Dive Trip Report to:
The Reefs of West Palm - 03-Jan-2004
Purpose:
To Dive the Reefs and Wrecks of Florida
Dive #1:
My Dive # 457
A. Dive Boat / Location:
The Rampage
,
The Princess Ann
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
30 to 40 ft
Seas:
1 to 2 ft.
Water Temp:
74 deg
Skies:
Sunny, Clear Blue Sky's - Typical of Florida!!
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth and Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 94 ft for 24 min
Air consumption:
Me: (80 cu ft) 3300 lbs - ??, 36 % NITROX, PO2 1.38
Current:
Mild to Medium to the north
Description:
Well this was my first dive with this particular dive buddy. I'll dive with
most anyone, just remember you a dive partner, I'm not a dive master or
whatever, so if you get yourself in trouble, you'd better be able to get
youself out. I was diving NITROX, partner air. The deal was when my dive
partner ran out of air, we'd both go up as this was our first dive. Dive
partner hasn't been in the water in a few months. Well the trouble began as we
descended on the Princess. There was a medium strength current.
I held onto
the wreck, dive partner stayed 5 ft above the wreck kicking like hell!!
Reminds me of diving with Air Force Mark on the Duane! I could watch his air
gauge go down as I was holding on, relaxing, taking slow breaths. Rule of the
road - on a wreck, in any kind of current, you hold on and pull yourself
around. Make sure you have good gloves. There's usually a current on
wrecks. Why fight the system trying to kick just to stay still when with a few
fingers you can hold on and conserve air. Well after 10 min, my diver partner
was down to 1000 lbs of air and I signeled for both of us to go up. By the time
I was 10 ft up, he was on the surface. Didn't even do a 3 min stop at 15 feet!
There's a chamber ride looking for a time to take place! Sure hope he has
DAN!! It was a short dive.
I did see some cuda. At the north end of the
wreck, there was one 4 ft cuda with a fish hook in his mouth and about 30 feet
of string trailing behind. I was tempted to tie off the string on part of the
shop - but feared I couldn't get away fast enough!!
Dive #2:
My Dive # 458
A. Dive Boat / Location:
The Rampage
, Breaker's Reef (Yep, it's just off the Breaker's Hotel in 55 feet of water)!
B. Conditions:
Visibility:
Same as above - about 30 feet.
Seas:
Same as above 1 - 2 - 3 feet
Water Temp:
74 deg (And the cold was getting to me on this dive)!
Skies:
Sunny, Clear Blue Sky's - Typical of Florida!!
Air Temp:
80's
C. Dive Information:
Depth and Time:
Me: Genesis Nitrox Dive Computer - 59 feet for 59 min [I really do like NITROX
and my steel 120's for the breakers reef dive - you can get a lot of bottom
time]
Air consumption:
Me: (80 cu ft) 3200 to 700 lbs, 36% NITROX, PO2 1.00
Current:
Medium. There was enough current to happily carry us along!
Description:
Well on this dive, I told my partner I was staying down till my computer said
go up or I ran out of NITROX. I know my computer would let me stay down for 2
-3 hours but my air/NITROX with he steel 120's would only last about an hour. I
asked the dive master to let me stay down when she went up. That she did at
the end of the dive. It was a nice drift, saw a 6 ft odd color nurse shark,
lots of very pretty fish and reef and colors - typical of the Breaker's Reef.
After the DM handed me the ball, I continued to drift. Down to about 800 lbs
of air, I was considering going up when I spotted a bug. Trying not to breath
tooo hard, I got him! One fresh bug for dinner!
My Catch next to the boat's Dive Master
Last Updated: 25-Jan-2004