SLS032611A Windy Day

We started the day early. Denny was up and he and Holley got the boat moving by 07:15 while I got breakfast up. The winds were blowing about 20 and it was quite bumpy. We were headed to Looe Key for a dive then off to Pelican Shoals for some lobstering. The tanks were full so we changed them with the crew staggering all over trying not to fall with their tanks. We had fishing lines out and caught a few fish including a large barracuda that got off right at the boat. When we got to Looe it was blowing 20+ out of the south...bad direction, too rough and it looked like crap so it was off to the dock at stock. At the dock the crew took showers and called cabs to go into Key Wierd. While they were gone Denny, Holley and I enjoyed some quiet, some pizza and root beer floats. The crew returned about 8:15pm with the usual stories of t-shirt shops, cats and escape artists. After a loud game of Yatzee they finally went to sleep. Tomorrow we're going 'out back' to try 'the wreck' and Cottrell for some lobster.

SLA032611A Wreck dive on the barge

It was a beautiful day after a storm blowing through the night before, although it was a bit sporty. We had a relaxed start with a cooked breakfast and filled tanks on the way out to Sombero. The conditions were petty good. There was nothing out of the ordinary except for several lionfish under a few overhangs. We're seeing more and more of these; wish I had my pole spear. Next we moved on to an old haunt...Flagler's Barge. This is a big triangle of a barge. The top plates and ends are intact with a little framing holding it all together. Regardless, it counts as a wreck dive. There were alot of fish with the report of a large eel and two turtles. I saw one of the turtles, an old green turtle with a few barnacles on it's beat up shell. It stayed around, swimming around with the divers, giving them a good look at a turtle up close. We ended the day by coming back to anchor at Boot Key. The crew fished for baitfish, catching catfish and puffers too. Then they moved on to the big rods for a little shark fishing. It was a good day; no one lost a weight belt (almost one) and everyone had a great time.

SLA032611A Finally in the water

After Sunday's fiasco I didn't know how yesterday would go. We put them in the water to try the lead dive again at Looe Key. This time I had them all follow the mooring line down to meet me in the sand at the bottom. So far so good. One diver had to return to the boat because of ear problems. I lead the group up a sand channel to the shallows, stopping to do a head count. When we got to the shallows there was a Southern Ray that stuck around so everyone could get a good look. The group looked good, no bouncing off of the bottom, no breaking the surface so I turned them loose to have a dive. They all made it back to the boat on time. We moved on to Sombrero for the first 'buddy dive'. It too went well so we had dinner then did their first night dive. Two divers sat this one out. The conditions were great. I lead one pair of divers on a tour while all of the others were turned loose. We saw nothing of note except a lobster and a large coral crab in a barrel sponge. At the end of the dive I sat on the bottom with my light off to enjoy the bioluminescense .

SLS032611A New Crew...bad start

Yesterday we arrived at the boat and loaded up. Things went very well. This is a tight , motivated crew. Off we went for our lead dive at Western Sambo. On the way we heard several other dive boats chatting on the radio about how bad conditions (visibility, etc.) were at other dive sites. When we arrived at Western Sambo we grabbed a ball and found that the visibility was crap; we could hardly see down the mooring line. The Captain and I talked it over and decided to go to Toppino's Buoy and have a look. At Toppino's it looked a little better so I got in and did conditions. Visibility was a little better so we decided to try the lead dive. What a goat rope. The tag lines were all screwed up so I couldn't get them together on the lines. We finnaly went down and the group broke into two groups, immediately getting separated. I surfaced with my group, went to find the other group which had drifted further from the boat and surfaced them. One of the divers was having a problem, saying he had been stung by jellyfish. We all went back to the boat, got on board and ended the day agreeing to try again tomorrow at Looe Key. Oh yeah, I also had to recover a weight belt in the beginning...an omen.

Done with SLS031911A

The last day with the crew went well. Although we expected bad visibility at 'middle sambo' (western sambo) it was actually good. The vans were waiting for us when we arrived at the dock so the lucky crew didn't have to clean the boat. I was able to get a much needed nap on the drive home which made the evening go much better. The crew still had a pile of certification paperwork to complete for their advanture diver certs. which had us in the chart room until after 8pm. All I have left is a few loose ends on the paperwork and I'm done with them.
Now I have to deal with the next crew, which arrived a day early. Thankfully Christy and Laura did the swim test, equipment issue and pool check with them. There are two more crew members yet to arrive but that will be easy. Thanks girls!

Improved Diving

We started the day early by running for Looe Key, filling tanks along the way. Looe Key had improved visibility, a nice change for the crew. I saw a reef shark early in the dive. The shark was curious and stayed around for awhile.
We next moved on to Sombrero Reef. Visibility was even better there. The crew had a great dive, preparing for their night dive.
The night dive was also great, with visability even better due to the incoming tide. There was plenty of bioiluminescense that looked like a sky full of stars.

Diving in the murk

Visibility has not been the best lately. All three dives yesterday were murky. We were at Nine Foot Stake, Toppinos and Western Sambo. All of the divers did quite well except one group of chuckleheads that kept overshooting the boat, possibly swimming under it several times. It's unfortunate that they aren't seeing better visibility because they don't see as much unless they are right on top of things.

