Broward Beach Conditions

  • I wanted to start this thread to provide spearin conditions in my area. I will try to update it every day I'm out..:)
    Other spearos that can contribute to this thread for this area please feel free to do so.:)
    Hope this helps.
    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited once, last by hau ().

  • Out late today and onto the beach at 0900.
    Wind was light, maybe 5-10 out of the North.
    Seas also light, maybe 1 ft or so.
    Viz was 40ft+
    Current also out of the North at 3mph!!


    Good day to drift from North to South.
    Lots of 12 inch pink jelly fish.
    Lots of fish activity in 30fsw.
    I'm wearin a 3mm ok but was only in the water for 2 hours.
    Good morning to yak/shore dive!
    Lots of beach buns!:D


    I see right now if I'm going to try to give accurate condition reports that I'll need some equipment to measure current, water / air temp., etc. Lo siento, I'll do better next time
    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 2 times, last by hau ().

  • hau, great thread and much appreciated. Does this mean all your fish pics you will post here?


    No te preocupes about measuring instruments :) an estimate is just fine as if there's something so extreme that is prohibitive of diving for someone I'm sure it will be evident from your report.


    How far north and south in Broward do you range?


    BTW are you breaking your own recommendation as it seems most of the time estas buceando solo? :D Looking forward to your reports.

  • seahunter49,
    1. Yes, I hardly ever dive with someone. Not good.:crazy:
    2. I shore/yak dive from Haulover to Lyods? Park mainly, but venture South on invitation to 77th St area.:)
    3. I'll get a ss themoter for water and air temp. I can just throw the GPS in the water [in dry pak] to get current /drift speed.
    4. Where would fish pictures be best, as I wanted this thread to be about spearin conditions?
    4. Did I start this thread wrong? I thought this was supposed to be a private area. Gracias


    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited once, last by hau ().

  • Pictures would be best anywhere! I was thinking that since you're concentrating on conditions here we may never see a pic from you as there's little point to starting another report thread with pics if you already have the conditions report here.


    This is a private section after the first post.

  • Gracias.
    If I ever get any nice fish I'll post to another thread as I wanted this thread to be a thread where a spearo could go to, to quickly see current divin conditions in my area.
    Gracias for the private thread.
    OK, done for the day.
    Happy Thanksgiving all.
    hau

  • today was perfect.
    Onto beach at 8;45
    Wind light, 5mph from NW.
    Seas light, 1 ft or less.
    Viz aprox 35ft at 10;20. Decreased to 25ft at 1pm
    Current from N at 2.8mph at 10;20 and switched to
    South at aprox 1pm
    Water temp at 30 fsw 76


    Lots less jellies
    Lots less fish due to dolphins and birds workin todays spot 3/4 mile off shore.
    6ft Manta came to check me out and circled me for 5 min. Way cool.
    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 3 times, last by hau ().

  • on the beach time; 0745
    wind; out of the South at 12 and building
    seas; 2-3 ft 3/4 mile off and building
    viz; 35fsw and decreasing later on the dive
    current; 3knts from S to N in am
    water temp.; 74
    air temp; at 0730 was 64


    pretty rough seas for an old man and yak today
    less fish today a 35fsw than yesterday
    lost no gear coming back onto beach with 2ft waves into beach!:)
    gotta go clean fish

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited once, last by hau ().

  • I didn't question hau's numbers because I don't know how the strength of a current translates into numbers. For me any current that I can't swim into without tiring myself out means turn around and go the other way. I'd like to have a better gauge of current in terms of numbers so as to be able to make use of such a report.

  • I've experienced that at various times. A most memorable time was once at the pyramids, I think Greekdiver was with us that day. I had to swim to another boat anchored nearby and was so exhausted when I got there I asked them to call Sergio's boat over. This very strong current lasted about an hour. Then again maybe I'm just not a strong swimmer and that particular current was weaker and wouldn't keep another diver in place. Sergio never seems to have a problem with these currents :) Hence my desire to correlate my ability with the actual numbers. BTW I find that often the current off Miami dies down after 11am.

