I met AK in the South Beach Parking Lot. We geared up, got in the water and swam on the surface out to the swim buoy. There appeared to be a South surface current from the North wind, but the current was headed North on the bottom. We swam East, but the bearing was 300 degrees to adjust for current set. We ended up right at the Jacks. Had a nice leisurely swim along the South side of the Jacks and came back most of the way on the North side, but there weren't many fish on the North side, so we crossed over. Then swam into the beach. AK had just enough air and I was down to 500 psi when we got there.
Water temperature was 75 degrees; Dive Time was 95 minutes; consumption rate at an average depth of 16 feet was 28.18 psi/minute; SAC rate was 18.98 psi/minute; and RMV was 0.49 ft3/minute.
A continuing log of dives and commentary on items of interest to students at Cordova Diving.
25 December 2014
23 December 2014
AK and I dive the Little Coral Knoll
AK and her parents are back from their cruise and she's going to join me diving this morning. They got to the apartment a few minutes late. I had guessed at the gear she would need and she tried it on, but she only tried on one fin and turns out we had three 5-6 fins and only one 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 fin. Of course, that one larger fin was the only one she tried on.
We loaded up her gear and drove to the park, geared up at the truck and walked to the beach. We walked out into the water, but AK had trouble putting on her second fin. I tried to move her out into deeper water and get her to descend, but she resisted and wanted to stand in shallow water. While we're having this discussion, the current is moving us North. So we move back in and stand in shallow water while the waves break over us and she struggles with her fin. I suggest we just go back to the beach, but she just gets more determined. She gets both fins off and discovers that one is smaller than the other. So she puts the small one on first and then the larger and we're off, but we have lost position in the water and need to swim South to get to the swim buoy. We do.
We descend, but I see that we have drifted near to the smaller rock, so we go there and get back on track. Swim to the knee-high coral and across the sand sea then to the counter-weight and to the knoll. Visibility is getting poorer. Not a lot of life on the knoll and not much sunlight this morning. Looked pretty dull. We go East to the tiny knoll and the comfortable coral, but not a lot of life there, either, and between the lack of sunlight and sand in the water the visibility was terrible. We went back to the knoll and then off to the Porthole Rocks, but no eels there today. No turtles, either. We went back to the knoll and she was down to half a tank so we went back to the smaller rock, up to the Big Rock and West to the beach.
Water temperature was 75 degrees; Dive Time was 73 minutes; consumption rate at an average depth of 17 feet was 27.27 psi/minute; SAC rate was 18.00 psi/minute; and RMV was 0.46 ft3/minute.
We loaded up her gear and drove to the park, geared up at the truck and walked to the beach. We walked out into the water, but AK had trouble putting on her second fin. I tried to move her out into deeper water and get her to descend, but she resisted and wanted to stand in shallow water. While we're having this discussion, the current is moving us North. So we move back in and stand in shallow water while the waves break over us and she struggles with her fin. I suggest we just go back to the beach, but she just gets more determined. She gets both fins off and discovers that one is smaller than the other. So she puts the small one on first and then the larger and we're off, but we have lost position in the water and need to swim South to get to the swim buoy. We do.
We descend, but I see that we have drifted near to the smaller rock, so we go there and get back on track. Swim to the knee-high coral and across the sand sea then to the counter-weight and to the knoll. Visibility is getting poorer. Not a lot of life on the knoll and not much sunlight this morning. Looked pretty dull. We go East to the tiny knoll and the comfortable coral, but not a lot of life there, either, and between the lack of sunlight and sand in the water the visibility was terrible. We went back to the knoll and then off to the Porthole Rocks, but no eels there today. No turtles, either. We went back to the knoll and she was down to half a tank so we went back to the smaller rock, up to the Big Rock and West to the beach.
Water temperature was 75 degrees; Dive Time was 73 minutes; consumption rate at an average depth of 17 feet was 27.27 psi/minute; SAC rate was 18.00 psi/minute; and RMV was 0.46 ft3/minute.
22 December 2014
Solo Dive on the Little Coral Knoll
I changed the battery in my computer, so it was working just fine. I got to the Hugh Taylor Birch State Park about 8:40 am and parked a little closer to the gate. I geared up and walked down, but a woman said the gate was locked and it was only 8:53 am, so I waited. Then I also noticed that only one side was locked. The other side was held in place by a pin, but I lifted the pin, opened the gate and went through. Walked to the water and got in.
Swam out to the swim buoy. Visibility was okay and I could see the Big Rock, so I descended and swam to it. From there, I went South to the smaller rock, then 130 degrees to the knee high coral, the dead sea rod, and I saw a little green turtle swimming by as I approached the sand sea. I crossed, found the group of dead rods and went South to the counterweight. From there, I went at 130 degrees and tried to compensate for the current. Found the bare rods, the two rocks North of the Dog Rock and the red and green coral. I continued on the 130 degree bearing and found the little knoll. Explored a bit to the East, then headed over to the Porthole Rocks, which are about to lose their porthole. Came back and explored to the East some more then I was down to 1000 psi so I headed back the way I came and swam in to the beach. Saw several eels and a large blenny I did not recognize.
I bought a new camera and it's here, but I need to set it up and I really need to get it insured.
Water temperature was 75 degrees; Dive Time was 104 minutes; consumption rate at an average depth of 18 feet was 17.00 psi/minute; SAC rate was 17.47 psi/minute; RMV was .45 ft3/minute.
Swam out to the swim buoy. Visibility was okay and I could see the Big Rock, so I descended and swam to it. From there, I went South to the smaller rock, then 130 degrees to the knee high coral, the dead sea rod, and I saw a little green turtle swimming by as I approached the sand sea. I crossed, found the group of dead rods and went South to the counterweight. From there, I went at 130 degrees and tried to compensate for the current. Found the bare rods, the two rocks North of the Dog Rock and the red and green coral. I continued on the 130 degree bearing and found the little knoll. Explored a bit to the East, then headed over to the Porthole Rocks, which are about to lose their porthole. Came back and explored to the East some more then I was down to 1000 psi so I headed back the way I came and swam in to the beach. Saw several eels and a large blenny I did not recognize.
I bought a new camera and it's here, but I need to set it up and I really need to get it insured.
Water temperature was 75 degrees; Dive Time was 104 minutes; consumption rate at an average depth of 18 feet was 17.00 psi/minute; SAC rate was 17.47 psi/minute; RMV was .45 ft3/minute.
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