Diving the Yankee Clipper Jacks

Turns out the ocean was very calm this morning. Should have made a couple of night dives, but slept in, instead. I got to the parking lot at 7:30 am, geared up. I swam out towards the swim buoy and noticed someone on a board paddling along on his belly. I considered that it might be a lifeguard seeking to force me to turn back, so I sped up. As I crossed the buoy line, Bill Evans said hello from his board.  Nice to see him.  I continued swimming out onto the Algae Patch and descended by a little after 8:00 am.

Visibility was surprisingly good: over 20 ft. Still, it was early and there were not a lot of fish around. I swam slowly East and got lost in my own daydreams. Got turned around once and was going West for who knows how long before I looked at the compass and recognized the problem. Found some shells. Got some pictures.

 Got this shot of a Juvenile French Grunt,

 this shot of a Yellowhead Wrasse,

this action shot of a Yellow Sand Ray,

and this shot of a Smooth Trunkfish.

I spotted an Atlantic Guitarfish on the sand North of the Jacks, but wasn't fast enough to get a picture. We were both startled, but that Guitarfish really shot out of there. I ascended at 1700 psi and 46 minutes, just a bit North of the Jacks.

Water Temperature was 73; consumption was 28.8 psi/minute at an average depth of 20 feet; SAC rate was 17.93 psi/minute and RMV was 0.46 ft3/minute.



Just relaxed on the surface. Sky was overcast, but light. Storm clouds to the South. Tried to change mode on the computer to see the water temperature, but the computer would not do it. Did extend the 5 minute turn over time, so I stayed up for 12 minutes before I got to a new dive. Descended to about 25 feet and swam promptly up to the Jacks. Lots of fish on the Jacks and I got some okay pictures.

Got this shot of a Blue Tang on the Jacks,

and this shot of a Glassyeye Snapper,

Unfortunately, I also found a got this photograph of a Lionfish on the Jacks.

Also got this shot of a Porkfish along the top of the Jacks.


I went up and over the Jacks, then swam West on the South side of the Jacks. Reeled the flag line in, as the line got hung up on the Jacks once.  Left the Jacks with about 1400 psi. Went across the sand then drifted a little South and went slowly across the Algae Patch looking for a little reef squid, but I didn't see anything. Swam across the sand to the beach and came up in 10 feet of water.

Water temperature 71; consumption rate was 26.30 at an average depth of 16 feet; SAC rate was 17.71 and RMV was .46 ft3/minute.