72 replies to this topic

[ScubaShafer]

Seems to be a bit of interest in an SD Keys Krawl Post Extravaganza. Not to put a damper on the excitement, but the only two weekends in 2009 that I have available to get you the "Special" Rainbow Reef Deal would be September 19 and December 5. Kamala may be able to get you the same deal with RR for other dates, but she would need to work those details.

[ThatJoeGuy]

Well, since I already wrote this up to share with my mom, I may as well drop it here so that everyone can attempt to defend themselves from my lies:P

Dive Log of Joe:

Day 0:

Fly in, ride down to the Hotel, eat out, crash.

Day 1:

We started out heading to the Spiegel Grove, but about half way there the Captain found out that there was too strong of a current there so we headed to a different site, The Duane. Since I was not yet nitrox certified I was Buddied up with Bruce (the instructor), Carolyn and Sanja. It was a very cool boat and definitely a good warm up dive after being out of commission except for the dive shop's pool for 7 years.

Next dive we headed over to the Fire Coral Cave. In case you can't guess, touching Fire Coral is unpleasant. We had planned on doing the buoyancy test, but that involves hovering without using fins or hands, and the current would have sent me a good part of the way to Miami so we had to scrap that part of the dive. While we were tooling around this reef I noticed that Carolyn was not the strongest swimmer. (This will be useful info later.)

We did two dives later that afternoon. I was buddies with Carolyn for both of them. The really noticable thing about these two dives was that one of them had a very large mechanical thing in the middle of a sand clearing. Swimming away from the thing and staying in the reef was challenging because somehow we always managed to circle back to the thing.

Day 2:

We went out to the Spiegel Grove again, and this time we were able to dive it. Unfortunately, the captain was confused about which Mooring we were tied to and thus neglected to give us some important information. (More on that in a moment) This was another deep dive on Nitrox again, so I was buddied up with Bruce, Carolyn and Sanja again. Knowing that I was something of an airhog, Bruce planned that I would share air with him for little while, while we were down. That way everyone would get more dive time. We began our ascent down the mooring line and came across something we had not been breifed on. There was a second line tied to the Mooring line and heading off into the murk. Looking down both lines we saw bubbles coming from both directions, so we hung out in the general viscinity and waited for Bruce, because he would probably know the correct way. Bruce showed up and we headed down the second line to the ship.

Bruce took us on a guided tour of the ship, and as planned I used his air for a while we were down. One of the cool things I saw in the distance is that there is a flag flying on the ship. It has lots of stuff growing on it and it sway sways slowly in the current. Seeing that showing up off in the distance was quite cool. On our way back to the mooring line we came to an open area with a strong current running across it. Bruce had me switch back to my own air so that we could both swim better and headed across. I started to head across then realized that Carolyn was probably not strong enough to make it across on her own. I reached back and grabbed her to tow her across and some guy (I have no idea who) came out of nowhere to push Sanja across. I checked my air gauge and knew that with the effort I was about to put out I was definitely going to be on someone elses air for at least part of the ascent. Half an hour, 20ft and a ton of air later Carolyn and I had caught up with Bruce. (Ok it might have been 2 minutes, but it felt like .5h ) We went back up the line and somewhere along the line I jumped back onto Bruce's air. (BTW anyone looking for proof of Bruce's gills should note that I was on his tank for about half this dive.) On the way up I saw part exasperated and part amused Myra (If I had to try to put the look to words I would go with "Eh, what can you do") with someone sucking down her air and one other person who was on someone elses octo. Back topside I found out that the person who was on Myra's air was had actually sucked her own bottle dry, drained the Dive master down to nothing, and then went to work on Myra's air. And I thought I was an air hog . I also found out that the mooring line was tied off to the spiegels anchor on the sand at 140ft. Fortunately the people who went that way paid enough attention to their gauges that they didn't go deep enough to run into oxygen toxicity.

After that we headed over the the Benwood which is a large boat that was ripped in half by tug boats so that it wouldn't be a hazard to passing boats. Lots of debris and tons of cool fishes there. All in all it made for a great dive.

That ends the Keys Krawl next up I hop on the Spree and I don't believe in cursed people

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I knew there was more to that Monday morning dive on the Spiegel Grove that Cass & I missed due to our flights! Thanks for sharing!

[scubachick43]

I am a good swimmer...It was that DARN current. LOL at weighing 125lbs a current can be challenging!!!!!

Well, since I already wrote this up to share with my mom, I may as well drop it here so that everyone can attempt to defend themselves from my lies:P

Dive Log of Joe:

Day 0:

Fly in, ride down to the Hotel, eat out, crash.

Day 1:

We started out heading to the Spiegel Grove, but about half way there the Captain found out that there was too strong of a current there so we headed to a different site, The Duane. Since I was not yet nitrox certified I was Buddied up with Bruce (the instructor), Carolyn and Sanja. It was a very cool boat and definitely a good warm up dive after being out of commission except for the dive shop's pool for 7 years.

Next dive we headed over to the Fire Coral Cave. In case you can't guess, touching Fire Coral is unpleasant. We had planned on doing the buoyancy test, but that involves hovering without using fins or hands, and the current would have sent me a good part of the way to Miami so we had to scrap that part of the dive. While we were tooling around this reef I noticed that Carolyn was not the strongest swimmer. (This will be useful info later.)

We did two dives later that afternoon. I was buddies with Carolyn for both of them. The really noticable thing about these two dives was that one of them had a very large mechanical thing in the middle of a sand clearing. Swimming away from the thing and staying in the reef was challenging because somehow we always managed to circle back to the thing.

