Black Sheep Divers, Savannah, GA

From Gray's Reef NMS:

Under a new regulation that went into effect December 4th, 2011, the southern third of NOAA’s 22-square-mile Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is now a research area where scientists will be able to study the impact of human activities on the sanctuary’s marine resources. Fishing and diving are prohibited in the research area off the Georgia coast, but vessels are allowed to travel across the area as long as they don’t stop. Roughly eight-square-miles and relatively free of human activity, the research area will allow scientists to design and implement habitat studies where critical variables can be controlled over long periods of time.

The research area will serve as a place to study potential impacts from various activities on the sanctuary’s natural resources, including bottom fishing, as well as a place to monitor and study impacts of climate change, and natural events such as hurricanes and droughts.

 “The new research area provides a great opportunity to advance our understanding of the ocean and help ensure that special places like Gray’s Reef remain healthy for generations to come,” said George Sedberry, superintendent, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

 NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries received comments during a public comment period on the proposed research area from September to December 2010. The boundary option chosen for the research area was favored by most sanctuary users and is expected to displace a minimal number of sanctuary visitors.

Complete details of the new regulation can be found at http://graysreef.noaa.gov/management/research/pdfs/grnmsresearchareafeis.pdf.

Dive Report from Gene Miles of Scuba Service and Supply....thanks for keeping us in the loop on the conditions!

We left the dock at 7:30 AM under cloudy skies & a 3 to 5 knot wind. It looked iffy at best, but we will always at least run to the sea buoy before calling off the trip. Iffy was right! 3 to 4' seas at 4 seconds with a 2' wind wave! We could see a patch of sunshine off in the distance in a otherwise cloud filled sky, so we decided to take a chance. It took 2 hours running at 13 knots to reach that patch of sunshine that shone over the L-reef. It was nice to be in the sun again! It didn't last long though as the winds picked up to 15 knots & the seas were mostly 4 footers & confused! No turning back now, so I was now faced with the decision that occupied my mind all of the way here. Isotherm semi-dry or wet suit? Double wet suit was the outcome. 1 mil neoprene skin under a 5-4-3. I hate being cold.
The water was 65 & fairly clear. We were on a 9 foot tide, so the current was ripping! Hand over hand down the anchor line.
35 feet, whale snot so thick it stuck to everything! I knew then that vis had not cleaned up much, so I unloaded my gun & prepared to swim through the pea soup to un-hang the anchor & marker buoy.
Lo & behold, at 50 feet, the haze opened up to 20 feet vis! I could even see the wreck!
I reached the deck of the wreck & loaded my gun. Bait-fish were every where & so thick it was dis-orienting! As soon as they cleared out, I was staring at at least 15 BIG Gags all within 6 feet! Not moving. Just staring!
The back & forth surge was hard to compensate for at best as I was slammed into a bollard first & a stanchion next. I had to drop over the side, into the sand to load my gun. As I settled to the bottom, a large school of humongous Amberjack covered me up. I shot a big Gag, bagged it & saw a big Black Drum hanging around. I shot & missed but he stayed close. I had to load my gun on the deck, in the surge. Just as I reached for the second band, a surge wave knocked me over into the hold of the wreck. I fell 10 feet down into the sand. Vis was totally occluded by bait-fish. As they cleared out, I was faced down by a group of LARGE gags surrounding me & staring like they were sizing me up!
I started my ascent at 45 minutes.
Upon reaching the surface, after the second dive, seas were a little calmer, but the wind was relentless! I was cold after another 45 minute dive. Not cold in the water. Just cold at the surface. Isotherm time!
We steamed back in at around 18 knots. Back at the dock at 4:00.
The effects of our new fishing regulations were readily evident with the absence of boats. We never saw another boat out there. Both Black Sea Bass & Vermillion Snapper are in abundance, but are both closed. Our once vibrant charter fishing industry sits at the docks during the most productive season we have! Jobs lost! Our Coastal fishing communities are in severe decline fueled by archaic management methods that have no scientific basis other than biased government science!
Pay them enough money & they will produce a "scientific study" that reaches any conclusion that you desire!
Oh. well. that is another subject!
November & December are our best months for spearing, but also, unfortunately, coincides with football season & hunting season. Everyone that I called to go were either hunting or drinkin' some beers & watching some football!
I guess both are easier than diving, but for those willing to venture out, the fishing is GREAT!
We are trying to get a few divers for a Snapper Banks trip next weekend, so if you are interested, give me a call!
Thanks,
Gene

It looks like the dive season for many has pretty much come to a close for many people.  The waters are cooling down, and the air even more so.  But for a few local divers, things are just beginning to warm up!  The colder waters often bring in some great opportunities for spearfishing.  Those pesky barracuda migrate south for warmer water, and the large sheepshead leave the estuaries and start schooling in respectable numbers on the artificial reefs.  While winter diving in this area is not overly difficult, it does take a little more of a passion for diving.  The average winter water temperature is in the upper 50's making it a little chilly for your summer thermal protection.  I usually dive a 5/4 wetsuit with a thin core warmer underneath to help keep the water from moving around.  This works well till it hits the low-mid 50's, and any lower, I end up switching to my drysuit.  If you are interested in learning more about the pros and cons of drysuit diving, any one of the local dive shops can answer your questions, and even provide a drysuit certification if you are interested.  A great alternative to diving dry, is a semi-dry wetsuit.  These are usually made of crushed neoprene and have baffles at the openings to keep water entry and movement to an absolute minimum, many also come with waterproof zippers to assist in that goal as well.  They are a great compromise between warmth and ease of use.


