T’is the season to layer the neoprene before you take the plunge into the Gulf.  So far this winter the cold front setting has been on rapid fire.  It’s a few days before Christmas and now that I have people looking to get out and dive, I’m sitting here looking out my window at the palm frawns fluttering steadily to the south.  Hopefully we’ll get a reprieve and by the time you read this (next year) we will all be tan and happy from spending plenty of quality time on and in the water.  The weather this past weekend was fabulous, calm winds, plenty of sun. 

Twice I shut the shop down early and threw the kids on the boat to run out to Marco Island’s 2 mile reef to drop a few lines and watch our spectacular sunsets.  The spot I like is an old growth artificial reef in just 25 feet of water (on a high tide).  The concrete culverts and slabs that Collier County deposited some 25 years ago are covered with soft corals and sponges, holding an intense concentration of life.  The diversity of species I’ve seen and caught on that reef is amazing.  Everything from bull trout to cobia and on this last trip my buddy Jordon Dunmire boated a beautiful slot- size redfish.  Then he landed a 24 inch gag grouper and started smirking because I hadn’t put a fish in the ice box.  I had to point out how much time I was spending baiting the hooks of my 4 and 7 year old, and getting their snags out.  A true fisherman never runs out of excuses!

Yesterday I loaded the dive boat and got really excited as we headed northwest to the shallow Keywadin reef across water that looked more like a pane of glass than the world’s ninth largest body of water.  While fishing the day before I realized how clear the water was, watching our big eyes drop at least 15 feet down in the dim late afternoon sunlight.  I had spoken to my friend Gene Ilnicki the evening prior who had run out 45 miles to do some spear fishing that day.  I was shocked to hear that “the visibility was terrible, less than ten feet” in over 100’ depth.  ‘Mean Gene the killing machine’ made the most of his situation, spearing a 70, 60 and 50 pound black grouper!  Crab trap lines are not only good current indicators, they’re an excellent visibility reference, and I was seeing the lines well into the deep green water.  I was feeling good about my decision to stay close in. 

I was cautious as I gave my pre-dive briefing, ‘the surface visibility looks great, and if it holds all the way to the bottom we’re going to have an awesome dive’.  As we started down the decent line I could tell there was a hazy layer of water over the bottom.  At 18 feet of depth I couldn’t see the bottom seven feet below me.  My spirits dropped much faster than I was, but then I slapped myself.  Yes it’s murky, and yes it’s cold (67f.), but I’m diving!  I gathered my students, signaling the importance of staying very close together and we set off putzing around the debris field at a slower pace than my usual slow pace.  Despite the conditions we saw a tremendous amount of life and enjoyed the dive (see last months article on the importance of a positive attitude and accepting the is-ness of the situation).

I ran seven miles to our second destination (a shrimp boat wreck I call Bubba) hoping to lose the haze.  It didn’t work, we were just a day or 2 short of having that murk settle and disappear.  There’s always next time.

Speaking of time, it sure seems to be going by fast.  Not sure if it’s my aging or the frantic pace of the world.  My kids seem to be growing faster than a dolphin (mahi-mahi, the fastest growing fish in the sea).  If you’ve ever considered scuba diving, don’t put it off.  Too many people get certified, fall in love with it, and wish they had taken it up earlier.  Though it’s never too late either, regardless of your age (minimum age for certification is 10) if you’re comfortable in the water (can swim 200 yards and float for ten minutes) you qualify.  At Scuba Marco we streamline and work with smaller groups to minimize the amount of valuable time you have to invest.  Check out www.scubamarco.com for complete details or give us a ring: (239) 389-7889.  My deadline is here so I’m out of time for this month.

Until next time, DIVE SAFE & STAY WET                              Capt. Jeff Dawson