Day 2:

We went out to the Spiegel Grove again, and this time we were able to dive it. Unfortunately, the captain was confused about which Mooring we were tied to and thus neglected to give us some important information. (More on that in a moment) This was another deep dive on Nitrox again, so I was buddied up with Bruce, Carolyn and Sanja again. Knowing that I was something of an airhog, Bruce planned that I would share air with him for little while, while we were down. That way everyone would get more dive time. We began our ascent down the mooring line and came across something we had not been breifed on. There was a second line tied to the Mooring line and heading off into the murk. Looking down both lines we saw bubbles coming from both directions, so we hung out in the general viscinity and waited for Bruce, because he would probably know the correct way. Bruce showed up and we headed down the second line to the ship.

Bruce took us on a guided tour of the ship, and as planned I used his air for a while we were down. One of the cool things I saw in the distance is that there is a flag flying on the ship. It has lots of stuff growing on it and it sway sways slowly in the current. Seeing that showing up off in the distance was quite cool. On our way back to the mooring line we came to an open area with a strong current running across it. Bruce had me switch back to my own air so that we could both swim better and headed across. I started to head across then realized that Carolyn was probably not strong enough to make it across on her own. I reached back and grabbed her to tow her across and some guy (I have no idea who) came out of nowhere to push Sanja across. I checked my air gauge and knew that with the effort I was about to put out I was definitely going to be on someone elses air for at least part of the ascent. Half an hour, 20ft and a ton of air later Carolyn and I had caught up with Bruce. (Ok it might have been 2 minutes, but it felt like .5h ) We went back up the line and somewhere along the line I jumped back onto Bruce's air. (BTW anyone looking for proof of Bruce's gills should note that I was on his tank for about half this dive.) On the way up I saw part exasperated and part amused Myra (If I had to try to put the look to words I would go with "Eh, what can you do") with someone sucking down her air and one other person who was on someone elses octo. Back topside I found out that the person who was on Myra's air was had actually sucked her own bottle dry, drained the Dive master down to nothing, and then went to work on Myra's air. And I thought I was an air hog . I also found out that the mooring line was tied off to the spiegels anchor on the sand at 140ft. Fortunately the people who went that way paid enough attention to their gauges that they didn't go deep enough to run into oxygen toxicity.

After that we headed over the the Benwood which is a large boat that was ripped in half by tug boats so that it wouldn't be a hazard to passing boats. Lots of debris and tons of cool fishes there. All in all it made for a great dive.

That ends the Keys Krawl next up I hop on the Spree and I don't believe in cursed people

[ScubaShafer]

I am a good swimmer...It was that DARN current. LOL at weighing 125lbs a current can be challenging!!!!!

Yes, but Carolyn has developed a new finning technique, (thanks to Joe and Kamala,) which has been much more efficient for her. And now she can keep up with the best of us all.

[Houston Squid]

I decided last minute to join my local Dive Club on board M/V Spree this next Wednesday for some DT exploring.

I did this trip last year and had a great time. It sounds like you guys made the most of it too.

It will be good to have a Navy reunion with Capt Frank.

[ThatJoeGuy]

If anyone wants to see the remainder of my divelog it can be found here. Be warned, I got rather long winded.

[dive_sail_etc]

*SNIPPIN*On our way back to the mooring line we came to an open area with a strong current running across it. Bruce had me switch back to my own air so that we could both swim better and headed across. I started to head across then realized that Carolyn was probably not strong enough to make it across on her own. I reached back and grabbed her to tow her across and some guy (I have no idea who) came out of nowhere to push Sanja across. *SNIPOUT*

I went back for Sanja for the same reason you went back for Carolyn. About 20 feet from the line, the senior DM swooped in, grabbed my tank and added his more powerful fins to nudge Sanja and I on over to the line. Mr. DM, wherever you are! (And yes, dear Sanja, this is my tortured confession that I am NOT Aquaman.)

*SNIPPIN*On the way up I saw part exasperated and part amused Myra (If I had to try to put the look to words I would go with "Eh, what can you do") with someone sucking down her air and one other person who was on someone elses octo.*SNIPOUT*

I was the other diver, the guy on my octo was the young DM who had already drained his tank helping others. He was just on for the safety stop, still I was pleased to find that I made it back onto the boat with 500PSI.

[pmarie]

What a great example of everyone working together and being safe. Even if others may not have been aware of all the things that were happening/going on.

[scubachick43]

I am a good swimmer...It was that DARN current. LOL at weighing 125lbs a current can be challenging!!!!!

Yes, but Carolyn has developed a new finning technique, (thanks to Joe and Kamala,) which has been much more efficient for her. And now she can keep up with the best of us all.

[Houston Squid]

I'm not much of a trip report person, but I did want to say that this was my second trip to the Dry Tortugas area in the last year and it was so much better on my trip there (as I mentioned above) this year.

The reefs seemed to have more life on them and the currents were all very manageable.

In fact, the only real currents I experienced were surface currents and those only affected the entry. They were moderate and mandated the use of current lines and mooring lines. Even then this was only on 25% of the dives at most.

On the return to the boat, most divers would have had no problem returning without using the mooring or current lines. The current almost always seemed to be just right to move gently through the water to the Spree's ample down lines.

I know this trip you guys were on wasn't supposed to be a DT trip, but since you got to visit the National Park you guys saw much more interesting reefs than were there last year.

The Dry Tortugas trip is a great trip because there is a good value on dollars spent divided by dive opportunities, plus it lends itself well to Do-It-Yourself Diving prior to the trip, including a pre and post night doing the Duval Crawl in Key West.

[ScubaPunk]

Wow! Sparky and I missed all that hoopla. We were busy penetrating, safely out of the current. It was a great dive.