Open Water Dives 3 and 4 on the Little Coral Knoll

Javier and the girls got to the apartment at 7:30 am, but we sorted through gear for a bit and didn't get to the Park until 8:15 am. Luis was waiting. Leo got there closer to 9:00 am. We geared up and walked to the beach, swam out to the swim buoy and kept swimming on the surface out to the Eastern Ledge. I wanted to find 40 feet of water for the CESA, but the current was to the South despite the North wind. We spent about 30 minutes swimming to the ledge and another 10 or 15 trying to head North.

I finally gave up and we did the ascents from 27 feet. The ascent rate under the RDP table is 60 ft/minute, but Suunto uses a 30 ft/minute rate, so my computer is screaming at me during the controlled emergency swimming ascents. But the students all made the ascents just fine, including the CESAs.

After completing the ascents, we swam West along the bottom to the beach. Got set to the South quite a bit, but we made the beach.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 62 minutes; consumption rate was 31.74 psi/minute at an average depth of 18 feet and my SAC rate was 20.54 psi/minute on an aluminum 80

Leo lead the dive to the Little Coral Knoll. We swam on the surface out to the swim buoy, then descended on the Big Rock. I got this shot of a Spotted Scorpionfish on the Rock.

I also got this shot of a Porkfish on top of the Rock.

Then we all headed to the smaller rock and I got this shot of a Gray Angelfish along the way.

This is the Giant Anemone on the smaller rock just South of the Big Rock off Tower 15.


From the smaller rock, I sort of wandered along my landmark path past the knee high coral, the decorated sea rod and to the Sand Sea. At the Sand Sea, I looked back saw that the students were following me, not Leo. We went across the Sand Sea and then South to the counter weight then 120 degrees past the bare sea rod, the red and green coral but then, of course, I missed the knoll. We were close, so I poked my head up and saw Leo's flag. We swam that way and found the knoll.


We hovered over the knoll for a while, and I got this shot of a Bicolor Damselfish.

and this shot of a White Grunt on the knoll.

Leo headed off to the Porthole Rocks with the students. I followed and noticed that he no longer had the flag. I caught him and asked, but he had not noticed it was missing. I went up again and spotted it about 20 yards North, so I swam after it. Once I caught it, I swam South, hoping to meet up with the group, which I did.








We went back to the knoll for a bit, then swam in to the beach. Spotted a little Green Sea Turtle as we got to the white sand and I got this shot.

Nice dive.



Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 92 minutes, consumption was 24.82 psi/minute at an average depth of 14 feet and my SAC rate was 17.42 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Open Water Dives 1 and 2 with Arantxa and Carlota

Carlota and Arantxa got a little lost and were about 10 minutes late when they got to the apartment. We packed up and headed to the beach. Carlota started off with 11 pounds, should have been 12, but one of the black packets was 2 and not 3 pounds. She was also concerned about getting in the water. She was breathing through her regulator while just swimming on the surface. Arantxa had 10 pounds. By 9:00 am, we had reached the swim buoy and descended. Carlota just sank, but Arantxa had trouble descending. She made it, slowly, and we headed off to the NE.

The current moved us right along and the girls stuck pretty close, though Arantxa would often strike out on her own only to stop and find we were swimming in a different direction. Arantxa was too light. I picked up some rocks for her to carry and though she was initially confused, she soon figured it out. The extra weight helped considerably and she relaxed more in the water.





Carlota spotted a little Southern Atlantic Stingray.










We also found a ledge with the two large Porcupinefish, which buzzed all around me this morning.


Before the algae flats, Arantxa ran out of air, but came to me and took my octopus. She also held onto my tank but was off to the side so I could kick. We made it to the beach.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 69 minutes; consumption rate was 32.94 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet and my SAC rate was 22.19 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


As we were swimming out to the swim buoy for our second dive, Colata spotted a Tarpon swimming beneath us and quickly asked what it was. I got my head in the water as it swam by. I haven't seen one of them for a while now.

I was more aware of the current and my need to adjust for it on this dive. The current was a little stronger.  We swam out quite a ways then stopped on the sand and went through the skills. Swam a bit more and took the gear off and put it back on underwater. Both women were competent and calm. Nice to see.

We turned the dive when Carlota hit 1600 psi and headed to the beach. It seemed to take forever to get to there, but that may be because we were swimming hard against the current and ended up in front of Tower 2 instead of Tower 4.

