Getting ready for Grand Cayman!

Getting ready for a quick sand/sun/dive trip with the wife to Grand Cayman next weekend. Since this is a combination of relax/dive trip, I will probably only try to get 3 2-tank dives in. We will be staying at the rugged East side of Grand Cayman at "The Reef" Resort, and the reviews of the resort look good. Two operators are close-by, Tortuga Divers (operated by Red Sail) and also Ocean Frontiers. Haven't decided which to dive with yet, more research needed.

Will post a review after I get back.

All for now,

Dive Safe!

Frogfish - Bonaire

Quick post of a nice orange Frogfish perched on two branches of coral I managed to capture near the island of Klein Bonaire near Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.

If you look closely you can see the lure tucked back on his head. (Click picture for larger image)

When diving, Orange is the second color to loose resolution (remember the old adage for the colors of the Rainbow - "Roy G. Biv"). As you dive deeper, it is the same. The colors fade in sequence, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

A flashlight (or a camera strobe) will instantly restore the natural colors. Without a flash, this little guy has perfect camouflage and is almost impossible to detect.

The image below shows the same Frogfish without the benefit of a Camera strobe.

Sample SDI Pre- Dive Briefing

Dive Briefing

(Note - delete/shorten Briefing as necessary based on

Training and Conditions!!, to well - make it Brief!!)

Perform Accountability Check!!

Introduce Staff on Boat

Facilities at the Site
Boat Facilities
o Fire Extinguisher
o Remain seated while traveling & mooring
o Marine Radio
o GPS
o Fire Extinguisher
o First Aid Kit
o DAN Oxygen on-board – certified to use

Area in which the diving will occur
Mooring Line Location
History of Site & UW features
Silty Bottom conditions?
Describe the dive site
o Depth to bottom
o Visibility
o Temperature

Profile
Computer dive!!
_____ Max Depth (stay above Instructor/DM)
_____ Bottom Time

Monitor your gas supply – depletes fast at depth – at 99’, use 4x as much
Remember “Rule of Thirds”
First Diver to hit 1,000 PSI indicate to Instructor or DM by signaling
Back on Boat with 500 psi!
NO DECOMPRESSION DIVING – do not exceed NDL!!
Ascent Procedure – max safe rate is 30 feet/second
3-minute safety stop at 15 feet (10 – 20) mandatory - avoid crowding the line

_____ Surface Interval
_____ 2nd Dive Depth
_____ 2nd Dive Bottom Time

Entry and Exit Procedures
Exiting the Boat
o Carry fins to rear of boat, put on before exit
o Wait for DM OK to exit
o Hand on Mask and Regulator
o Hand on Gauges
o Giant Stride
o OK Sign to DM – clear from Boat
o Buddy Teams
o Swim to mooring line & descend when ready
o Wait at Mooring on Bottom for Instructor before proceeding
o Safety Check
Boarding the Boat
o Do not surface under ladder
o OK to DM after surfacing
o Leave Regulator in Mouth, and Mask on until on Boat
o Positive Buoyancy
o Ensure ladder is clear of divers
o Fins on/Fins Off
o DM will help you to your seat
o Bungee Tank
o (Begin prep for next dive & changeover tanks)

Buddy Team Assignments
Buddy Team Assignments – any diver without Buddy?
Buddy Check - Head to Toe
o Mask
o Air On
o Regulator & Alternate Air supply breathe freely
o All Buckles snapped
o Proper weighting.
o BC - Partially Inflated
o Gauges – Air Pressure
o Computer on – and set for proper Gas Mixture

Hazards
Nitrogen Narcosis - impairment
Caution surfacing
Boats in area
Propeller
Current
Surge

Emergency Procedures
If you feel stressed or tired during the dive, notify the Instructor, and turn the dive.
Surface signal – turn dive immediately
Lost Buddy procedures –1 minute search, then surface
While in water - Recall signal – banging on ladder
Problems on surface – get attention of DMAbandon ship

Ten Commandments for Dive Trips

(Adapted From a Hotel Lobby in St. Martin)

