January 19, 2017 - Poor visibility at Snappers and Molasses Reef

Surface condition were fine, but visibility was very poor at Snappers Ledge where we stopped first.  It was hard to get our bearings in the poor visibility - probably around 25-30'  Unusual current direction.  Not a very interesting dive. One good shot of a large ball of grunts.

For our 2nd dive we head further east to Molasses Reef.  We tied up in the deeper portion.  Lots of current from the WSW, very hard to swim against.  You had to be careful to swim against the current going out and not drift past your boat on the way back.  We saw a dive boat out rounding up divers way down current from their entry point.  Again, visibility was poor.  Water temps was 75.  I did capture some decent images and videos of a porcupine fish.

YouTube video of Porcupine Fish

French and Molasses Reefs - Jan 5th and 6th.

French Reef- January 5, 2017

After our Benwood Dive on Jan 5th, Dave and I headed about 1 mile West to dive French Reef.  We picked the Sand Cave site.  Visibility was not great, but acceptable.  Not great conditions for videography, but I did capture some decent stills.

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Cards Anyone?

We did come across a patio table and chair set on the sand bottom ready for an underwater card game.

Molasses Reef - January 5th and 6th 2017

The next day again brought quiet seas so Dave and I did 2 dives at Molasses Reef.  Water temp was 75 and visibility was moderate.  A beautiful day to be on the water.  Captured some good stills as you can see below.  Our on last dive, Dave saw some monofilament line in the water.  When he grabbed it, it become taut and he realized there was a barracuda on the other end!

Click below to watch video of the 3 dives

Diving the Benwood Wreck in Key Largo - January 5, 2017

Finally had a day for diving!  Dave and I decided to head out to the Benwood Wreck since it was quite calm.  Its a 12 mile run, so we don't dive this site often.  Winds were about 5-6 knots, water temp was 75 degrees.

The Benwood was a 285-foot 1910 English-built ship which sank in 1942 off Key Largo. She now lies in 25-55 feet of water.  She collided with another ship while running without lights during a WWII blackout.  After decades of being underwater, the ship's hull is covered with coral and the site is teaming with fish.

Much of the hull plating was pulled off and discarded during salvage attempts.  The wreck now is protected as part of the Marine Sanctuary.  

During today's dive we encountered large schools of fish by the hull plates and a nurse shark cruising through.  

Please click the link below to watch a 2 1/2 minute highlight video of the dive.

My son Scott and I dive Molasses Reef

December 15, 2016

Scott, along with two other executives from the bank joined me in the Keys for a brief planning retreat, with a little recreation along the way.  Of course seas were calm the day before they came as well as the day they arrived. Then the winds began to freshen - Scott and I got out diving before it got out of hand.  With winds 10-12 knots from the north, we headed out to Molasses Reef with Chuck D. who was going to snorkel while we dived.  A little bumpy ride, but with winds  being out of the north we didn't face big rollers and the reef provided some protection.  By the end of our dive the wind had subsided to 8 knots and it was very pleasant.  78 degrees and sunny and 77 degree water.  We tied up in the shallow area of the reef so Chuck could snorkel.

Click link above to view YouTube video of this dive.

Scott and I saw a lot of fish, nice coral and encountered  a nurse shark as well as an eel and some nice angel fish.  Captured some decent images.  Click on photos below to cycle the gallery.

Sharks and Turtle Up Close!

Dave R. and I again headed out to Molasses Reef when the winds subsided on Wednesday, December 7th.  Ended up with excellent conditions 0-2 knot winds and little current.  Visibility was pretty good too.  We decided to explore the southwestern area of the reef.  With 29 mooring buoys, its a large reef and I haven't dived this section much.  1st dive was at a buoy marked 2, but I think it was missing a number - should have been around 21 or 22.  We encountered lots of fish, more than usual and came across 2 nurse sharks.  Dave managed to briefly touch one before it fled.  Also some nice Angelfish and Filefish.

On the 2nd dive we moved to Buoy #20 a little further to the SW.  We first swam SW and didn't find a lot of structure, then we came to some good tall coral heads and walls and came across a resting Green turtle.

We then explored more to the west and north where the reef was better.  Again lots of fish!  When we came up, the sea was dead calm and the current non existent.  Its hard to quit when conditions are like that!

