31 replies to this topic

[DiverBabs]

Another great trip! Thanks to all for making it so much fun.

I just went to the gallery and posted a bunch of Zach's pics for him. Since we're both short on time, I grouped them for posting purposes.... hope this works out ok.

As usual he got some great images. Enjoy!

Dry Tortugas pictures

[WreckWench]

Another great trip! Thanks to all for making it so much fun.

I just went to the gallery and posted a bunch of Zach's pics for him. Since we're both short on time, I grouped them for posting purposes.... hope this works out ok.

As usual he got some great images. Enjoy!

Dry Tortugas pictures

BARB AND ZAC YOU ROCK!!!

Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the awesome pictures and for laoding them onto the site!

[WreckWench]

Proper Way to Enter/Exit/Dive a Cave or Overhead Environment:

a. Power kick thru so you can see it faster
b. Fin thru like you are in open water
c. Frog kick or 'finger walk' thru so you DON'T stir up the silt/sand behind you



ANSWER IS....C of course!


Please note that the silt/sand is NOT stirred up behind me but look in front me. NOW you know why my buddy Cajun Diver and I were in the bat cave with the Giant Grouper but missed SEEING him cuz of all the silt/stirred up sand.

[WreckWench]

QUESTION OF THE DAY...

Why are these people sooooooooooooooooo SPECIAL?????

1. Butch aka Joseph aka Cajun Diver
2. Keith aka MNJoe
3. Barbara aka DiverBabs and Zac aka DivZac

[finGrabber]

QUESTION OF THE DAY...

Why are these people sooooooooooooooooo SPECIAL?????

1. Butch aka Joseph aka Cajun Diver
2. Keith aka MNJoe
3. Barbara aka DiverBabs and Zac aka DivZac

Cuz they are all finGrabbers friends???

[ScubaPunk]

They have all posted some great pics in the Gallery? DT Pics

[WreckWench]

They have all posted some great pics in the Gallery? DT Pics

DING DING DING!!!

We have a WINNER!!!!

And yes...they have ALL posted in the SD gallery!

[EASY]

I'm sorry, everyone, but 16 hour work days aren't condusive to photo posting. It's been non-stop since I got back and I have to work a 10 day stretch as punishment for my vacation. Thanks to all those that have posted some great photos!

[pmarie]

EASY
I'm sorry, everyone, but 16 hour work days aren't condusive to photo posting. It's been non-stop since I got back and I have to work a 10 day stretch as punishment for my vacation. Thanks to all those that have posted some great photos!

I hear ya, I am waiting patiently over here to see your pics!!!!!

[Latitude Adjustment]

Great trip, great bunch of divers and great dive buddy


Jeff, aka Sparky

[uwfan]

I'm sorry, everyone, but 16 hour work days aren't condusive to photo posting. It's been non-stop since I got back and I have to work a 10 day stretch as punishment for my vacation. Thanks to all those that have posted some great photos!

Hey, at least you've got pics... I was too busy --had to keep up with WW!! (Just kidding...she was an awesome buddy!)

[Bubbles]

Another great trip! Thanks to all for making it so much fun.

I just went to the gallery and posted a bunch of Zach's pics for him. Since we're both short on time, I grouped them for posting purposes.... hope this works out ok.

As usual he got some great images. Enjoy!

Dry Tortugas pictures

Zach - GREAT pictures, as usual.
Barb - Thanks for posting them all.
You guys make a great team!!!

[WreckWench]

Hey Everyone...Check this out here!

July 9-13 2008 Dry Tortugas Trip Report by Captain Frank
24 members of SingleDivers.com (www.singledivers.com) joined us for our last Dry Tortugas sport trip of 2008. Most of us met at the Rusty Anchor (some were stuck behind an overturned dump truck) for dinner, and we boarded at about 7:30 PM. We got underway in windy conditions for a ride out to the Dry Tortugas.
We arrived at Dante’s Inferno for the first dive of the trip. Seas were 2-4 feet (bumpy for the Tortugas) and would stay that way all day Wednesday and Thursday. Conditions were still very div-able, so we did. Water temp was about 85 degrees, current slack, air temp 85 degrees, and vis was about 70 feet. We spotted black grouper that looked like they were spawning, lots of little reef fish, and the usual suspects, but nothing spectacular, just good diving. In the Afternoon we moved to Bob’s Sanctuary, a new dive site for us, and we promptly pulled the u-bolt out of the reef. Not exactly good neighbors, we all felt real bad about it, and so we moved on to Rusty’s Peaks, another new site for us. Rusty’s is nice, but not spectacular, with more of those black grouper acting weird, real pretty coral formations, and a host of the usual small reef fish. It was kind of a boring day, not at all what I’m used to in the Tortugas. That would change.