First dives

The crew did their first dives today. The weather was a bit cloudy, the wind was up and the air a bit cool. It was still a bit sporty and vis. was only 10 - 15 feet but we did the lead dive anyway. Because the crew is so inexperienced I was a bit worried about the dive. I was wrong. They did quite well. I didn't lose anyone and their buoyancy control was pretty good.
The second dive was a 'buddy dive'. I had to retrieve two weight belts at the very beginning of the dive. I hate retrieving belts and that was two more bounces I had to do. I spent the dive leading Beth and Emily on a pretty long distance dive at Toppino's Buoy. When I surfaced to locate the boat and take a bearing I lost them. I had left them on the bottom to wait for me. We were pretty far from the boat. I surfaced again to look for bubbles, didn't see any, thought about the surface current drift and went back down and located the pair. We headed back to the boat following my compass bearing and surfaced just ahead of the mooring line. Dive saved. Everyone else made it back to the boat with nobody getting behind the boat in the surface current. Good job!

SLA031911A

The crew arrived at about 4:40pm. They were late due to Davis Tours, traffic and the need to get something to eat. They're a good bunch of folks; all new divers but one; he's advanced. We didn't get to dive on Sunday as it was quite sporty; winds at 20+. But we did sail, really sail as the winds were up enought to move the Conch Pesrl under sail. Hopefully we'll get into the water today, even if it's just to do saltwater buoyancy checks.
This is the second of four weeks in a row. As long as I get to sleep as needed I shouldn't have any trouble making it through the weeks. The only reason I don't sleep as needed is when I fill tanks. I feel guilty if I don't do my share.

Crew SLA031211A

Yesterday was the first full day of diving for the crew. We went to three different sites to dive; Toppinos, Sand Key and Eastern Dry Rocks. The conditions were fairly nice. The sun was out most of the time with temps. in the upper 70's but a stiff breeze kept it cool; especially when taking off the wetsuits. The waves were a little sporty with a good surge below. Visability was 40-50 feet. Water temp is someshere around 70-72. Most of the crew, althought new divers, did well. We did have one diver with some anxiety on the first dive. His weight belt keeps slipping down because it's heavy and he is pear shaped with little or no hips to hold the belt. He was close to panic as he returned to the boat, claiming it was too hard to breathe through his regulator. As he reached the ladder he dropped his belt, possibly to become more buoyant but I think it just slipped off. Regardless of the reason, I had to recover it from 25 feet; it was a heavy belt which is why I have a heavy lift, buoyant BCD. I hate recovering weight belts as it is one more bounce from the surface to the bottom and back. Overall it was a good day of diving; no Portugese Man-o-wars!

delivering tanks

Yesterday we had to exchange 28 tanks with the tanks on the Conch Pearl so that we could do their inspections. It was a two hour drive each way. That sucks. I would rather have been doing something productive. It was also a pain in the ass because there is a small set of stairs that the tanks have to be carried up and down. It was good seeing Denny and Holley. We had lunch at the Hogfish where they actually had hogfish for once.

the light at the end of the tunnel

We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as far as tank inspections go. We should be done with the inspections today and have only to fill and move about 80 tanks today. I'm relieved. I'm tired of looking into the tops of tanks. My eyes are tired and my back and neck hurt from bending over. I don't mind moving tanks because it's good exercise. I only get pissed off when I have to work alone without help.

more and more tanks

We've finally started inspecting the older tanks. This takes longer because we have to disassemble them, clean them and inspect the interiors and threads. The threads take the longest as we have to look carefully for cracks.
We've also started filling the completed tanks. This is a major milestone. After filling we inventory and sticker them then they are complete.
On to more tanks.

Tanks, tanks, tanks

Today we really dug into the new tanks. Steve purchased about 120 new tanks that needed to be inspected, valves installed and bottoms painted. We paint the bottoms to help prevent corrosion on that portion of the tanks. The staff working on the tanks really kicked ass; Laura, Stephanie, Meagan, Maggie and Aaron. We ran out of paint but all the tanks are ready. After they are painted they have to be booted, labeled, filled and inventoried. That's the new tanks.

The old tanks require more work. They have to have their boots removed, stickers scraped off, wirebrushed and valves removed before they can be inspected. Some even have to be washed out.

Back to the Blog

I haven't been paying much attention to this blog so I plan to start posting scuba news now that I'm back in the Florida Keys.
I come to the Florida Keys to volunteer at the Boy Scouts of America National High Adventure Sea Base. It's one of three national high adventure bases. We focus on sailing and scuba programs. I pretty much exclusively work out on the scuba live-aboard boat, the Conch Pearl.
The scuba live-aboard program consists of taking 12 divers out for a week where we live on the boat, together, for the week and dive, sleep, eat, sleep, fish, sleep and sleep.
I can do these things with my disability because I can pretty much sleep as much as I need to whenever I need to. Not a bad accomadation.
Right now I'm stuck on base until the next live-aboard trip that starts on March 12th. Until then I will be inspecting and assembling scuba tanks; a necessary but boring and tiring job. I'm working with Laura Kuras, the new scuba commisioner.
More tomorrow.