July marks the peak of awesome summertime dive conditions in South Florida and is the best time of the year to experience what the Treasure Coast area has to offer. Lobster season is right around the corner too and with calm seas and good visibility, divers will have plenty of opportunities to head offshore.
Just as calm seas and hot weather is the norm this time of year, so too are summer rains and unfortunately storm water runoff from the local area and Lake Okeechobee. Devastating as this is for inshore waters, many are surprised to learn the effects are less apparent offshore. Outgoing tides carry this dirty water out local inlets, but usually only just a few miles. Once outside of the tide water and visibility returns to normal and top to bottom days are still common. In past months where discharges are at their peak, divers report clean water as long as they are offshore and away from the inlet.
July also marks the return of the annual tradition of lobster mini season. Always falling on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, mini season is considered an annual tradition for many in South Florida. Dive shops have extended hours during the two-day sport season and some diehards even take off work. Experienced divers will focus on scouting spots and ensuring equipment is in good working order while rusty divers should look into refreshing dive skills before heading out on the hunt at the end of the month. Specific whereabouts of these tasty critters become closely guarded secrets this time of year but in general there are a few go-to places on the Treasure Coast where lobster are common. The shallow reefs just outside of the Fort Pierce and St. Lucie inlets are great places to look for an easy catch but become picked over very quickly on opening day. For best odds in these areas, many divers plan ‘midnight madness’ trips to clean up during the first few minutes of the season before anyone else has a chance to dive the area. Offshore sites, like the Loran Tower area or the Six-Mile Reef out of Stuart, hold plenty of bugs and scouting trips are common a few days ahead to maximize chances of catching a limit.
July is a great time of year to dive and provided tropical activity remains low, conditions should be spectacular. Whether it’s offshore or off the beach, the summer dive season is here.
[easy-social-share]
