Monday, 26 August 2019 Search and Recovery Diver off Tower 4

We began with a pre-dive briefing. Cora had reviewed the manual and was familiar with the types of searches described there. I usually had students search for a tire to recover since the tire was large and
there were many of them scattered along the Fort Lauderdale beaches. On a prior dive on the Swiss Cheese Reef, however, I had spotted a small but heavy concrete piece with an eyelet in its center. I showed a picture to Cora and instructed her to find this piece along the Swiss Cheese Reef.

We discussed the type of search pattern that might be used and which one would be most efficient. At first, she suggested an expanding square pattern, but instead of a point, we had a line to search. We agreed that having the five of us swim north on the West side of the reef shelf would be the most efficient method to use. We next worked on tying a Bolan knot to attach the lift bag to the weight. Then we geared up and got in the water.

Because Martha is having trouble with her back, I carry her gear to the water for her and carry it back after the dive. Sometimes it takes me a little longer than others to make the trip first with her gear, then with mine. Nonetheless, we managed. We swam to the buoy line and descended at 8:01 am.

We swam East to the Wrap Around Ledge and continued swimming East over the ledge and across the rubble to the Rock Line and then to the Crescent Moon Rock. changed direction from East to NE to the Giant Barrel Sponges and then to the Staghorn Coral. Went East across the coral to the Sectioned Rock and then North along the Swiss Cheese Reef.

Cora spotted the weight after about 15 minutes. She tied to lift the weight, but could not. She tied a Bolan on the eye hook and then tied the lift bag to that line which was a little more difficult because I deliberately used different diameter lines. I filled the lift bag with air from my regulator. The 50-pound lift bag lifted the weight nicely. Cora put a line on the weight and pulled it along near the surface while we swam along the bottom West to the beach. CS carried the weight out of the water and I struggled to carry it to the truck. I dropped my gear and walked back to help Martha get her gear out of the water and back to the truck.

Bottom time was 50 minutes at a maximum depth of 19.0 feet. My SAC was 16.80 psi/minute and the RMV was .43 ft3/minute.