At the very edge of the reef we did find a broken mooring rope.  Hopefully someone's boat didn't drift off while they were diving.  Often the result of poor mooring habits, I always try and check the condition of the lines before I head away from the boat. I hope this never happens to me.

Click the link below to see a 3 minute video of the dive.

Fall diving a challenge with breezy conditions

I got out for 1 brief dive on November 12th after waiting days for the winds to subside, then they came back up again.  After returning from a trip up North for Thanksgiving, I found conditions again quite breezy with 15-20 knots blows.  Finally on Friday December 2nd we had a very brief respite from the constant winds.  Dive Buddy Dave Rufft and I headed out to Molasses for a dive.  Unfortunately as we were preparing to depart, the breezes freshened again and we were greeted with NE winds of 12-13 knots.  After a bumpy ride out where the rollers where coming in at cross directions to the wind blown waves, we arrived at Molasses to find a current from the west leading to even more confusing seas!  Visibility was not the best, but it was good to get in the water again.  I sighted a nurse shark as we descended and then a reef shark near the end of the dive.  Lots and lots of barracuda and I captured a decent video of a Green Moray Eel.  Total dive time was 57 minutes.  I had lots of problems getting the LCD view screen on my GoPro to work.  I will have to find the cause as its hard to work without it.

Christmas Tree Worms

Click for a brief video from 12-3-16 DIve at Molasses Reef In Key Largo.

Back in the saddle again (that would be diving)

Bob and I made our annual dive trip to the Keys on Saturday.  After delays in travel - we arrived around 2 am Sunday.  We were greeted with decent weather Sunday, but couldn't get the boat from the Marina until afternoon.  We got a dive in on Conch Reef before the weather turned on us.  Monday it rained most of the day, but we found a window between storms late in the afternoon and got a dive in at Snappers.  Both were decent dives, but nothing spectacular.  Click through below to see some photos of the dives.

Final dive of the season - May 18, 2016

May 2016 -For the last few days we have been visited by a large spotted eagle ray and what would appear to be her offspring.  This morning three small spotted eagle rays came swimming by in formation and circled numerous times under our dock.  Quite the sight - they are so graceful.

Spotted Eagle Rays swimming in formation.

May 18, 2016  -After a few windy days, Ed and I tried for once last time to get out to Molasses Reef. His son Ben had headed back north a few days earlier and this was the last chance for Ed and me.   Once again we found an extremely strong current.  My neighbor also had reported strong current when he went out a few days previous.  I have never experienced this much current for this period of time.  It was strong enough that it would take a strong swim just to hold yourself in place in the water.  Not a safe environment for snorkelers  like Ed.  A diver can sometimes find different current below and get some relief with protection behind the reef walls.  You know the current is strong when you find the buoys and boats up wind instead of down wind.  So once again we headed to Pickles.  Although its only 1 mile away from Molasses, there was no current.  I startled a shark and also found a nice Balloon fish.  Check out the video below.

Brief video with Balloonfish, Eel and Nurse Shark

Final Florida Trip of the Season- May 15th Dives

May 15 -My last trip of the season, to close up the house for the hurricane season (starts June 1st) and put the boat away, was a little early this year.  I enlisted friend Ed Ranson to spend a few days in the Keys and then help me close up and drive the car back to Minnesota.  I arrived on May 11th and Ed and his son Ben came on May 14th.  We managed to head out to the reef so I could dive and Ed and Ben could snorkel.  The weather was hot and humid with water temps near 80.  Perfect weather to spend a day at sea!  We headed out to Molasses Reef, the best spot for snorkelers.  However, the current was extremely strong and unsafe, so we aborted and headed to a nearby shallow reef.  The conditions at the Pickle Barrel wreck section of Pickles Reef were great.  Light chop, no current.  This site contains remains of a ship wreck, including cement ballast that was at one time contained in pickle barrels - hence the name of the site.  I captured some decent video as seen below:

A video of Sundays dive at Pickles Reef - Buoy #3 -Barrel wreck

For the 2nd dive of the day, we headed 1/4 of a mile SW to Snappers Ledge.  As expected it was full of fish and also sharks and a sting ray.  Ben and Ed elected not to snorkel, as its a little deep here, but I coaxed Ed in at the end of the dive to see the Sting Ray.  I think you will enjoy the video of this dive.

This video is about Snappers Ledge - May 15 2016