Reef questions!
sammy2189
Posts: 998 Officer
Okay so is there any website that I can locate reefs,wrecks, structure etc from public numbers. I want something like some kind of chart so I know which one are close to me . In example I live in north beach . And like most of you know I just purchased a kayak so I wanna see if there are any public number reefs close by that I can just launch my yak in the water and I can peddle to . I live on 80ish and Collins. And I'll like some kind of wreck that less then a mile out. Also maybe any kind on the bay side that are public . Also how do you read them number to locate them. Sorry I know I'm a noob to all this and I plan on buying a gps just not right this second. For now I'm gonna just buy navionics on my iPhone
Hobie outback
Replies
most all the numbers are going to be lat/lon, so without a GPS its going to be dead-reckoning, and could be a challenge.
if you find a wreck you want to check out in the area you are looking at, you can go on a saturday and there 'might' be a boat or two already fishing it, and then you'll know right where it is.
FYI, you certainly don't have to be right on a wreck to find fish. ask any diver and they will tell you that 75% of the fish are 'near' the wreck, but not 'on' the wreck. even groupers, which everyone thinks live deep in holes, like to get out and swim around in their front yard instead of being stuck in the house all the time.
another option is just heading out to the tackle shop and 'studying' the paper charts they have there.
cheers
drew
http://www.thiswaytothe.net/reefs/floridasatlanticreefs.shtml
Lat 25.81388333
Lon 80.17
Didn't even know they had one here gonna have to check me out.
Wanna take me fishing I have my own yak:)
lat, or latitude are the lines on the globe, or a map, that run left and right (or east to west). they measure how far north or south something is. the numbers get bigger as you go north. the equator is 0.00000, and the north pole is 90.0000 N
so if you find a wreck at LAT 25.1111111, and one that is at lat 25.1111112, the larger number is farther north.
lon, or longitude are the lines that run up and down on the globe, or a map. they measure east and west. the farther east you go, the numbers get smaller. so, if you find a wreck at LON 80.170, and one at 80.175, the one that has the larger number is closer to the beach (in our area, in this example). the farther out you go, the smaller the numbers get.
also, you will find people referring to the numbers as "the top number", and "the bottom number". in almost all cases, the lat is the top, and the lon is the bottom.
to find these numbers on a map or chart, there will be numbers shown in degrees along the top, which will be the same as the bottom. and numbers along the left, and right. all these are in degrees (latitude and longitude are degrees--like an angle, not a temperature).
in between those degrees there will be smaller numbers--these are the decimals.
if you look at a chart from your area, you should see along the top, 79……80…..81. or something like that.
along the left side there should be 24…..25…..26. all with a degrees symbol. there are most likely numbers in-between that are those decimals.
at least i hope those numbers are decimals. lord have mercy if you need me to explain degrees, minutes and seconds.
cheers
drew