Jack Holt's Open Water dives on the Clipper Jacks

Jack came to the apartment a little before 7:30 am and we loaded up and headed for the shop to fill tanks.  The shop wasn't open yet, so we started reviewing Chapter 4 & 5 while we waited.  Hugh came at 8:00 am and we filled tanks, then headed for the beach. Nice morning.  We geared up and got in the water.  We moved slowly through the algae patch and I stopped on the sand to go through the skills. Jack performed each skill satisfactorily, then we headed East to the reef, but did not get all the way to the Jacks.  By the time we actually got out of the water and back to the truck, it was too late to make a second dive.  Leo was meeting us on the beach with the father/daughter DSD pair, so while we waited for them, Jack and I went over the decompression tables some more, including working out the first two of the six extra problems. Dive Time was 68 minutes.  My SAC rate was 17.48 psi/minute and my RMV was 0.46 ft3/minute.

When Leo got to the lot, the DSD students were with him.  We all geared up and walked out to the beach, but it quickly turned into a disaster.  There was some surf and the daughter panicked in the water.  She had trouble getting her fins on and in fact lost a fin.  I looked for a few moments, but visibility was terrible and she was still upset, so we got out and made our way back to the truck with the help of some guys who were just on the beach. Leo stayed and actually found the fin, but gutted the father's BCD.  The father/'daughter took Leo's car back to my apartment and picked up their own car.  Leo, Jack and I swam out to and dove the Jacks.  We saw lots of fish, but nothing really exciting. Neither Leo nor I took a camera as we had students, so I have no pictures to post.  I swam behind Jack and he seldom kicked.  He seemed content to use his arms to swim. Still, he did well on air and was pretty good on his buoyancy. Dive Time was 120 minutes, but could have gone another 30 minutes easily.  My SAC rate was 12.18 psi/minute and my RMV was 0.31 ft3/minute.

Leo and I dive the Jacks

I woke up to walk the dog and re-read Leo's email.  I sent him an email saying that I would get in the water at 7:30 am at the Clipper.  Actually, I got to the beach around 7:00 am and waited to see if Leo would show up.  He did.  We geared up and made the surface swim out to the Jacks.  There were Moon Jellies in the water, like yesterday, so we descended a little early to avoid them.  We found the Jacks, nonetheless, had a pleasant dive swimming along them.

 Got a nice shot of an Atlantic Spadefish.

Got this shot of a Bluestriped Grunt.

Got a couple of nice shot of a Cero.

Gray Snapper

 Initial Phase Queen Parrotfish

Juvenile Stoplight Parrotfish.








As we turned the dive and left the Jacks, I looked for my compass and did not have it.  I couldn't remember if I had put it on.  Really.  So I followed Leo in.  Dive Time was 113 minutes;  RMV was 0.4 ft3/minute.

Leo wanted to make a second dive, so I agreed, but we would not make the surface swim to the Jacks.  We descended in the algae patch just East of the swim buoy and made our way slowly to the East.  Must have gotten set to the North because at around 75 minutes we approached the Jacks from the North.  We headed East along the Jacks and then over the sand to the beach.

Got some nice shots of a Midnight Parrotfish.

Followed a Nurse Shark along the Jacks, then he turned and came back and I got this shot.

 Queen Parrotfish

Love the decoration around the eye of this Sharpnose Puffer.

White spotted Filefish


Dive time was 140 minutes; RMV was 0.33 ft3/minute.