1. Divers shalt not expect to find things as they are at home, for thou hast left home to find things different.
2. Divers shalt not take anything too seriously for a carefree mind is the start of a good dive holiday.
3. Thou shalt not let the other divers get on thy nerves for thou hast paid good money to enjoy thyself.
4. Remember to take half the dive gear as thou thinkest and twice the money.
5. Know at all times where thy passport is for a diver without a passport is a diver without a country.
6. Remember that if divers had been expected to stay in one place we would have been created with roots.
7. Divers shalt not worry for he that worrieth hath no pleasure and few things are that fatal.
8. When in a strange land divers shall be prepared to do somewhat as its people do.
9. Divers shalt not judge the people of a country by a person who hath given thee trouble.
10. Remember thou art a guest in other lands and the diver that treats his host with respect shall be honored.

Dive Safe!

What is the best dive computer?

Another newby asking for help...

Hi everyone. I apologize if this is a redundant topic - I did a brief search, but didn't see any recent posts for such a basic question as mine. I'm a pretty new diver - I have about 40 dives under my belt. I have an extraordinarily busy work schedule, with little time to 'research' dive equipment, but i'm in the market for a good entry level type of computer that I could grow into for casual dive use (eg, for beginner to intermediate divers - I'm probably never going to do mixed gas diving or technical diving - if I do, i'll buy a new computer if needed). I was hoping that some of you may be able to narrow my search by listing 5 to 10 dive computers that would be worth looking into, preferably in the $300 dollar range (a bit more or less is okay). Thanks, in advance!

And my reply:

Some dive computers are more intuitive than others for different people. Therefore - it is hard to make a blanket statement about any computer that would best fit you. I would suggest stopping into your LDS and trying them out. Push the buttons & try the dive planning features. See what you like best (without spending hours reviewing the manuals - the manuals are kind of hard to take underwater anyway). Many of the manufacturers have on-line simulators where you can download and try out how the computers operate before you buy.

Nitrox compatibility up to 40% is almost a standard feature nowadays. Dive downloading (to your PC), deep stops and gas switching are becoming popular extra-cost options, along with wireless transmitters for gas pressure and air consumption
monitoring. Some of the features are out of your price range.

For me, I like the Suunto line. Not only is the information easy to understand, the way the computer works is very similar with all models. Also, the Suunto tissue saturation models are a little more conservative (err of the side of safety) than other manufacturers. Scuba Diving Magazine does regular comparisons of the aggressive vs. conservative nature of the different manufacturers, and I think you will find the results interesting, and this may sway your decision. Can't tell you the specific month/year of the last review - maybe somebody on the board can help. I think the Gekko, and the Vyper might be within striking range of your target price.

Hope this helps, and dive safe!

Do I really need Advanced Open Water (AOW) Training?

Recent question on ScubaBoard:

"Do I really need AOW for diving with charters going to sites for depths below 60'?

Is it common practice to reject divers going for trips to sites deeper than 60' ? I have never encountered this problem so far but would like to know others' experience as I plan to do more charters this year. I do not care about the card I would rather do more dives but the only thing that concerns me is being rejected.

My Reply:

Not to get into a science lesson, but my $0.02:

Breathing compressed air at depth has 2 main negative effects. The first is of course is Nitrogen loading which dictates your time at depth, and the second is Nitrogen Narcosis. Many divers experience Narcosis at about 100+ feet, and diving with a training course will expose you to Narcosis under controlled conditions and allow you to see how you will react.

From Open Water training remember Boyle's Law. As you dive deeper, your air consumption becomes a multiple of your depth (in Atmospheres) times your Surface Air Consumption. This makes monitoring your air supply and consumption even more critical!

Finally - deep diving requires a greater reliance on your buddy and your gear, and starts bringing factors into play such as gear redundancy, self-rescue, and gas management.

A Deep Diver Specialty (with any of the fine agencies) allows you to gain the knowledge and experiences necessary in a controlled environment to handle these situations and understand the risks. It's not about the card.

As to the poster who related stories about Open Water checkout dives on the Mighty O (Aircraft Carrier Oriskany sunk off the coast of Pensacola, FL), many agencies - such as SDI - limit Open Water Training dives to a maximum depth of 60' (for many of the reasons noted above). I would not want to use this for a student's first Open Water dives with a hard bottom waaaay down at 200'+, and a new diver with less than perfect buoyancy!

