60 replies to this topic

[divzac]

Pics are posted here....

Great Pix! Thanks for taking us there...zzz

[Bubbles]

Thanks guys and gals for the pics! Please post some in our trip gallery here and in this thread too!

I just posted some pictures in the trip gallery...check them out!

[ScubaPunk]

Thanks for the pics guy! They are awesome.

[dustbowl diver]

Thanks again to all for posting your great pics for us to enjoy!!

[WreckWench]

Thanks guys and gals for the pics! Please post some in our trip gallery here and in this thread too!

I just posted some pictures in the trip gallery...check them out!

You rock girl!!!!

[WreckWench]

Important Update:

I spoke with Larry this morning and Larry particularily wanted everyone on the trip to know that it was such a relief knowing that you all were having a good time despite the setbacks and that this was a tremendous group of outstanding individuals who all came together to form a cohesive group of new and old diving friends!

[TraceMalin]

I didn't know you guys were in the neighborhood. I've been on the island of Grand Bahama since December 12 with my girlfriend who is an NSS-CDS cave instructor and guide for Bahamian cave and cavern diving. New Year's Eve found us in the breakdown room of a cave together. We decided to celebrate by ourselves by exploring rarely dived tunnels. At 20 seconds to midnight, I flashed "Attention!" with my dive light and she turned to face me. I gave hand signals counting down from 10 seconds to 1 second. We removed our regulators, kissed, then continued into the tight decorative tunnels wearing double AL80's. Our dive time was just under an hour, but we entered the cave in 2007 and exited to the starry sky of 2008. Happy New Year, everyone!

[DandyDon]

Well, I guess it all went as well as possible with the surprises. My NOAA buoy certainly disappointed me with the 79 F water readings; glad I took more wetsuit that I expected to need.

I swore I'd never fly with my largest softside bag that lacks wheels again, but after this, "Then on Saturday if you arrived on Friday...the boat will take us from the hotel to the boat where we can drop off luggage and then go sight seeing. We can't board the boat until the afternoon but we can get rid of our bags while they are changing from one group and getting ready for the next!" I went ahead and used it again. Then when that changed to "Let's all just roll our bags down there in two trips," I was able to find a nice local with a pickup willing to carry my bags - and while I was at it, all the rest of the bags and last 3 of us in the group. My thanks to Barb!! Of the people who offered to pitch in on that, she actually gave me money as well as a nice dive bud and all around nice lady.

Too bad about losing the last two days of diving on top of other challenges, but it was good still. Ate and drank well in harbor anyway.

Edited by DandyDon, 06 January 2008 - 01:32 AM.

[shadragon]

Home safe. Got in last night at 1AM.

Quite an eventful trip and I have many stories to recount in time. Cancelled flights, hideous delays, recumbent meditation, reroute to other airports, lost bag of dive gear, and weather blow out forcing us to sit dockside for 2.5 days, but as they say a bad day diving beats a good day at work anytime. As for pics, I was unable to take any underwater ones as my camera was lost for a week. However, I was able to fill up my 2 GB USB memory key from Eddy alone so there will be more to come I am sure.

OK, so enough bad news. The good side was excellent company, great atmosphere, and the Captain and crew of the CEX 1 were first rate. Copious amounts of delicious food with lots of variety and veggie options. Great day trip to Stocking Island where many discovered the local rum punches and the Dart Championship of the World was decided. Viz averaged 60-80 with one dive at least 120+. Lowest water temps I recorded was 78F and highest was 85F. Coral towers, turtles, barracuda, swim throughs, and deep blue encounters. Many undersea stories and adventures including a unique "hammerhead" encounter on a night dive and conch playing lessons on the dive deck. I even got a Cha Cha in with Cindi on the Moon Deck. I got in 14 dives which was about half of the plan, but safety came first and I have to credit Captain Paul for excellent judgement to head into harbour when he did. We avoided a bad cold front from the NNW. The rain began to fall just as we approached the dock. 16 - 18 foot seas does not a stable dive boat make...

Met a lot of new folks for the first time as well as a few old friends. Wench hugs are worth waiting for. Squid, you have a roomie anytime you want one, but I get to be on top next time.

