Tuesday, 2 July 2019, 4th OW Dive on the Fish Camp Rocks

During our 45-minute surface interval, we again discussed Stefano's buoyancy and his use of his breathing to control that buoyancy. I am concerned that at the end of a dive when he should be 4 to 5 pounds lighter than he was at the beginning of the dive, he has difficulty hovering at depth and floating at the surface. Having beaten that particular horse again, we geared up and got in the water.

Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) 

We swam out to the blocks then due East to the gun sight, to the Cigar Rock and to the Gray Mid-Way Rock, except we got set to the North by overcompensating for a mild South current. We skirted the Big Coral Knoll then headed South to the Fish Camp Rocks.

Lesser Electric Ray (Narcine brasiliensis)

On the way to the Rocks, I spotted and photographed a Lesser Electric Ray (Narcine brasiliensis). This is only the third time I have seen this animal and the first time I have seen it off Tower 17. Before I have seen it off Tower 4.

Lesser Electric Ray (Narcine brasiliensis)

Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) 

 At the Rocks I spotted this Christmas Tree Worm and the following common reef fish.

Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) 

Spotted Goatfish (Pseudupeneus maculatus)

 White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) 

Caesar Grunt (Haemulon carbonarium) 

Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) 

Juvenile Yellowtail Damselfish (Micropathodon chrysurus) 

Spanish Grunt (Haemulon macrostomum) 

Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)  

The Bottom time on our dive was 75 minutes and the maximum depth was 19.8 feet. My SAC was 17.64 psi//minute and the RMV was 0.46 cubic foot per minute. 

Tuesday, 2 July 2019 3rd OW dive to the Ledge off Tower 17

Martha and I drove to the Point of Americas to pick up Stefano. I had called him and asked him to let the guards know we were coming. He did and we got right in. Drove to the building, picked up Stefano and drove up to Tower 17. Geared up and got in the water at 7:25 am.









Swam out to the Ledge and I descended to tie off the flag line. Signaled Martha and Stefano descended. I had spoken earlier with Stefano and suggested that we breathe up the water column during the alternate air source ascent.  We tried, but he simply wouldn't rise, so we swam up.

Went down again and made a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Stefano swam right along and we took a full minute to surface.









We went back down. I untied the flag line. We signaled Martha and we all swam North along the edge of the reef until I found the narrow ravine that should have led us to the Big Coral Knoll. We went up that ravine looking for the Big Coral Knoll but did not find it. We swam West to the beach.

The dive time was 56 minutes and the maximum depth was 34.5 feet. My SAC was 19.29 psi/minute and the RVM was 0.50 cubic feet/minute.

Monday, 1 July 2019, 2nd OW Dive off Tower 4

During the surface interval, we discussed Stefano's buoyancy and gas consumption rate. He waved his arms while diving, which only increased his consumption rate. He seemed well-weighted, so I'm hoping that making him aware of it will permit him to stop it. 

The second dive was meant to perform the skills, so we swam on the surface to the buoy to descend, which Stefano did well. We went back over the Wrap Around Ledge,, over the rubble to the Rock Line and the tire, then to the Cresent Moon Rock and NE to the Barrel Sponges and the Staghorn Coral. We turned North at the Sectioned Rock and swam along the Swiss Cheese Reef but stopped at an open bit of sand creeping up to the reef.

Stefano and I went through the skills while Martha looked for shells. As in the pool yesterday, Stefano could not hover. We swapped weights, my 2-pound weights for his 3-pound weights. With only 8 pounds on, he could barely initiate a hover not unlike how I could hover carrying 12 pounds.

We continued North along the reef and found a small Purplemouth Moray Eel and lots of fish. We also spotted a lone Nurse Shark who cut back and forth across our line of travel twice. Wish I had the camera. I lost Stefano several times and would look right, then left then spot him immediately above me. I was a little concerned that he was light, but his trim was good. He again signaled that he was ready to turn the dive and we did. We surfaced just past the buoy line and swam in. I had to put air in my BCD to float. He floated naturally. Need to try hovering again.

The dive was 70 minutes and to a maximum depth of 19.8 feet.  My SAC remained virtually the same at 16.28 psi per minute and the RMV was 0.42 cubic feet per minute.

Monday, 1 July 2019 1 st OW Dive off Tower 4

Martha and I got to the Point of America's compound but did not know Stefano's last name or the number of his apartment. We bluffed our way in, anyway, and then called Stefano, who came down to meet us. We drove over to the parking lot off A1A and parked on the East side of the lot to avoid a large truck parked across several spots on the West side of the lot. We geared up.

I set Stefano up with 10 pounds of weight: two 3s and two 2s so I could swap weights to change his weights if I needed. I had him sit on the bottom and he seemed heavy enough so we descended at 7:44 am in 8 feet of water and swam along the bottom to the buoy. Stefano did well clearing his ears. We swam up to the Wrap Around Ledge and then swam South along the edge to the large coral head them swam back North again. We went over the ledge and the rubble to the Rock Line and North to the tire. At the tire, we turned East and swam to the Crescent Moon Rock and ENE to the Giant Barrel Sponges and finally the staghorn coral with all the fish.

I think Stefano enjoyed the dive and he seemed to be well-weighted. We went North along the reef, but Stefano soon signaled to me that he was at 1200 psi. We turned the dive and swam back along the staghorn coral, over the sand flat to the rock line and back to the beach. Since it was before 10:00 am and before the lifeguards were on duty, we continued swimming almost to the beach and got out.

The dive was 60 minutes long to a maximum depth of 20.8 feet.  My SAC was 16.79 psi/minute and my RMV was .43 cubic feet per minute.

Friday, 28 June 2019 Martha and I dive the Swiss Cheese Reef

Intermediate Gray Angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) 

The weather forecast was not particularly encouraging, but Martha and I wanted to dive so we headed to Tower 4 and the Swiss Cheese Reef. We got to the beach at 7:05 am and were swimming out to the buoy by 7:20 am. We descended at 7:33 am.

Yellowfin Mojarra (Gerres cinereus)

Spent some time getting photographs along the Wrap Around Ledge then went over the Ledge and across the rubble to the Rock Line. Turned to the North at the Rock line and swam to the Tire where we turned East and swam across the sand flat to the Crescent Moon Rock. From there we continued East onto the next bit of rubble and then traveled NE past some Giant Barrel Sponges and then the Staghorn Coral.

Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) 

Juvenile Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus) 

Juvenile Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)

Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres gamoti) 

There were lots of Grunts and other fish on the Staghorn Coral. Got some photographs of Graysbys and a Yellowhead Wrasse.

Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentatus) 

We headed due East to the Sectioned Rock and then turned North to swim along the Swiss Cheese Reef.

Fighting White Grunts (Haemulon plumierii)

Got several pictures of some White Grunts fighting.

Fighting White Grunts (Haemulon plumierii)

Fighting White Grunts (Haemulon plumierii)

Juvenile Highhat (Pareques acuminatus)

We were doing well on air usage and ended up making a 140 minute dive to a maximum depth of 19.3 ft.  SAC was 13.63 psi/minute and an RMV of 0.35 cubic feet per minute.