I'd go for the Deep Diver training!

Can I rent everything at first?

Recent Post on Scubaboard:

"Can I rent everything at first? My wife and I start our first scuba class in Minnesota next week and will be going to Cozumel first week of April for the open water certification dives. We have mask, fins and snorkels and have snorkeled in (off?) Coz. I've read numerous posts saying we should try many kinds of equipment before buying our own. And a number of posts that if you do own equipment, you should take it ion the trip rather than renting on location. My specific question - is there anything (apart from the mask) that we absolutely should buy ahead of time? I believe the fee for the open water dives includes equipment. I expect we'd have to pay a rental fee if we dive more after the certification dives. Thanks!"

My response:

many good points so far. here's my $0.02 for your first big dive trip in 3 major groupings:

Mandatory (take with you):

• Mask, Fins, and Snorkel - always the first set of personal gear recommended!
• Wrist Mounted Dive computer - tracks your personal dive profile and Nitrogen Loading. Essential for multi-day trips with multiple dive operators. Set your personal dive preferences, and know the features & dive planning capabilities!
• Wrist mounted dive compass.
• Safety Sausage & signaling device.
• Mask defog
• Mesh dive bag to haul your stuff!

Optional (Rent until you know what you want & can afford):

• Reg Set (First Stage, Second Stage and Octo).
• BC (often purchased at same time as reg set, and computer).
• Exposure Protection that fits - falls in the priority here closely.
• Lights (start with a small BC mounted, then add a primary). If planning to do night dives on your trip, move this item up to mandatory!
• Knife/cutting device (EMT Shears work great)
• Emergency Kit - first aid kit, O-rings, straps, tools, etc. (Hopefully your operator will have all you need - but you never know.)

Really Optional! (not practical for Travel):

• Tanks - rent! (until you are ready to afford steel!)
• Weights
• Reel(s)
• Spare Mask
• Pony Bottle/Redundant Air Source - for deep dives

Hope this helps.

Dive Safe!

SDI IDC/IEC Instructor Course

Short post to reflect on the Scuba Diving International (SDI) Instructor Development Course (IDC) and Instructor Evaluation Course (IEC) to become an Open Water Scuba Instructor. A colleague and I went through the program together, and in total the Program took 7+ months. with about 80+ hours of class and pool time.

We averaged about 1 class session per week (of about 3 hours), with some weeks more, and some weeks less. The class sessions were very humbling, with the course being conducted by 2 SDI Instructor Trainers that I consider 2 of the best divers & Instructors I have known. The class presentations were sometimes scheduled topics, sometimes unannounced. Emphasis was placed on the SDI Presentation Outline, making sure that the topics and key points were clearly communicated, emphasised, and covered. In addition, special emphasis was placed on the "Big 3" of Advanced Training, Shop sponsored dive trips, and Gear Sales. I have made many management presentations throughout my career, but I will say that the SDI program was especially tough, and I learned a lot about myself, and gained additional confidence that can also be applied to business situations. The class also included the required swimming tests and skill demostrations, and very comprehensive written exam.

Now (finally!) as a certified SDI Instructor it reminds my of my younger days when I went through US Army Airborne School. By the time you got through the training, jumping out of a perfectly good Airplane at 1,500 feet at 130 mph was the easy part. The training is always designed to be harder to prepare you for the situations you may encounter.

I've conducted my first confined water classes with 10 Students with an experienced Instructor "Co-Instructing" with me. As indicated above, I found the experience easier (and less stressful) than the IDC/IEC, and also much more rewarding in the respect of seeing people "coming in off the street" complete the academic and Confined Water portion of the training and gain new skills and self-confidence. Many of the students in my first confined water (CW) class went to the lake this weekend for their Open Water (OW) training with another Instructor, and I look forward to feedback about their preparation in becoming "Certified Divers".

So - as a fledgling Instructor - I would encourage all divers in their quest for advanced training. I also look forward to teaching many more Confined Water and Open Water classes to develop my own methods - taking tips from many of the great Instructors I have worked with. By the way, I also picked up Instructor status for about 10 additional Specialties, such as Deep, Wreck, Navigation, etc.