To cap it off I had to shovel my car out of 2 feet of snow in the Bangor Airport parking lot. Walking on a Bahamas beach one day. Shovelling snow the next. Reality sucks... hahaha

Now if you will forgive me I have to go and unpack and do laundry. At least my dive gear is clean and dry.

[DandyDon]

Glad you found your gear bag, Simon, and glad you made it in for the trip anyway even without your personal gear. I got a pretty good video clip of you on the special outfit dive that I'll try to load later. Boy was your water temps off, tho?! "Lowest water temps I recorded was 78F and highest was 85F." I wish! Other than the water temps, tho - the diving was nice while it lasted.

I'm not used to following large, DM lead group dives - tend to follow my camera too much, so after crowding a few people on one dive early on - did much better bringing up the rear.

[Houston Squid]

Simon -- you were a good cabin mate as well.

My water temp extremes were 76 (on two dives) and 79 as a highest (based on the folks at Aeris).

I was comfortable on all dives in my 3/2 mm as long as a I wore me 3 mm hood. There's a lot of heat loss when you have no hair and a smaller brain to contain the heat.

[Cajun Diver]

My Aeris showed a water temp of 76 to 79 as well. I did notice the Cochran recorded temps a few degrees higher - either way I was really comfortable in my 5 mil

I've added a couple of pic's to the gallery that I took before my camera's lcd decided not to work at least it's still under warranty...

[cat fish]

I was comfortable on all dives in my 3/2 mm as long as a I wore me 3 mm hood. There's a lot of heat loss when you have no hair and a smaller brain to contain the heat.

Note that intrepid diver Tim, aka Netmage, used the hair-share technique to heat things up!

By the way,THANKS to a terrific bunch! A whole week with an entire group of Nutty People. How lucky for us! It was super!!

[netmage]

My water temp extremes were 76 (on two dives) and 79 as a highest (based on the folks at Aeris).

I was comfortable on all dives in my 3/2 mm as long as a I wore me 3 mm hood. There's a lot of heat loss when you have no hair and a smaller brain to contain the heat.

I was logging ~78 most dives and was downright miserable in my 3mm, shoulda of brought a hood and picked up a 5mm (or packed my drysuit) before heading out....

Once I figured out just how hot the hot showers got, it was bearable... Just quick enough to warm up a little then run for a parka... The winds were vicious. My equilibrium is still a little wavy from being on a boat for a week.

The Good: The boat, the crew, everyone else on the trip; could really have not asked for better. Other than Larry and the Wench, I didn't know anyone. Once we got settled in at Marshall's and hit the P&P any stranger would of thought they just ran into a reunion of sorts. It really did not take long for the group to bond, even for an extreme introvert like myself. Other than the dives the first day, which didn't do much for me, but were probably really good tune-ups for folks who don't dive every week, we hit some spectacular walls. Visibility was generally awesome, almost no currents, and very little wave action making for almost no ladder difficulty

The Bad: The travel snafus, lost bags, Continental just delivered my bag. Georgetown is a no-stoplight kinda place. If your not a boater, there isn't really much to do. Due to weather issues, we had quite a bit of cabin fever going, and if it wasn't for 'Squid Ebert' helming the DVD selection committee, we would likely have all gone mad (well, more than we already are...)

The Ugly: I wouldn't say I'm angry or mad; more like disappointed at the weather... Essentially half the trip (diving) was scrubbed for one reason or another. No one is to blame, stuff happens. This is the second winter live-a-board I've done, and both had their share of weather issues... Dunno how common it is this time of year or just plain bad luck. Certainly will become a factor in deciding if I will do another.

-Tim

[DiverBabs]

Hi all,

Safely home again. Was able to drop Larry's equipment off for him on the way. He said to tell everyone thank you.

I think we had a great group and had a great trip aside from the obvious.

Dives were nice - I was comfortable in a 5mm with no hood. Wish I would have know you were cold Tim... you could have used the hood I brought, but never once wore! Plenty to see and very relaxing.

The company was great - although..... Squid.... I need your "eight tenticle" list so I can nix a few flics off of my must see list!!! I may still be having nightmares from your movie choices! LOL Great group, thanks for a great trip.

The vessel was nice and the Captain & Crew were great! Very accomodating and a pleasure to be around.

And.... last but not least.... my Dream dive.... What can I say... No, I mean it ,REALLY... what can I say to this!!!
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