This time, Arantxa had another 2 pounds of weight and did not spend so much time and energy trying to stay down. She did much better on air. Colata seemed like she was light at the end of the dive, but was doing well for the first 2/3rds of the dive. We had taken only one pound off her: from 11 to 10 pounds. She has a shorty suit under the 1.5 mm skin, but she has no body fat to speak of. I think it is her breathing.

Bottom temperature was still 78 degrees; dive time was 81 minutes; consumption was down to 30.30 psi/minute at an average depth of 18 feet and my SAC rate was 19.60 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Looking for the Plow Anchor

Woke up about 3:30 am, spent time checking email and watching TV. Decided I'd rather walk the dog than head to the beach for some night dives, so that is what I did.

I went to the beach around 8:00 am and got in the water a few minutes later. Swam out to the swim buoy off Tower 4. On the way out, I saw a rainbow over the beach and I shot this picture. Then I descended and swam off to the NE. Went through a ledge with lots of fish and life.

 I got this shot of a Christmas Tree Worm on Fire Coral,

and this shot of an Initial Phase Redband Parrotfish,


After the ledge, I was on the sand. I swam due North for a while looking for familiar topography. Got to 40 minutes and surfaced to find that I was North of the Marriott.


Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption rate was 27.50 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet and my SAC rate was 27.50 psi/minute on an Aluminum 80.


During the surface interval, I swam South and got South of the Marriott, though I was still well North of Tower 4. I descended to about 25 feet of water on a large sandy area. From there, I continued South or Southwest taking pictures and looking for shells.

Got this shot of a Dusky Jawfish,

and ths shot of a Juvenile Cocoa Damselfish,

and this shot of a Queen Angelfish.






Bottom temperature remained at 78 degrees, though I frequently saw 79 degrees on my computer; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption was 25.82 psi/minute at an average depth of 21 feet and my SAC rate was 15.78 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Diving off Catamaran Beach

Woke up about 3:30 am, spent time checking email and watching TV. Decided I'd rather walk the dog than head to the beach for some night dives, so I did. Went to the beach around 8:00 am and got in the water a few minutes later. Swam out to the swim buoy off Tower 4, descended and then swam off to the NE. Went through the ledge with lots of fish, but ended up on the sand, so I swam due North for a while looking for some rocks and fish. Got to 40 minutes and surfaced to find that I was North of the Marriot Courtyard.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption rate was 27.50 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet and my SAC rate was 27.50 psi/minute on an Aluminum 80.


During the surface interval, I swam South and got South of the Marriot, though I was still well North of Tower 4. I descended to about 25 feet of water on a large sandy area. From there, I continued South or Southwest taking pictures and looking for shells. Found a nice Gaudy Natica, but not at all as large as the one I found yesterday. As I reached 40 minutes, I surfaced to find I was NE of Tower 4.

Bottom temperature remained at 78 degrees, though I frequently saw 79 degrees on my computer; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption was 25.82 psi/minute at an average depth of 21 feet and my SAC rate was 15.78 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Searching for the Plow Anchor

Got up early, but decided against any night dives, so I waited and got to the beach a little before 8:00 am. It does not look as if any work was done tearing down the Tortuga Music Festival. Only the North 1/3 of the parking lot is open. The beach was worked over, but the ocean is full of beer cans and bottles. Great. What a waste of time and effort. Looked kind of bumpy, so I decided not to take the camera. I swam out to the swim buoy and descended. I spotted a Green Sea Turtle tucked up under the reef and swam over to look. The turtle was calm, but pulled back to stick its head up and watch me. I headed NE, just picking my way along the bottom looking for shells and hoping to locate the anchor. I was North of where I should have been, almost all the way to the Marriot Courtyard. I did not find the anchor, but saw lots of reef fish.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption rate was 26.43 psi/minute at an average depth of 19 feet and my SAC rate was 16.77 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Descended to 24 feet at the end of my 5-minute surface interval. Thought about swimming South, but decided to drift with the current and maybe swim West, too, looking for more shells, and I found a huge Gaudy Natica, among many other shells. went far enough North that I found the roped umbrella bases. I did not find the anchor. Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption rate was 24.40 psi/minute at an average depth of 22 feet and my SAC rate was 14.64 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.