If you think being a Divemaster or Instructor is in your future - go for it.

Dive Safe.

Long time gone

Has it been seven months? Where have I been? How about diving in Bonaire, and the beautiful Lakes of the Upstate of SC?

Main time consumer is that I have been going through the SDI Instructor IDC & IEC, and after many months, I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel (or is it a train?). I intend to post more reflections on the experience after I have had a chance to fully reflect on the class.

Bottom line - never give up!

More to follow.

Dive Safe!

Lake Jocassee Water Temperature

Quick report from my dives yesterday at the Divers Ramp at Devil's Fork State Park, Lake Jocassee.

• Surface temps in the upper 70's/low 80's.
• Mild thermocline starting at about 20'
• Water temps at my max. depth of 111' at about 55 degrees F. Hood and gloves recommended (unless you really like ice cream headaches!).
• I wore a 7mm with a hooded vest, and was toasty warm.
• If you are planning to dive shallow (say less than 50'), you could probably get away without a hood and gloves - but that is a personal preference. Several people were in shorties.
• Dove fairly early yesterday morning, and not too many other divers. Visibility was stirred up as usual around the guidelines down to about 40 feet. Going beyond the fiberglass boat, Bones family, and past the Cattle Gate into the "Haunted Forest", the vis cleared up considerably. Carried my HID can light, but more for signaling than anything.

Hope you find this useful!

Dive Safe!

Simplified Gas Management for Deep Recreational Diving

Many excellent articles on this subject are available for Technical divers, but I find that many Recreational Courses do not present the basics of Gas Management to the Recreational Diver. The worst case scenario is that you encounter a major problem at deep recreational depths (in my definition between 60 and 130 feet) and find that you do not have a sufficient volume of gas for you and your Buddy to safely manage the problem and ascend to the surface - a potentially dangerous situation!

Given the physics of Boyle's Law, we know that as we dive deeper, our air consumption increases proportionately with depth. So how much gas should be reserved as contingency? Many times, divers are simply told to turn the dive at 1/2 the tank pressure without respect to depth, or the fact that many buddy teams may have different tank sizes. Turning the dive at 1/2 (or even 1/3) of starting tank pressure may be sufficient to a point, but as depths increase this method will most probably not provide a proper safety margin should an underwater emergency occur. It is your responsibility to determine your minimum gas requirements. This is why you are required to sign that Liability Waiver!

For this example, I am considering a body of water such as a Lake with no current, since current significantly changes the calculations and complexity of the situation.

From a high level, the steps should be as follows:

1. Calculate and monitor your Surface Air Consumption (SAC) Rate and Respiratory Minute Volume (RMV). Why? These factors tell you how your air consumption is doing both in psi per minute, and cubic feet per minute under normal - relaxed diving conditions.
2. Determine the stress level RMV for you and your Buddy. This should be a conservative value above your normal RMV.
3. Allow time for problem solving at depth - allow 1 minute at maximum depth
4. Allow time for ascent - assume max ascent rate of 30 feet per minute.
5. Allow time for deep stop - I allow 1 minute at 1/2 max depth.
6. Allow time for safety stop - 3 minutes at an assumed 20 feet.
7. Add the volumes above for each step. This is the Minimum Gas required for emergencies.

The above will determine the amount of gas (in cubic feet) that should be reserved (also referred to as "Rock Bottom") at which time you and your Buddy should start your ascent to the surface. This quantity of gas can then be converted to a pressure for convenience.

And now for the math:

To calculate your personal Surface Air Consumption (SAC) Rate - which expresses air consumption in psi/minute, or Respiratory Minute Volume (RMV) -which expresses the same factor in cubic feet per minute, I recommend to record over the course of several dives your rated tank volume, starting and ending air pressure, average dive depth and dive time. Many dive computers (especially hoseless with integrated pressure sensors) will log this data, and calculate these factors for you automatically. This data will provide you with valuable information about the efficiency of your air consumption - just like gas mileage on a car. With these values, use the following formulas for the calculation of values:

SAC Rate (psi/min) = ((Change in psi)/(Dive Time (min.)) /Avg. Depth (ATA)

RMV Rate (cu. ft./min) = SAC * (Rated Vol. of Tank (cu. ft.) / (Rated Pressure of Tank (psi.)