Remember, just because winter is fast approaching, doesn't mean our local diving is done.  In fact, Waterdog Scuba is planning a lobster dive out of Jacksonville on November 26th.  Call them at 912-253-4354 to reserve your spot or for more information.  Cost is $150

Can you believe this awesome weather that we have been having???  Cool air, clear skies, calm seas....who could ask for more?  I know a few of our message board members were lucky enough to go offshore today, Gene Miles and crew went out to the Snapper Banks, and Ashley Tyree and his group took a charter out of Jacksonville, FL for some deep water lobster.  I look forward to getting some reports back, as the vis was really bad when I went out last week.  Hopefully this calm weather has allowed everything to settle back to the bottom where it belongs.

A couple of things that we are looking to do:
- Fall get-together, a cookout as a house or park, or at a restaurant...I think we are getting big enough now that we should all start getting to meet one another.  I know there are a few out in Hazlehurst, Blackshear and Tifton....so we may have to figure something out for them.

- Spring spearfishing tournament.  We would love to get one going.  Ashley Tyree has given me some good ideas to get started.  I'm thinking in May, right after Grouper opens back up.

If you think you can help with any

I was lucky enough to get a day off work to go do some diving with NOAA over in Gray's Reef NMS.  I was curious as to what the conditions might be since Hurricane Irene passed through the area a few days ago.  I figured that the viz would be a bit messed up, and boy was I right!!!  I'd say the best we had was 5'.  There was tons of brown flocculant suspended in the water, it made it look as thought it was snowing (if snow were brown, that is....).  On a brighter note...the jellyfish invasion that has been such a problem in the recent months has gone away....for now, anyways.  We ended up doing a total of 4 dives, all of them just long enough to complete the task we were assigned, as there wasn't much use in doing any sightseeing.  Hopefully things will improve in the upcoming weeks.  As I receive dive reports, I will be posting them up here.

Dive Report Courtest of Gene Miles - Scuba Service & Supply

I had a report from the Common area yesterday of 30 to 40 feet vis & no thermocline. Bottom temp of 78 degrees. Jelly-fish were thinning out but still there in respectable numbers. Some gags beginning to show up which gives us hopes that we will see a good fall season.

*The jellies are still on the artificial reefs & close in ledges, as well as being THICK on the beaches.

*The L-reef was reported to look good from the surface, but no-one dove to check out the conditions on the bottom.

*The Betsy Ross still has so many fishermen there that diving could be tough.

*Grays was reported to have 20 to 30 feet of vis last week.

* J-reef conditions are similar to the L.

* Conditions at the Chatham Aquatic Center were top to bottom vis & no jelly-fish!

Seas remain relatively flat for now, but will pick up later in the week as we start to feel the effects of Irene. That means that the first part of the week will be the last opportunity to get out for a week or two depending on the path of the storm.

Speaking of storms, we are in our afternoon thunder-storm pattern where storms are forming near the coast as dry,hot air from land meets the cooler air coming in from offshore. These storms can be very violent & laden with lightning, high winds & seas that can go from flat to 5' in a flash!. They can also be on you faster than you can recall your divers & get underway. Make sure all gear is properly stowed & strapped down. One loose Scuba tank can cause a lot of damage REAL fast! Pay close attention to tanks stowed in compartments, especially in the bow! Stuff whatever you can around them to keep them from bouncing.

In the mean time, check your gun bands & shock cords for wear & keep those spear-tips sharp! Our best diving is just around the corner!

Thanks

So if you were a member of the old board, you should have received an e-mail on the reasons for the change.  One of them is better interfacing with Facebook and other social media/e-mail sites.  Also, this new board is embedded directly in the main website, no linking to another subdomain.  This new format is much more streamlined, and will allow easier acess to more people.  The old board will be deactivated and deleted later on this week.  I want to thank Ashley Tyree and Waterdog Scuba for sponsoring the new board.  Check it out, hope you enjoy it.

BTW - I'm still planning on giving away a t-shit when 25 members are (re)signed up!

Please take a moment to check out the new sister website.  It's going to be a fairly static website meant for locals and out-of-towners alike to get some information about diving in Savannah.  It contains much of the same information that Blacksheepdivers.com contains, just in a more welcoming, colorful format.  Please take a moment to check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.divesavannah.com

We have 14 registered users on the new Black Sheep Divers message board!  Even though it's still small and slow, I encourage everyone to register and check back regularly.  Don't forget to tell your other dive friends to join us on the board as well as Facebook.

Also, when the board reaches 25 registered guests, a drawing will be held for a FREE T-SHIRT!!!!