  • Nice data hau - it will be interesting to compare to NOAA or W underground forecast.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Autocross Junkie

  • Rolo,- I'm just a spearo trying to be helpful. I do not have any oceanology equipment so to try to get an accurate current speed I use my handheld GPS in its drypk. It takes 4oz [I think] of lead on the drypk string to get it below the surface. I turn it on, drop it in the water and drift beside it without touching it until it gives a pretty consistant speed number. I doubt that it is 100% accurate, but it is the best information I can provide with what I have to work with. I am open to any suggestions.:)


    seahunter49- Yes, 11am seems to be about the time that the current slackens and perhaps changes direction. Maybe like a coastal tide/current change?
    We as freedivers are very lucky regarding swimming in current. To appreciate this go freedive with scuba divers in current. With all that scuba gear on it is very tough to swim against any current. We used to arm ourselves with 2 big dive knives to do scuba river dives in the St. Laurance river. You would FLY along the bottom until you saw something interesting, stab 1 knife into the bottom and the current would spin you around face up current then stab the other knife into the bottom and hang on.:D


    TurboRon-Gracias.
    Good idea about also using NOAA and others. Those sites are good, but seldom gave me direct information about my exact area. Viz and current seem to vary considerabaly within a short distance. What I was trying to do was 'provide on the ground recon'. I also use live beach cams like the one seahunter49 posted, before I even decide to go to the water. If I remember correctly, somewhere here there is beach cam sites listed. If you cannot locate them let me know and I'll post them [even the ones I view in Puerto Rico].
    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 9 times, last by hau ().

  • seahunter49,
    I know what you mean about not being able to get back to the boat against current. That is exactly what happened to my 84yr old freediver friend. Fighting current claimed a lady wreck diver this year in the Keys. As Rolo has said, just a 3knot current is like swimming in place. I learned years ago doing wreck diving on scuba to use a "current line". Some wreck diving is done with the dive boat anchored, as in the Keys. A good example is the Duane which has 3 anchor bouys. 1 at each end and 1 in the middle. The dive boats race to the wrecks in hopes of getting the most up current bouy for several reasons. The biggest advantage to getting the most up current bouy is that they do not have to pick up other boats divers that get blown down current. The most down current dive boat has the unstated responsibility of watching for all divers down current, not just their own divers.
    If there is any current when I dive, I do 1 of 2 or both. For lighter current days I just throw a 200ft poly line off the back of the yak. Of course poly because it floats. On days with more current I use the current line and a swing line. A swing line is a poly line attached to the anchor. This swing line is a common system used by search and rescue, research and very poor viz divers. It is called a swing line because the diver [mostly scuba divers] can desend and hold the swing line and swing a circle around the anchor until they come 360 deg back to the start point. Let out line then swing 360 deg again. I have a knot tied every 10ft on my swing line for a distance reference.

    Hope this helps
    hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 2 times, last by hau ().

  • Sweet tips Hau !- I have a poly line too for that exact purpose, but don't always use it. Thanks for reminding me to use it more often if not always.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Autocross Junkie

  • 12-5-08, on the beach at 0800
    Wind n-ne at 6
    Current from n at 1.3
    Viz top to bot in 40fsw
    Seas 1f
    Water temp 75


    some small man o wars, biggest at aprox 8in
    1 14in trigger today, thats all
    seems like eveything changes on these beach dives. At the 0800 the conditions were as above, but by the time I get out at 1200, the wind and current has switched and the viz has dropped to 1/2 of what it was at the beginning of the dive. Today is a good example. When I quit today the wind had changed to s-se at maybe 6.5-7 and the current was now s to n at maybe .5.


    Hau

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 3 times, last by hau ().

  • today looks like a very good day:)
    good luck all


    on the beach at 0900
    wind 8 mph from South
    seas 1.5-2 on the way back in at 230pm
    viz was 35ft in 40fsw at 0930
    current starting out was from North, then switched to from the South at aprox 1030 [in 40fsw]
    water temp 75


    yak surfed back to the beach at 2;30pm:D
    only got 1 14in hog and 1 29in cero
    pink jellies but no man o wars

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 3 times, last by hau ().

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