Night Diving off Catamaran Beach

I got up early this morning and worked on the computer, took the dog for a walk and then headed for the beach. Got in the water and swam out to the swim buoy to descend. Tried to go East, but I must have overcompensated or just turned into the current because I was set well North, although I didn't realize it at the time. I didn't see any turtles this morning. I missed the staghorn coral; missed the swiss cheese section of the reef with all the fish, too.

I did spot this Banded Tube Dwelling Anemone, but it has a short tube and appears affixed to the side of the reef. I ended up on flat sand well to the East. Got into 20 feet of water, but I was at 40 minutes, so I surfaced.
Bottom temperature was 76 degrees; dive time was 41 minutes; consumption was 26.71 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet and my SAC rate was 17.99 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.



Discovered I was almost to the Marriott Courtyard when I got to the surface, so I spent the surface interval swimming South and a bit East, apparently. I dropped down on 20 feet of water, but really didn't recognize anything on the bottom. I went West towards the beach, then changed my mind and headed East. I ran into the North-South running swiss cheese reef with all the fish.

I got this great close up shot of a Smooth Trunkfish, then I continued East looking for the corridor with the Plow Anchor. I thought I found it and headed South but did not find the anchor. I was getting down to 1000 psi, so I surfaced.

Bottom temperature was 76; dive time was 39 minutes; consumption rate was 25.41 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet and my SAC rate was down to 16.77 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

 I swam to the SW towards Tower 4 during the surface interval. Dropped down to 24 feet and headed to the beach. I spotted this Giant Anemone and couldn't resist getting the picture.

I had less than 900 psi in my tank when I finished with the anemone picture and I dropped to the bottom and stayed close to reduce drag. I raced along and almost had a head on collision with a little Purplemouth Moray Eel. I don't know which of us was more frightened. By the time I calmed down and got a shot, though he was headed away from me.

Made it to the white sand and surfaced in about 6 feet of water to regroup and swim in. There was a 3-4 foot step up to the beach. I tried to manage it slowly, but the undertow pulled me back and I lost my footing several times. I tried to get some help from a breaking wave, but there wasn't much lift. I ended up crawling out on my knees.

I threw my fins up on the beach and quickly got upright, but somewhere along the way I injured my left foot. Pretty badly. I could barely walk on it by the time I made the shower. It swelled up like it did on Scubatyme with Ricther. I hoped it would return to normal like it did on the boat, but it was swollen and painful all Friday evening. I still could put no weight on it by Saturday morning, but by 2:00  pm the swelling went down significantly. I stayed off the foot as much as possible, but I went to the shop to fill tanks and by Saturday evening it seemed okay.

Bottom temperature was 76; dive time was only 27 minutes; consumption was 31.30 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet and my SAC rate jumped to 20.66 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Night Diving off Catamaran Beach

Got an early start on the day, but the dog required some attention just before I left and I didn't get to the beach until a little after 5:00 am. Took 10 minutes to gear up, but another 10 to set up the camera and fix the lights for the dive. Got in the water about 5:25 am, but swam out to the swim buoy before descending. Headed East, but kept turning into the current. I missed the staghorn coral and ended up on sand.

I spotted this little guy in a hole on the Swiss Cheese Reef. He was not fond of the strobe, but he sat still as I got three pictures and I moved on while he went back to sleep relatively undisturbed.

This guy was just on the sand and my strobe woke him up. This was the third and final shot I took of him, but it was too much he kept turning and swam away.










I also got some shots of a couple of Banded Tube Dwelling Anemones. They didn't swim away, but after a few strobe flashes, their arms start to curl in on themselves.










Once they curl up, they become just another bit of plant matter on the bottom.


I looked for but did not find any of the small gray octopus a saw a few nights ago. I was just South of the Marriott when I came up for a surface interval.


Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 60 minutes; consumption was 25.98 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet and my SAC rate was 17.50 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.



I spent the 5 minute surface interval swimming to the South, back to the area in which I last found the plow anchor. I descended and looked for the sand corridor, but I didn't find it.

I swam SW and  spotted the little Southern Atlantic Stingray from diving with Carlota and followed it to an area loaded with fish.











Got several pictures of the stingray, who was not particularly frightened by the strobe.

I also got this shot of a little Yellow Sand Ray.


I was down past 1000 psi, so I headed back to the beach. I got to the white sand and surfaced in 6 feet of water to reel in the flag and get out.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 53 minutes; consumption was 25.43 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet and my SAC rate was 16.78 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Diving on the Big Coral Knoll

I got up early, but the dog wanted some attention, so we went for a walk. He was panting so I gave him a haircut. I didn't make it to the beach. I went to Ryan's at 9:00 am to dive with Ashley to finish her open water referral by having her remove her mask, then replace and clear it. After that, we planned to dive on the Big Coral Knoll.

We swam on the surface out to the blocks, where Ashley took her mask off, replaced it and then cleared it. She moved quickly, but she did it.

I got this photo of Ashley after clearing her mask and with her little Bar Jack buddy who would ride her brow wake.

Once she completed her skills, we swam up the gunsight. Good as far as it went. We missed the Cigar Rock and the Gray Mid-way Rock and ended up at the Green Mountainous Coral just West and a little South of the  Perpendicular Rocks. From there we swam easily to the Knoll and made a full circle. The Rock Hind was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she's gone. Too bad.

Took some pictures like this shot of a Blue Tang,

and this shot of a Seaweed Blenny on Irish Thighs.

I liked the goofy grin on this Redband Parrotfish.

Also got this shot of a couple of Spotted Cyphomas, which are not exactly rare but are unusual. Like the Flamingo Tongue, the animal wraps its mantle around the otherwise all white shell. 

