Diving or Digging in Florida?

[southern Maine diver]

[8|]

Hey everybody...

I'll be bringing my diving gear down to Florida with me over the Christmas Holiday. I'm going to do a couple of shark tooth dive charters in Venice Beach. I'll be down there from 12/20 to 12/30 Is there anyone who might know of a good place to try to dive for bottles? I won't mind the gators or snakes...

If I can't find someone to dive (or dig) with, than I'll have to spend the rest of my time in New Port Richey at my in-laws condo at the pool or a Crabby Bills eating oysters!!!

If you have any suggestions for diving or digging while I am down there, let me know... maybe we can hook-up and find some bottles. I don't know what its' like to dive in warm water anymore... the water temp here in Southern Maine is 44 degrees and I'm still in my wetsuit! Everyone else has switched over to their drysuits... wussies...Ha Ha

Look forward to hearing from anyone,
Thanks

Wayne[]

 

[ronvae]

Drysuit muck diving is for WUSSIES!!!!???? [] Huh. You're just jealous 'cuz we have bladder control![] Just kidding. [8D]

The guys I dive with used to bottle dive off Key West & found awesome bottles, but now the area is so built up, that there really isn't access to any of the good sites they knew of, and/or there is access, but the traffic is way too insane.

It wouldn't hurt to e-mail a couple of dive charters down there & ask if they know of any good bottle sites, and/or if they ever do "bottle dives" specifically. Even if you planned on just shore diving solo for the most part, if some shop was really helpful, you could do a one day charter as a way of saying thanks.

 

[capsoda]

Hey Wayne, Try to get some one to take you digging/diving around Tampa. They got a lot of stuff in the water there and neat cobalt drug store bottles from an Ybor { pronounced Ebor } City druggest. Was stationed there at MacDill AFB in the 70s. I would invite you here but its 400mi from Port Richey and I don't dive anymore. There are three Civil War forts here and two in Al. pretty near here and two large bays full of stuff. What the hay we can't win everytime.

 

[southern Maine diver]

[&:]

Hi RonVae...

Didn't mean to suggest that you guys down there were wussies... The guys I dive with up here jumped into their drysuits when the water temp got below 55!! I stay in my wetsuit until it gets around 43 - 42 degrees which is just around the corner. I'm inmy suit most of the day and the neckseal on that drysuit just kills me!!

Thanks forthe suggestions about the dive stores, I'll look a few up on the internet and see what they will tell me. Nice to hear from you,

Wayne[]

 

[southern Maine diver]

[&:]

Morning Warren...

Thank you for getting back to me. Now I wish I was going to Alabama for vacation! It sounds like you have some promising sites to check out. I'd love to stop by, but I don't think my wife would be very happy with me if I didn't spend some time with her, the kids and the in-laws. A day trip would be fine, but I think the 400 mile trip would be a little too much to ask for. Maybe I could put that one on my Christmas wish list and get to go some time this winter?? I always have my dive bag packed!! Thanks.

Wayne

It never rains underwater

 

[ronvae]

I certainly didn't take offense--was just messing with you. [] I'm from Minnesota & we dive all year 'round--weekly until ice, then we cut a hole in it at least once, then we all try to go on vacations.

My buddies used to camp in Florida once a year to bottle dive. Their sites aren't good anymore, but I bet the locals know of more. I went to Puget Sound in Washington & I asked a dive charter if they ever went bottle hunting, & they rattled off 7 or 8 good sites, and said for a minimum of 7 divers who were interested, they would do "bottle site only" days. So, I figure if they do it in Washington, maybe Florida, too?

Anyway, have a good time!

 

[southern Maine diver]

RonVae...
Thanks for the info on the diving... I can't wait to get down there and relax a little bit...
Maybe this is something we can arrange in the future... I know there is a lot of interest in bottle diving... there is all kinds of stuff down there underwater. I know that I love it and so do my two friends I dive with... we all share the appreciation of the glass and the effort that goes into the search and recovery of the item. Is it Just like diggin a privy???

There certainly is something special about finding it underwater though... Most of the waters that I dive, I don't have anyone looking over my back or telling me that this is private property... There is more of a feeling of freedom, I don't need to ask permission...I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying or not. It's just a bit different. Not that I wouldn't ask permission to dive in a private pond... you know what I mean?

Wayne

It never rains underwater...

 

[ronvae]

Yup--I bottle dive every Sunday...live for it! But I don't think the freedom will last forever. On the one hand, everybody wants us to clean out garbage when we dive--modern trash, batteries, even broken glass & dangerous construction waste & chemical containers...on the other hand, some people get angry & claim we're "stealing" when we keep any of the garbage we find in public waters. Really burns me up. They are lobbying for more & more laws to stop divers from bringing anything up, IF it is in any way attractive to any human being.

I understand that in any waters designated "park"--by any state, country, city, town, tribe, etc...I can't touch. I also understand I can't touch anything in the debris field of any wrecked ship (defined as able to carry any sized-boat). I also understand I can't touch anything in any underwater space designated either historic, or archeological, by anyone at all. I further understand if the land bordering the water is all private, I need permission to dive at all, and additional permission to bring anything up. I follow all those rules. BUT, if I use a public access to go into a divesite that nobody else ever dives, and there are no wrecks, and among the batteries, shingles, diet coke cans, and pesticide containers, I locate, in the muck, and old bottle that was trash when it went in, and I'd like to keep it....then I'm gonna keep it!!!! Ok, sorry, that was my soapbox.

But bottle diving on it's own, you bet--it is magical! I'm laying on the bottom, digging in a silt-out, and I feel: "manmade"! "glass"! "Unbroken"! "embossed"! Then I pull it up, run my glove over it, and if it feels old, put it in a pocket or bag, and dig like hell to see if I've hit the top of an old trashpile....when I've got as much as I can find, I surface.....hang onto my float...and look....and THEY'RE AQUA! All my endorphins blow & I'm a happy camper! My bottles are all shined up & displayed on my built-in oak buffet, and frankly, it's the classiest corner in my house. Then I get to research it, which is good for hours more fun...

Have fun in Florida, & I've got my fingers crossed that you find some good stuff! []

 

[capsoda]

Pat for Pres !!! We have the same problem here too. They don't want it but you can't have it. Everyone here thinks if your digging your looking for gold and its theirs. And the Historical District weiners and University thieves want the whole state for own private play ground. I better stop while I'm ahead. Just keep having fun.

 

[southern Maine diver]

[]

Morning Pat...

I'm with Warren... Pat for President! I like how you think and you sure have a way with words!

I've only run into a couple of people that got on the "that belongs to the state" bandwagon and I explained the same thing to them... this was trash that was thrown away years ago. If it was clear, common & worthless than there was no problem, when it was a nice Stoddard 1/2 pint double Eagle, it was a different story... oh well.

I'll keep diving and collecting until I can't dive anymore! Have a great day.

Wayne

It never rains underwater...