We woke up on Thursday ready to dive on Sherwood Forest, the “signature” dive site in the Dry Tortugas. I compare Sherwood Forest to the Flower Gardens, only it isn’t as pretty. The coral cover there is very high for hard corals, with some soft corals added in, but it doesn’t have the real beauty of the Flower Gardens. Besides the usual small reef fish, there was a red grouper that hung out with the divers like a puppy, getting in everyone’s way, and generally being a nuisance. After Sherwood, we moved to Patti’s Reef. The wind had started to lay down, although the seas were still 2-4. Patti’s is a favorite, with lots of arches and other structure to the coral. On Patti’s we spotted lots of mackerel, including king and cero, Amberjack, black and red grouper, and tons and tons of Creole fish doing the nasty.

Friday morning we moved on to 8 fathom rock. The wind and seas were laying down nicely, and the critters were to be found here. Octopus, Atlantic spadefish, red, black, and Nassau groupers, barracuda, hogfish, and midnight parrotfish made up the roster of cool stuff to be seen. We dove Great Every Time in the afternoon, which is truly great every time. The reef is made up of lots of arches, swim throughs, and, if you follow the rope, a whole other reef to dive. Those that followed the rope know what I’m talking about. Wind and seas were slack, and would remain so for the rest of the trip. Water temp was still 85 degrees, and without the breeze, the deck and air temp were hotter than the hinges of hell. A little breeze is kind of nice. Anyway, Great Every Time had hogfish, parrotfish, Creole fish by the bazillions, 2 inch long amberjacks hanging out at the stern of the boat with the 2 inch long rainbow runners, another of those pesky red groupers, as well as the usual reef fish.

Saturday morning we dove Awesome, and I think it was. We got into the goliath groupers here, as well as blacks and reds, I saw some “slobs” as they are known here, that is big big hogfish, on the part of the reef known as “compass and drybox”. If you’ve never attended one of Melanie’s briefings in the Dry Tortugas, you are in for a whole new experience. She uses all of the props available on the back deck to build a picture of the reef. There were 2 coral mounds away from the rest of the reef that were represented by the compass and the drybox. I thought I had discovered the compass and drybox, but no, Melanie had already seen them and briefed the divers on their location. The coral had about 30 feet of relief here, with arches and swim throughs enough for everybody. In the afternoon, we shifted over to Bat Caves. Most of the cave structure collapsed during hurricane Wilma in 2005. there is plenty left, and the goliath grouper were hanging out in the caves and were none too happy to see the divers. They were booming and carrying on, and the divers were not to be dissuaded from looking at them. Also seen on the dive were red and black grouper, a big green moray, and all of the little reef fish that make up the bottom of the food chain. A honkin’ big loggerhead was seen on the night dive.

Sunday morning we dove Bob Graham’s Wall. This dive brought mixed reviews from the divers. Some saw morays, groupers, spadefish, nurse shark, and a beautiful coral wall, others saw algae and a lack of fish life. Captain John described it as very sharky, although none were seen, but more liked it than didn’t, so we will probably do it again sometime. The second dive was on Cosgrove Shoal. Cosgrove Shoal is a typical south Florida spur and groove formation, visibility was about 40 feet, and small reef stuff was seen, including lots of lobster, hogfish, eels, etc.

Milestones achieved on the trip included Heidi, Erica, and Eric achieving 50 dives, Butch, Chuck, and Robert each made their 100th, Margaret, Jeff, and Bill each made 150, Jim A did 300, Bruce did his 100th dive for the year (and it’s only July. He’s got more than me for the year, and I do this for a living.), and Kamala (AKA Wreckwench) made 1500 lifetime, truly a milestone to be recorded. Caroline and Steve completed their nitrox certifications, and Jeff completed his Solo diver certification.


The SingleDivers.com group was a pleasure to have with us, and they all professed to having a great time.


Captain Frank
M/V Spree
Stock Island, FL

Special Kudos to ALL the Milestone Achievers Club! (Be watching the airwaves...this is going to get some add'l exposure!)

And another round of "THANKS" to the awesome crew, staff and owners of the Spree!

[WreckWench]

Great trip, great bunch of divers and great dive buddy


Jeff, aka Sparky

YEP....definately a great buddy! AND CABANA BOY!!!

[WreckWench]

I'm sorry, everyone, but 16 hour work days aren't condusive to photo posting. It's been non-stop since I got back and I have to work a 10 day stretch as punishment for my vacation. Thanks to all those that have posted some great photos!

Hey, at least you've got pics... I was too busy --had to keep up with WW!! (Just kidding...she was an awesome buddy!)

Thank you Heidi...you were an AWESOME buddy! No matter where I was...you were right there!