We headed back to the beach when Ashley got to 1500 psi. Made the blocks at 1,000 psi in her tank and she got to the beach with 500 psi left. Nice dive, but it could have been a little longer.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 71 minutes; consumption was 27.39 psi/minute at an average depth of 15 feet and my SAC rate was 18.83 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Night Diving off Catamaran Beach then with Marianna Richardson after sunrise

I put a new battery in the camera and made sure the strobe battery was charged then left the apartment without the camera or strobe. So no pictures. Not that I expected that there would be much to photograph, but I had wanted to bring it and photograph some Banded Tube Dwelling Anemones. Once the light hits them, they start to curl into themselves and I don't have a lot of time to get a good shot.

I headed East from the swim buoy and then edged along to the North of the Staghorn Coral to the Swiss Cheese reef with coral heads. Lots of fish and me with no camera. I kept going East looking for the Plow Anchor, but I never found it though there are a couple of sand corridors that fit my recollection, but I never saw the anchor. I came up at 60 minutes to find I was due East of Catamaran Beach, so I should have been in the right spot.

Bottom temperature 78 degrees; dive time 61 minutes; consumption was 30.20 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet and my SAC rate was 20.34 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


After a 5 minute surface interval it was twilight headed to sunrise. I descended to about 20 feet and headed South going to go find the Danforth anchor I dropped near the swim buoy off Tower 3. I had to surface a couple of times to locate the buoy and I was low on air when I finally got there. I thought it would be easy to find the anchor with the chain rode coated in white plastic, but I didn't see it on my first sweep. I started running a U-Shaped pattern going East-West from the buoy pin, but I didn't find it that way, either, and I was running out of air. I abandoned the search and headed back to the beach off Tower 4.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 62 minutes; consumption was 24.37 psi/minute at an average depth of 14 feet and my SAC rate was 17.11 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Once I got back to the truck and out of my gear, I called Marianna and let her know I would be coming to pick her up, except I wanted to run by the apartment first and pick up my camera. I got the camera and I picked up Marianna and got back to the beach around 9:00 am. I even got the first parking spot again.

We geared up and I carried Marianna's gear to the beach for her, which was not how I intended to do things, but it just worked out that way. I had intended to leave my gear at the truck, take her gear to the beach and then go back for mine and get my camera. That didn't happen. So another dive sans camera. We swam on the surface to the swim buoy to descend, then headed NE through the ledge and past the staghorn coral and to the interesting reef filled with fish. I think Marianna was impressed. It was a nice dive. We turned the dive when she hit 1500 psi and headed SW to the beach. Came up in 6 feet of water to control the flagline.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 72 minutes; consumption rate was 22.89 psi/minute at an average depth of 15 feet and my SAC rate was 15.74 on an aluminum 80.

Open Water Dives off Tower 17 with Jeremy, Jessica, Barbara and Ashley

Jessica, Barbara and Jeremy were 10 minutes early arriving at the apartment. We were 15 minutes early getting to Ryan's. Truly amazing. We geared up and headed to the beach, got in the water and made a 40 minute surface swim to the Eastern Ledge off Tower 17.

This is a shot of Jeremy.

This is a shot of Jessica, directing, I think.













This is Barbara.


We kneeled down in 32 feet of water. Jeremy and I made the first alternate air-source ascent. Then Barbara. Then Ashley. Then Jessica. Next we made the CESA. Jeremy and I went first and he did fine: smooth, steady and in control. Then Barbara, but she grabbed her regulator before making the surface. Then Ashley, who was swimming much too quickly and I had to really hold onto the line to slow her down, but she did slow down. Next was  Jessica, who began quite slowly, but picked up as we ascended. Finally, Barbara made another CESA and this time she held on until the surface. Everyone made two good ascents and we headed back to the beach,

I was concerned about the North current and went South to compensate, then I over compensated. Jessica got low on air and swam with me, holding my tank and breathing out of my octopus. As we got into shallow water on white sand, I cut her loose so I could get the flag under control and we surfaced.  We were almost to Tower 16.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; dive time was 63 minutes; consumption was 40.3 psi/minute at an average depth of 19 feet and my SAC rate was 25.58 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


I asked Jeremy to carry the small flag so that we would be in compliance with Ocean Rescue's 1 flag for every 2 divers rule. These guys do have a lot of rules, maybe they are really really stupid and no one wants them to think. Anyway, Jeremy did just fine. Ryan and Ashley did not join us for this dive as Ashley was really tired from the long surface swim and Ryan was hungry.


This little Banded Coral Shrimp was inside one of the three blocks I use as my starting point off Tower 17.





Jeremy, Jessica, Barbara and I swam out to the blocks and descended, then headed up the gunsight, but I never saw Irish Thighs. We were carried North by the current and ended up at the Green Mountainous coral SW of the Perpendicular Rocks. From there, we swam to the Swept Rock and the Big Coral Knoll, where we spotted the Blue Tang.







Got this shot of a Juvenile Creole Wrasse on the East end of the Knoll.

I did not see the Rock Hind on the North side of the Knoll. Hope she's still there. We went around the Knoll once, slowly, then headed over to the Fish Camp Rocks and then back to the beach.

Got this shot of a Flamingo Tongue by the Fish Camp Rocks. The shell, itself, is white. The color and design is provided by the animals mantle, which it wraps around the shell.


Spotted Irish Thighs on the way back, but the Weeping Willow Sea Rod is gone. We go back to the blocks, checked everyone's pressure and then headed North to just past the Sea Rod when we turned West and went to the beach just South of Tower 17.



Bottom temperature was a balmy 80 degrees; dive time was 71 minutes; consumption was 25.94 psi/minute at an average depth of 16 feet and my SAC rate was 17.47 psi/minute on an aluminun 80.