathed. Minor camera damage, a run in with some sketchies that resulted in the Sea Hawk being drawn in anger at BHB, a futile attempt to buck a raging current on a wreck in Pompano that for the first time (or maybe third or fourth) I thought I might die and had to let go of the anchor line. It was simply to much for me pushing my camera and trying to tow myself with one arm and those crappy Mares plasti-fins, I had never wished more for Jets and a third arm.

Beach dives --- Commercial Pier, Ft Lauderdale - three dives, each lasting over three hours and one approaching five hours. Blue Heron Bridge (yawn, what a snoozer)

Wrecks --Spiegal, Vandenberg, Thunderbolt, Duane, Cayman Salvager, Benwood, Mizpah

Reefs -- Five deep ledges, one over 150 feet up WPB to Fort Luaderdale, plus French, Elbow, Sambos, Shark Gap (Marathon).

Fights---aforementioned jackass on dive boat in Pompano and the BHB sketchies that got s little close on e time to many. Fortunately, no local natives were seriously harmed though the jackass on the boat might be a bit sore. What the Hades is a trip to Flraiduh without beating up on the local wildlife at least a little.

All dives on Phoneix 006 except for the beach dives on my Titan. Sorry, double hose suck at long swims on the surface and when I say long, try three miles both ways.

Had a near fight and I do mean it, on one boat with some dude who kept telling me I could not be his buddy and he poked me in my chest for some reason when I tried to ignore him at which point I tried to break his arm. He went down and at that point, I explained to him in colorful terms that I never asked him if he would buddy with me, I would be with the guide in Group 1, if he was there, fine, if not, I could give a flying XXXXXX! People in Flariduh need to learn some southern gentility or suffer the consequences of poking me in the chest.

Got to help release a dozen baby logger heads, amazing dive with the baby turtles. In yet another dive in WPB, I counted over two dozen turtles before I lost interest in counting them!!!!, in a single dive!

Despite my two run-ins, all was mostly fun if not wet and cold. I ran the heater in the Keys! I have some decent pics, will try to post a few.

Will I return for yet another Invasion of Florida, not entirely sure, there are other places with friendlier people but where could anybody see more than two dozen turtles in a single dive and get to release an additional dozen baby turtles. Oh well, all in the balance.

Nemrod

[Nemrod]

Oh, I forgot, I nearly had to harm some German tourist divers who plopped down in my spot and would not move. Apparently "pardon me" and "please let me to my gear" and "excuse me please" does not translate as they sat there staring at me like cows chewing cud.

And, I ran into a Scubaboard person, a lovely and very nice lady who apparently is the SO of Net Doc. She gave me some stickers so sorry Bryan, I am going to put them over your Homies Dive Shop VIP decals since they are out of date . Just never know what you will find on a dive boat in Florida.

Nem

[Bryan]

[captain]

You da man, Nem, oorah! Maybe you should sign a peace treaty with the manatees and get them on your side as backup. I can see the headlines now, German scuba diver gone missing, Kanas man says he last saw him accompied by a manatee.

[Nemrod]

Well, here are a few pics, jpeg, straight from the card with no retouch. I took a bunch, it will take a while to run them through Photoshop and clean them up but this is sort of a sample of what I saw.

Me at the Benwood enjoying finally actually warm water and sunshine:



The Spiegal:



Vandenberg:





Did I say turtles:



















Big green moray:





Other stuff:






Nem

[Nemrod]

Captain, I am sure they just did not know any better. I am of a mind that people simply have no manners anymore, not from meanness but instead ignorance and do not know how to respond to polite indications. Florida is out of control, has been. The Keys, though, are still fine, especially Marathon on down.

The weather was really combating my best efforts to do photography but I am pleased with some of my shots and overall had a good time. I went alone, so had no schedule or specific agenda, just wandered around. One fellow I met on the beach at Commercial Pier took me out on his personal boat the following day. An older fellow but a very nice man and a great diver. He showed me a nice mini wall that dropped to 150 feet and was simply covered with fish and critters.

After my camera got dropped in Fort Lauderdale, a quick call to Reef Photo, Richard, and I was back in business good as new. Thanks guys.

The Phoenix with HPR valve worked great and never missed a breath or left me lacking. Good job Luis and Bryan. There was the "Navy" guy on one of the trips. He made it known from the get go he was retired Navy and made strong hints to being from the "teams" which I think was BS. Another likely poser. When he saw me do the forward hose flip, I think he nearly wet his pants in jealousy. There are posers and there are the real deals, I never was military and certainly never a team person and I am glad those real deal people are out there--but---I got a Phoenix HPR RAM and he do not, nah, nah, nah, na.

Nem

[ivan's mermaid]

Great Pics, Nem even before you photo shop them. The baby turtles are super cool. Thanx for sharing.

[antique diver]

Nice photos and a hilarious trip report. What camera and light are you using?