Why are these calculations necessary? It provides a basis for your personal air requirements. A real example (From one of my deep dives yesterday):

• Rated Tank Volume: 100 cu. ft.
• Rated Pressure: 3447 psi
• Actual Start Pressure: 3400 psi
• Actual End Pressure: 1800 psi
• Max Depth: 111 feet
• Average Depth: 56 feet
• Dive Time = 24 minutes

(By the way - I also carried a 30 cu.ft Pony Bottle with independent Regulator as Bailout)

Therefore:

• SAC Rate(psi/min) = ((Change in psi)/(Dive Time (min.)) /Avg. Depth (ATA)
• SAC Rate (psi/min) = ((3,400-1,800 psi)/(24 min.) /((56'/33')+1 ATA)
• SAC Rate = 24.72 psi/min.

and,

• RMV Rate (cu. ft./min) = SAC * (Rated Vol. of Tank (cu. ft.) / (Rated Pressure of Tank (psi.)
• RMV Rate (cu. ft./min) = 24.72 psi/min * (100 cu. ft.) / (3447 psi.)
• RMV Rate = 0.72 cu. ft./min

Referring to the original steps above, and for a theoretical dive to 120' deep:

1. My normal RMV is about 0.70 cu. ft./min. I personally assume a "Stressed RMV" of 1.0 cu.ft./min. You should evaluate this factor for yourself, and determine your own value. For Buddy and myself, a total RMV of 2.0 cu.ft./min. will be assumed. Note: This is the single most critical factor in this discussion. All other factors are mathematical calculations!!! Some divers use a Stressed RMV of 2.0 cu.ft./min. or higher.
2. Allow time for problem solving at depth - allow 1 minute at maximum depth. 120' = 4.64 ATA x 2.o cu. ft./min = 9.27 cu.ft.
3. Allow time for ascent - 120' - total ascent time = 120'/30'/min. = 4 minutes, average depth = 120'/2 (average depth) = 60 ft. = 2.82 ATA. Air for Ascent = 4 min. * 2.82 ATA * 2.0 cu.ft/min = 22.55 cu.ft.
4. Allow time for deep stop - 120'/2 = 60 ft = 2.82 ATA. Air for deep stop = 2.82 ATA * 2.0 cu.ft./min = 5.64 cu.ft.
5. Allow time for safety stop - 20' = 1.61 ATA * 3 minutes * 2.0 cu.ft./min = 9.64 cu.ft.
6. Finally, Adding all this up, you should get something like 47.09 cu.ft to satisfy the emergency gas requirements for you and your Buddy breathing off 1 tank.
7. Converting to pressure this would be (47.09 cu.ft./100 cu.ft.) * 3,447 psi = 1,623 psi. Assuming you had a full fill to start with, your turn pressure to meet the Rock Bottom Requirements would be 1,824 psi. (3,447 psi - 1,623 psi.). These pressures are often rounded up for ease of memory, and can be recorded on your slate.

If you and your buddy have different tank sizes, it is only step 7 above that is different. Minimum gas requirements are only a function of depth and your air consumption (RMV). This should be calculated for each diver, and communicated to each other before the dive. The first diver to reach this turn pressure should signal to the other diver to turn the dive. This turn signal must be non-negotiable! It is a fairly simple matter to take this data and prepare a table for various depths and tank sizes that can be laminated and carried to the Dive Site.

Hopefully this guide has been easy to follow. Gas Management should be a critical skill for the deep recreational diver. Additional equipment for deep recreational dives such as redundant regulators (via Pony or Bailout Bottles) should also be considered for an additional measure of safety.

(Note: for further reference, please click here)

Dive Safe!

Should you get your Divemaster Certification?

Reply I recently posted on ScubaBoard to a question about the value of Divemaster certification.

This thread has sparked some interesting (and not so interesting) discussion.Why get DM certification? Is it worth it? Can you make any money at it?

