Diving the Treasure Coast during the month of August is one of the best kept secrets in our area—80-foot visibility and 80-degree water are standard this month and since seas should remain calm, clear water can also be expected at most dives spots in the region. Don’t let releases from Lake Okeechobee deter you from diving—the ocean is still awesome
Light winds and calm seas should hold through the month allowing for clear water to continue for much of the local area, but it’s still wise to watch tides if diving close to shore. Beach visibility maybe hindered at low tide since wave action is more likely to stir sediments up into the water, but while the water is deeper, vis is usually better. Also, since much of the damaging impacts of the large freshwater releases from the St. Lucie Inlet are limited to the Intracoastal Waterway and only just a few miles outside the inlet, an incoming tide will push the runoff back inshore and allow for clear water from offshore to fill in.
While there’s no question these large releases are detrimental to the health of aquatic ecosystems, especially inshore estuaries, many incorrectly assume their effect is consistent throughout all coastal waters. Once in the ocean, effects of freshwater diminish quickly allowing many dive sites to remain unaffected. For example, freshwater tide lines can extend up to two-to-three-miles around the mouths of the inlets, but many popular dive sites are five-to-eight-miles or more offshore. These dive sites in deeper water will remain unaffected since they are far enough out to feel any affects; many divers know that once they clear the tide water vis returns to normal.
Many locals who may have skipped the mad rush during mini-season may time their first dive trip in August to coincide with opening day of lobster season after the dust settles. Everyone wants to know where to find their first bug and despite being hotly guarded secrets there are a few go-to places where lobsters have been caught in years past. Shallow is sometimes better with many ten-pounders grabbed just off the north jetty of the Fort Pierce Inlet. Bathtub Reef and the shallow artificial reefs off Jensen Beach known as the ‘mitigation reefs’ or ‘Nearshore A, B, and C’ on MartinReefs.com, are also great places to check either off the beach or from a boat.
FORECAST BY: Steve Wood
Deep Six Watersports – Stuart
(772) 288-3999 Stuart
(772) 562-2883 Vero
Email: Steve.wood@deepsix.com
Website: www.deepsixintl.com