I hadn't heard about the "commercial pier", but sounds like I need to check it out. Any tricks that we need to know for parking, entry, etc?

[Nemrod]

Antique, I am not using a light, I am using dual Inon D2000 strobes with a Canon S90 with the FIX90 aluminum housing and in this series of photos a Fisheye/FIX UFL-04 fisheye lens. I have been very pleased with the camera and more so especially with the FIX housing. My Inon strobes predate the camera and housing and hopefully will see future use on at least one more rig or even two, I love them, they make underwater photography easy. The key to getting good photos are:

1. Two good strobes
2. Ultra wide or fisheye lens

If either of those two components are missing then I feel crippled. I am OK with a single strobe in macro but I do not do much macro.

Canon S90 --- about $400
FIX90 housing --- about $900
Inon D2000 strobes --- $640 each ($1300)
Fisheye or Inon fisheye lens --- $400+
Optical cables, arms, bits and pieces --- $300
Tray, I made mine but --- $150 to $300

Or some where north of $3,500. If I were buying today I would get the same strobes but go with a M4:3 or NEX outfit with a Nauticam aluminum housing and a dome port for the 8mm fisheye lens. Nauticam and FIX/Fisheye have some relationship, not exactly sure.

I do not do video, I suppose if I get one of the cameras like a GoPro or the one Bryan is playing with I could mount it on the shoe of the housing on a small arm. I much prefer still images to videos. There is a new Oly Tough series camera out, I think it is the XG-1. It has a optional housing two external mount accessory lenses, a wide angle lens and telephoto lens. Plus, I think it might be compatible with the Inon UFL-165AD fisheye lens. This a 1:2.3 small sensor camera but the word out is that it does OK for snaps and HD video. If it really can be set up to use the Inon fisheye lens, then, that would be fun. Unlike the pro-sumer Canon S and G series which has a much larger 1:1.7 sensor and much better optical system and RAW output, the Oly Tough series are simple Auto/Program cameras and not known for high IQ but acceptable for a fun camera. No RAW, jpeg only.

The Commercial Pier is also called Anglin Pier I think. It is at the end of Commercial Blvd in Lauderdale by the Sea. The main access portal is Datura street and a few others both north and south of the Pier. This is a well known beach dive with a description of the site at Datura on a sign there and dive signs at most of the portals. You must use a flag. Parking is in paid meters, get there early, it is a safe area, no sketchies. Tides have little bearing but wave action can stir things up. Currents on the first reef are usually not bad but the long swim to the third reef, expect current there. About 20 minutes to the inside edge of the boring first reef or about 40 minutes to the outside edge. The outside of the first reef is marked by a series of white mooring balls in about 20 feet of water and is a great dive. Another 15 minutes gets to the second reef in 20 to 40 feet and another 20 minutes to the third reef in 40 to 60 feet. Stay away from the pier, dive either to the north or south and seaward. The first reef shoreward has a coral growth experiment marked by two yellow bouys and there is a snorkel scuba trail I have never followed as the diving is much better further out.

So, about halfway the length of the pier, running north and south are white vertical bouys that mark the swimming area. About 2/3 length and south are the two yellow round balls. The inside edge of the first reef is about even with the pier end running north and south. Next, not really easily visible from shore marking the outside of the first reef line is the white mooring balls, here and there and running north and south of the pier, these are about 3 pier lengths from shore. Beyond that I suggest a GPS on your surface float for reaching the second and third breaks. You must swim this on the surface, too far to go underwater IMO.

On one of my dives, I was engulfed in a heavy rain storm and could not see anything for a good thirty minutes, the GPS kept me tracking as I continued to swim seaward. It felt really lonely for sure.

James

[antique diver]

Thanks for the complete description of the camera setup and the dive site!

[Nemrod]

Here is a Google Earth map of the Commercial Pier dive site:






The most seaward dive flag is the Hall of Fame Moorings, a nice shallow reef system, marked by the white balls I mentioned, one of the ledges I dove from the beach. That is .65 miles, the second and third ledges are further yet. Like I said, it is a bit of a swim. A kayak makes it easy but alas, I have found no way to pack mine in the carry on luggage, yet.

You can also see my preferred entry site through the Datura Ave. portal Below is the Third Ledge visible as indicated by the Anglin Pier Ledge. Depths on the outside about 60 and on the inside about 40 feet and yes, it is a very long swim. And you thought I was kidding, about 1.25 miles or more. Notice the hook in the color change, that is the third reef ledge.




Nem

[USdiver]

Nem,

Interesting choice of your using a Sea Hawk on the local fauna. I generally prefer to use my Wenoka Blackie Collins simply for the ease of disassembly and clean up. A Sea Hawk is just a little to vintage for me to use in these situations, as I rarely travel with the steel wool necessary to properly clean the blade.

Seriously, what is it with people these days? Common courtesy as well as proper manners seems to have been lost in the past 30 years. Hopefully your etiquette lessons left an impression on how to (not) treat visitors.