I decided to dive the aircraft carrier USS Orinsky out of Pensacola before Christmas. This would be my last dive for the 2006 season. For a 1 day 2 tank dive there were two windows of opportunity one on Dec 22nd and 23rd. I contacted the Dive Op and told them I would like to dive on the 22nd. I was watching the weather forecast for the Pensacola area as I prepared to travel there. The weather made a turn for the worse by the time I arrived. The diving on the 22nd was canceled due to a small craft advisory at sea. I contacted the Dive Op on the 22nd to see if the 23rd would be better weather and they said that they would go out to O’l Mighty that day. I meet the other divers and the boat captain and one crew member at BMT Diving in the morning of the 23rd. we threw all our gear into the six-pack boat and we where off to the boat ramp. The two other divers were from out of state like myself. The six-pack boat was going about 25 knots threw waves of 3 to 4 feet and the the wind angle and the boats bow crashing threw the waves caused some pretty good sea spray to come over the boats port side. It was about a 45 minute ride out to Her and by the time we arrived I could tell that my core temperature had dropped alittle even after wearing a rain coat. The O’l Mighty doesn't have any marking buoys to locate Her, its all done by GPS. As the boat captain dove in to tie-off to the submerged anchor lines we started getting our gear assembled. I designed my own dive suit for this dive. It was a Full 3/2 suit with a 3.5 shorty over it with gloves and a hood. I estimated the weight I needed for the dive at the dive shop. At the site the waves where still 3 to 4 feet with a medium top current. Diver 1 got in and swam over to the line that would lead us down to the ship. I was the next diver in the water and as I hung on the line I noticed that I was alittle over weighted because even with my BC fully inflated I was getting swamped by the waves. As Diver 2 was still getting ready I swam back over to the boat and got in and removed a 5 lb weight. Between the small boat and the ocean waves it made simple tasks like tank strap adjustments, fin removal and weight belt adjustments seem like I was a new diver. Diver 1 was using a snorkel to save on air as he waited for the rest of us. Diver 2 went in and shortly after that I was back in. everyone ok.. OK, OK, OK ok lets go diving. I felt so much better once we submerged even tho I was getting alittle quaking sound from my reg ? But I was in Heaven!. I could see the top of the ship and the first thing that came to mind was how clean She was, there hasn't been enough time sense Her sinking to form any coral or growths of any kind but there was alot of cuda and other fish calling Her home. We came down her starboard side to about 90 ft then swam around the front of the tower. On the port side we swam thru an opening and went into the Bridge area and checked it out for a bit. We exited on the port side and I descended down to the flight deck to 132 ft the flight deck was at 137 ft. the water temp was 66 degrees the Vis was only 60 ft so you really couldn't get a good idea of how huge the ship was. As our bottom time was ticking away we did a full circle around the tower back to the starting point. Diver 1 was doing his safety stops already and I started my safety stops shortly after wards. I had about 600 psi left in my tank so I had plenty of time to off gas.
Diver 2 and Captain Ron where diving nitrox but where only a safety stop behind me. On the surface interval I was hoping to bring my body core temperature back-up but I calculated that the little stress I went thru at the beginning of my first dive and my core temp, was a good enough reason to abort my next dive. I felt I was old enough now with plenty of dives under my belt and if there was a slight safety issue then I could call a dive with-out affecting any testosterone I might still have left
I would like to return to the O'l Mighty someday. As in every dive I have done including this one I have always walked away with alittle bit more knowledge and a better respect of our sport. Happy New Year
Bubski
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Edited by Bubble2Bubble, 31 December 2006 - 04:48 PM.
