Located at Phil Foster Park on Blue Heron Blvd, right under Blue Heron Bridge, you will find one of the best shore dive sites in America. If you decide to SCUBA Dive there, you are very likely to see octopus, barracudas, frogfish, arrow crabs, moray eels, sea horses, angelfish, and many more types of sea life. So let me give you a few pointers to ensure your dive will be a memorable one.
1. Arrive Early
Blue Heron Bridge is a very popular location for SCUBA instruction and recreational diving. If you want to SCUBA Dive there you should arrive at least 3 hours before your planned dive. Why so early? Because many others will plan to be there early enough to find a parking spot – really, it is that popular. The Park is open from sunrise to sunset. There have been times when I arrived there right at sunrise and the park filled up within an hour. But the best time to get there will also depend on the season, time of High Tide, and day of the week.
It’s almost impossible to find parking at BHB during school breaks and holidays. I avoid diving there during these days as the park will fill to capacity very quick.
2. Best Time to Dive
If you are diving, you need to be geared up and in the water 30 minutes before High Tide. This is “slack time”, meaning times when the current flow will likely stop and when visibility should be at its best. No matter how precise the tide tables might me, there is always a chance that there will be a strong current due to factors like heavy rain. And there are times when you may encounter hundreds of jellyfishes in the water, so personally I highly recommend wearing some sort of protective suit – I wear a 3 mil wetsuit. Always be prepared for this and be prepared to call the dive if conditions are not safe.
3. Stay out of the Boat Channel
If you get in the channel there is a very good chance you will be run over by a boat and there is plenty of boat traffic. The channel is clearly marked. This is one reason why use of a dive flag is required. Diving or snorkeling in the channel can easily get you kicked off Blue Heron Bridge.
4. Use a Dive Flag
This is not a “should”, it’s a “MUST”. You can be fined or kicked out of the water by a lifeguard. More important, I have seen boats stop very close to the east bridge – this way they can see that there is a diver below nearby.
5. Facilities
There are 2 bathrooms at Phil Foster Park. One is located close to the entrance to the park on the east side. The other is on the west side near the fishing pier. In my opinion, these are not kept up nicely – at times it’s quite gross. Not a put down, just sharing from my experience having visited the park over 20 times over the past few years.
6. Accessibility
There are handicapped parking places at Blue Heron Bridge. However, if you are on a wheelchair, there is no direct access to the water. The only way to accomplish this would be to perform an assisted carry to the water’s edge or use a wheelchair with wheels thick enough to travel on the sand. If you are a disabled SCUBA Diver and would like to snorkel or dive at Blue Heron Bridge please let me know – I can get a group of buddies to help you.
7. Overall
Even with the dirty bathrooms – Blue Heron Bridge is an amazing place to visit. I hope you will find this article useful and I hope you enjoy the photos I am posting from my visit a few weeks ago. Dive safely!