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Florida East Coast Spearfishing Let's talk here about spearing on Florida's Atlantic coast. Reports and other issues about this region belong here.

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Old 10-07-2019, 10:35 PM   #1
Yamta
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Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Hey guys,


Texan spearo here making it out to the Singer Island area oct 25-29th to go do some shore diving. Trying to maximize the probability that we have good vis so we're thinking to hit these locations that aren't getting directly hit by shore currents/tides.

Our plan is to hit:
  • ocean reef park
  • sebastian inland state park
  • peck lake
  • dubois park
  • blue heron bridge
  • peanut island
  • cato's bridge
  • Key Biscayne

Anything we should add or subtract here? Anything closer to Miami or further south near Biscayne? Any general tips about diving the area? We're just wanting to see some cool fish, not really too fixated on spearfishing per-se, just wanted to make sure we see some cool sights and wildlife.
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Old 10-08-2019, 06:57 PM   #2
Johnoly
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Dove all of them but I'll just reply to your Cato request since you won't find any info on the internet how to dive it.

There is a lot of similarities in both BHB and Cato. They are just about a 1/2 mile from their inlets which provides plenty of clear water at high tide. They both harbor lots of small tropicals, cool stuff and the rocks have many places to hide. Use Protides to figure out the high tide time the day your are diving it. Link = https://www.tides.net/florida/1308/


But Cato is much harder. Since there is no island to protect you from the current, your dive window is shorter at 40 mins around high tide. 20 before and 20 after or you're headed for the inlet! Also there no fresh water showers, picnic benches, restrooms and not even a playground with Jungle Jim like BHB! Heck they only cut the grass when it's shoulder high. The charm is that you usually have the whole place to yourself.

You park your car on the westward down slope in the handful of spaces ahead of the bridge tender's car and suit up there. The guard rail pilings make a nice tank stand. Since its at the bottom of the hill, you cross over the opposite side guard rail and walk on the flat grass to the water, its pretty easy.







There is either a small beach entry 50ft south of the bridge you can see in this picture, or you can enter near the smooth concrete under the bridge.



The bridge is a draw bridge and it opens and closes while you are underwater every 30 minutes. Sounds pretty cool too, like a kinda soft whiney sound. The main support bridge looks like a giant concrete block in the above pictures. Go diving under it and it's totally different. Instead its a hollow cave underneath. The cave has 2 big 10ft square openings side by side. As I came up on it to look inside, a small nurse shark that must have been sleeping inside bolted out the other opening.

Have fun on your trip !!
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Old 10-09-2019, 07:43 AM   #3
Sea_Bass
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Here are a few more beach dive spots with decent viz:
Deerfield Beach Pier - South of the pier nice reef in 30-40ft
Pompano Beach Peir - North of the pier nice reef in 15ft
Lauderdale-by-the-sea - South of the pier 15-20ft
Oakland Park - Reef lines all the way out 10ft, 15ft, 20-25ft

Check the tides, beach cams, weather. If you have a GPS I host free numbers of every Florida artificial wreck on my website, below in the signature. Some are reachable as shore dives, I used to paddleboard out under the right conditions with a Garmin handheld on a suction mount. Some of the wrecks I paddled to from shore:
Copenhagen in Pompano beach
the tug in Boca Raton
Loftus in Delray
Green Roofs and Juno Pier rocks in Jupiter

There are more wrecks that you can beach dive but I haven't done them all.
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Old 10-09-2019, 10:11 PM   #4
TXBlueWaterRehb
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Hey Yamta, It sounds like you are really into diving and quite the spearo! I hope you really enjoy your trip to Florida and get great diving conditions and lots of action. I am a die hard spearo down here in South Padre Island, TX and have now started guiding hunts out to some of my local honey holes. We have some marvelous wrecks and reefs right off the beach that get really clear. Its especially clear most of the summer May-September but I am still diving now into October and hope to continue into December. It really only gets murky from January- March. Most of my good dive spots are in 50-70ft of water with structures coming up to 30-40ft. I run 25' twin engine panga boat that i restored and would to get you out sometime. I am always looking to make spearo buddies and am really cheap when a comes to a charter. Call me at 956-2four5-74zerozero sometime to chat! -George
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Old 10-09-2019, 10:24 PM   #5
TXBlueWaterRehb
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Lol just realized who you were! Feel like a dummy but I guess Texas is a small community. Goodluck diving the treasure cost, hope you score
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Old 10-12-2019, 10:07 AM   #6
Yamta
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Quote:
Originally Posted by TXBlueWaterRehb View Post
Lol just realized who you were! Feel like a dummy but I guess Texas is a small community. Goodluck diving the treasure cost, hope you score
Haha yeah it is small!


@Johnoly, thanks for the tips on Cato's Bridge. Sounds like it's too much of a pain in the ass to make it worth it for the 40 minutes of good vis!

@SeaBass, thanks so much for those suggested spots. We'll definitely add a few of those to our list!!
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Old 10-16-2019, 11:49 AM   #7
SEA_ARCHER
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Yamta, just to be clear katos bridge can have good viz for 4-6+ hours. If The ocean water is not stirred up you will have good viz there for 4 hours or more each tide cycle. Clear water starts moving in about 2 hours after low tide and will last until 2-3 hours after high tide. Johnnoly was refering to a short window of slack tide. If you don't mind snorkling during the times when current is moving then you can have a fun dive there. It is illegal to spear within 300ft of katos bridge though so just sightseeing.
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Old 10-17-2019, 01:45 PM   #8
Muay Thai
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

It's illegal to spear Pecks lake. From Stuart inlet to 4.9 miles south & 1.4 miles offshore.

Scott
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Old 10-18-2019, 08:06 AM   #9
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Re: Texan looking for a good time on the Treasure Coast

Although illegal to spear at Pecks, it is legal to dive for lobsters and if you are experienced at shore diving you have the possibility of catching some nice bugs there. If we keep having these west winds and north current you might have some good viz there as well.
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