(OT) went diving today

[mrferrit]

well writing to make all divers in here jelous ha (jk) well my 1st salt dive was today it was pretty cool viz was only like 3ft but we went to find the army tanks and barge but couldnt find em but still was cool found somekinda 40ft barge thng and a bunch of concrete culverts with some stoney corals on em not sure what they were maby porites and a really pretty blue and yellow damsel some seepheads and bunches of gobies but no tanks o well it was a great 1st dive just thought id share. next wed is the bradenton beach trip to the sugar barge ill let everyone know a time if anyone else wants to go.
now i have to find a cheap camera shop to fix my nikonos V so i can get you pics .
:smokin:

 

[BillyFSU]

Thats a great dive site! Sounds like you missed the tanks (there's 8 of them in a diagonal line if I remember right) right nearby both the barge and the pile of bridge pilings. We used to spearfish alot in that area. Lots of sheepshead, grouper, and flounder if you go at the right time. Saw my first dogfish there also.

Welcome to the club!

 

[mrferrit]

thanks for the welcome i have heard there tough to find but really cool so hopefully ill go out there soon and try again and if ya ever need someone to go with ya just let me know i think i am addicted already this has been a dream of mine since i was a youngin snorkleing the red sea maby one day ill get to go back and dive it take care
dennis

 

[SawCJack00]

Welcome to the dive comminity! It is addictive. I just got back from a week in Cozumel. Logged 14 dives, and loved every minute of it!!!

 

[h2joe]

hey mrferrit do you have the numbers of the site that you dived? i like to free dive and 40ft is in my limits but i like to try to go deeper if i can. thanks and glad you have logged ur first dive. im going to be taking my dive classes soon as i would love to do more than free dive.

Mark

 

[mrferrit]

sure no problem ill pm u with the co-ordinates on thursday when i get back to work . do you have a boat you can go on ? want some company? this time ill take my gps and plug all the #'s i'm bound to find em that way . my buddy is getting certified on the 22nd i believe and its cheaper if more people want to go so not sure when your wanting to but lmk
dennis

 

[MacnReef]

I love diving but after seeing "Open Water", I will never dive again...lol

Mike

 

[stevemc]

There are 2 hard corals that are real common out here, in somewhat shallow water, Oculina and Tubeastrea. There are several Oculina species that we see commonly. Most common is Oculina robusta, it grows in a bushy shape, with branches usually thinner than your finger. Tubeastrea grows under ledges and in the open, and it is a nightfeeder, not photosynthetic. Yes the many Army tanks are a small target to hit. What you do is find them with your depth finder and throw in a jug with heavily weighted line, to the rear of your boat, just as you hit it with the depth finder. Then anchor so you are near them. Every County has a bunch on this coast. Good luck. If you were in water shallower than 100 feet or so, the damsel was probably a Beau gregory. Very viscious, cant be kept with anything! If deeper and in large schools over the coral, they were deep water blue damsels. Very beautiful and good in a tank, but never seen in stores as they have air bladders and its not worth it. The young of both are quite pretty with the deep water blues very handsome. There are some nice deep water corals in deep water at the Middlegrounds area starting about 75 miles out of Pasco County. Maybe some time I'll take my video camera out there and give a show. Have fun and keep it safe. I'll be in the Keys diving in a week and a half. Steve.

 

[mrferrit]

cool steve i checked both those corals and didnt look like either of em they were about 4 inches high and 2 inches wide kinda like a very swollen thumb so i have no idea your probally right on the beau gregory very pretty though. yea it was only deepest part was 37ft i found i would be intrested in some video if you could get some thanks a bit more experience and some money and might have to try the middlegrounds.
thanks
dennis

 

[mrferrit]

well every one i have AC again. i am supposed to be cleaning the house today but naaaa time to celebrate i am going to jenny springs this wil be my 4th dive its about 55 Ft there and a cavern with a grand ballroom were gonna stay for the light show every one goes in the cavernand cuts open glowstix and it looks like stars from what i am told but 72 deg water hmm i guess i am gonna have to rent a wet suit. wow this is soo awsome let me tell ya. and tomorrow i am goin to bradenton beach for the sugar barge heard someone wanted to go so if you read this write me and ill tell ya when prbally earlie and if anyone wants to go to eny springs today not sure how far it is from st pete but ill be leaving here in about 2 hours.
wish me luck hope i come home.
diving with a pro so im not really worried take care al day
dennis

 

[luminary]

Please be VERY carefull about diving in a cavern environment (and don't even consider caves) without the proper training. Having said that, the cavern at Ginnie springs is a perfectly safe dive. But there are quite a few others up there that aren't. Remember that you still have a lot to learn so make sure you don't push yourself into too challenging a situation yet.

 

[mrferrit]

thanks for the advice yes i deffinatley know the dangers of diving in a cave and would deff. not attempt that at my skill level at all the person is almost a dive master with 40 years ofexperience with him so i feel comfortable with that but were leaving inm 15 min. love to stay and chat but g2g. now just to fix my nikonos V. ha ha $$$$$ any one know how to do that ? bye bye safe diving

 

[mrferrit]

well got back at liek 130 in the morning last night and man was it pretty awsome the cavern with a ballroom was cool in the day beautifull blue water big rocks . after that we filled our tanks and drift dove the santa fe river for about a 1/4 mile or so that was real nifty and the pair of oakley sun glasses i found even better. after that we waited till dark and night dove the ballroom and cut the lights and cut open about 15 glowsticks and made a relly cool light show it was beautifull. wet suit i dont need no stinkin wetsuit but it was chilly. but the sugar barge dive was called off today due to weather today and a arguement but next wed for sure
take care
Dennis

 

[Gimplar]

doh, sounded like fun, you should check out gennie springs, its fun to go in the ballroom there and take off your fins, fully inflate your BC and walk on the ceiling or deflate completely and walk around like your on the moon

 

[mrferrit]

yea that s the one o went to gimplar, my bad spelling an knowledge lol ginnie springs with the ballroom i did the moon walk didnt even thing or walking on the ceiling that sounds like alot of fun but did the very back of it almost like a cave but safer. man was that one crappy drive from st pete though like 3 hours but i can say i will deffinatly do it again.