Dive #269 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log
© Copyright 2011 Rich Torkington Mesa, Arizona

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Bottom Time to Date:

236h
54m


Dive Info:

Dive Start:
11:15AM

Bottom Time:
68 minutes

Maximum Depth:
42 feet

Safety Stop:
n/a

Beginning Air:
3000 psi

Ending Air:
600 psi

Weather Conditions:
Windy 84°F

Surface Conditions:
8-10' swells

Surface Water Temperature:
79°F

Bottom Water Temperature:
75°F

Visibility:
40-60 feet

Gas:
Air
269
TITLE
* * * ˝
September 27,
2010
PICKLES
TAVERNIER, FLORIDA, USA
BOAT DIVE, Aquatic Diver
 
Chris
Conch Republic Divers
www.conchrepublicdivers.com
Florida
Lots of grunts
Photo by Rich in Florida 2010 
Florida
Swarms of smallmouth grunts
Photo by Rich in Florida 2010 
Dive Journal: Details of this dive day, September 27, 2010, were captured by Rich at our Buen Camino blogsite http://buencamino1.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/ These dives were completed as a part of our road trip tour of Florida.

No surface interval, the boat motors over to our second site called “Pickles.” In those minutes, Linda’s stomach starts doing cartwheels, and she isn’t the only one. The captain gives the go-ahead to dive, and practically no one moves. Linda soon leans over the side and offers the fish some pre-digested food.

Even so, she’s on the fence whether to dive again. We’ve learned over the years that when the opportunity to dive is upon you, it is good to try to take advantage of it. It is quite a feat really:

  • Be present, trained and ready to dive
  • Have all your equipment with you and in good order
  • Be in the right place ->
  • With the right conditions

Well, three out of four ain’t bad. The conditions today are marginal at best. Linda wisely decides to sit the second dive out. Another female diver is already sick. After some discussion, her husband and I decide to be dive buddies and jump in.

The boat is moored in only 15 feet of water. The swells are even higher here and the surge is strong. Nevertheless, we find our bearing and head over huge fields of sea fans waving in the surge. Once we’re below about 30 feet, the dive finally calms down, and my buddy Chris and I enjoy a very nice 50 minute tour of sand fingers that snake out to deeper waters. Not a whole lot of fish to see, but I’m more comfortable for sure (properly weighted, half dollars gone from mask, regulator adjusted). Enjoyable.

I’m a little anxious returning to the boat, and the surge is still wicked. At one point I momentarily surface to get a bearing on the boat, and have a 12 foot swell crest through me. Yikes!

We examine the “Pickles” wreck site around the mooring, an old skeleton of a ship and some big pickle-barrel-shaped chunks of mortar strewn about, adorned with grunts and parrotfish. Actually pretty cool.

We reboard successfully and find everyone already back. Linda tells me that two other guys dove only 5 minutes and returned to the boat, saying, “We’re getting too beat up out there.”

Linda is green – she’s gotten sick no less than 4 times, and was not the only one. Sitting on the boat moored in these waters had to have been brutal. Still, the surge while diving would likely have been just as bad, and it’s certainly better to get sick above water. Comparitively speaking.

The ride back is smoother with following seas and Linda starts to feel better. At the dive shop, the forecast is for more of the same tomorrow and worsening conditions Wednesday. We decide to cancel unless conditions improve. As Linda states it, it’s not worth $75 to sit on a boat and be miserable.

We return to our room and crash hard. Diving wears you out, and breathing compressed air (instead of nitrox) does the same. Getting pounded by swells and boat ladders tends to wear you out, too. As does regurgitating food.

Note: Details of the entire 2010 Frodia road trip can be found at http://buencamino1.wordpress.com/trips/florida-road-trip-2010/



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Dive
Info:
Fins:
Tusa Xpert Zoom Splitfin
Computer:
Oceanic Veo 200
Tank:
80 ft3 Aluminum
BCD:
SeaQuest Spectrum 4
Dive Type:
BOAT, Aquatic Diver
Body of Water:
Atlantic Ocean
Mask:
Tusa Visio Tri-Ex
Protection:
2mm shortie
Regulator:SeaQuest Spectrum XR2 plus Oceanic Slimline octopus
Weight:
?9 lb, eventually
Water Type:
Salt
Video Equipment:
PowerShot S90 in housing