August 7, 2021
by Crystal Ward
The morning looked promising as we left the dock with very little wind and low humidity. The day turned out to be a near perfect day on the Atlantic Ocean! It was a rare treat that we crave all season long....calm ocean conditions, warm weather without dying from the heat, and nice diving conditions. This was the day!
One of my favorite treats is to watch the sunrise come up over the ocean. Look at this beautiful site as we prepared to leave the dock:
Me & Matt as we left the dock
Sunrise over Barnegat Bay as we headed out to the Atlantic Ocean
Our destination on this day was a low lying wreck at approximately 115' depth. While I stayed topside to provide dive support and enjoy the perfect surface conditions, the guys started making preparations to dive. With a low lying wreck, John decided to use the sand anchor instead of the grapnel hook which is easier since there's no tie in or popping the hook needed.
Check out the calm ocean conditions. This is John getting the anchor ready over the dive site, which was approximately 20 miles from the inlet.
Randy up on the bow, ready to throw the anchor
Matt hanging out as we prepared to throw the anchor
Due to all the dive gear needed for NJ diving, it can get pretty hot while getting dressed. On our boat, the diving version of "ice bucket challenge" works well to cool a diver off before they finish getting ready to splash. And ever since the one time I threw the bucket of water in his face instead of pouring it slowly over his head, he insists on doing it himself! hahahaha!
On this day, the guys reported really good dive conditions. We had hoped for better visibility due to the distance from shore, but that's the way it goes. Sometimes it can be 50' - 60' and other times it's the standard Jersey 10' - 15'.
I couldn't resist the call of the water and had to jump in for a swim!
John's total BUG catch for the day was 3: one HUGE BUG (biggest caught on our boat yet) and a few regular size (about 1.5 - 2 pounds each). We took them over to my in-law's and had a nice BBQ! In my opinion, cooking on the grill is the best way to eat lobsters! Throw on a few ears of fresh Jersey corn, some potatoes with garlic and rosemary, and a garden salad turns it into a royal feast!
Dive Conditions:
Distance from shore: 20 miles
Depth: 115'
Surface visibility: 40'
Bottom visibility: ~15'
Surface water temperature: 73 F
Bottom water temperature: 58 F
We hope you enjoy our pictures and short video below from this amazing day on the ocean shared with our good friends Randy & Matt! There's nothing better than sharing these experiences with friends!
Video link:
John added extra line to the anchor due to the depth and the long scope he wanted to let out for extra holding power.
John's HUGE BUG!!
Matt couldn't believe how BIG it was!
More pics of John with his BIG CATCH
The claw was bigger than John's hand!
Cooking up the bugs on the grill
Dinner's ready!
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