Everybody's motivations are different, but there are some common theme's. Personally, I have only had my DM for about a year, and assist with classes about 1 - 2 weekends per month on average. My personal motivation in seeking DM certification was to become a better diver, to be better prepared to handle in-water emergencies, and to learn to deal with people and the problems that can arise in teaching new students to dive.

Is it worth it? Personally - yes. I get a great deal of satisfaction working with students, and seeing the tremendous growth in self-confidence that can happen in just a matter of days. I personally like Open Water training the best - where the student has a chance to demonstrate the skills and really enjoy this great sport of diving. The enthusiasm and excitement of newly certified divers completing their first real open water dives is truly contageous and rewarding.

Can you make money as a DM? Very simply, no. Many DM's get great discounts on gear, air, trips, and other perks, but you cannot make a living as a DM unless you are in a location where your pay (or lack thereof) is strongly supplemented by tips.

To the poster that has made the negative comments about DM training - I would ask what other opportunities does a diver have to increase their knowledge, skills, and ability other than the intensive training (CPR, First Aid, Oxygen Provider, Rescue, etc.) necessary to achieve the DM rating?

The final point I would offer is that the DM certification in itself is not a means to an end. It is only a formal recognition of a basic level of demonstrated performance for the diver, and a stepping-stone to contined education and experience. As the worn out cliché goes "A good diver is always leaning".

Dive Safe!

Review of OxyCheq 30# Mach V Wing

Short review of the Oxycheq 30# wing. My LDS started carrying these wings and I have heard great reviews of them, so I decided to take the plunge. Mounting was easy with my Fred T SS backplate with STA. No issues. Bolt holes matched perfectly. One modification that was necessary was that I had to replace my 30" LP inflator hose with a 22" hose. The OxyCheq Inflator corrugated hose was much shorter than my previous wing, and therefore this was necessary as my old hose was an entanglement hazard.

Now have about 30 dives on the wing, and have been very pleased. The wing makes a very tight package, and I hardly notice that it is on my back. I have sensed considerably less drag in the water, and also a reduced amount of air that has to be be added or purged from the wing. This has resulted in lower air consumption, and a much more stable horizontal diving position in the water.

For reference, I am about 185#, 6', and usually dive fresh water in Lake Jocassee in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina. With a 7mm Bare Arctic, and a HP 100 cubic foot Worthington Steel Tank, I carry no additional lead.

Here are a few shots of the the Wing:

Photo 1: OxyCheq wing in place on Backplate (partially inflated wing to provide better visibility for the picture).

















Photo 2: Front view of wing. Notice K Inflator, and also the amount of wing extending below the backplate. The wing has a "doughnut" shaped bladder, allowing 360 degree transfer of air top and bottom unlike traditional wings.

Photo 3: Back view of wing. Note ScubaPro Cincher Bands (really like these bands by the way - never had them slip).

Conclusion: I really like this wing, I think that it is an affordable, well-made compact single tank wing. 5 out of 5 Seahorses.

Dive safe.

Caribbean Blue

CoCo View Resort

Picture of a Banded Coral Shrimp taken in Roatan, Honduras.

Selected photos from the trip can be found here

Review of Coco View Dive Resort

Roatan, Honduras
July 2007

By Duncan Seaman

In a Coconut shell:

This report is written for the diver considering Coco View Dive Resort (and Roatan) for the first time. Coco View offers excellent value for the serious diver wanting to get the maximum diving for their money. The rooms are clean and basic, and the food is fresh and well prepared. The resort does not offer a lot other than diving, so if you are looking for Beach and nightlife activities - or traveling with a non-diving partner - I would recommend that you look elsewhere.

What I liked:
· Diving – Outstanding Dive Operation
· Food
· Botanical Garden

What I didn’t:
· Bugs (no-see-ums)
· No Beach
· Honduras Customs (Inbound)

The Diving:

That’s what you come to Coco View for!

During the week, the weather generally cooperated and I managed 26 dives. Most days were a 2-tank morning, and 2-tank afternoon boat dives. Each 2-tank dive consisted initially of one of the many sites on the South side, then a drop off dive outside the Resort at either Coco View Wall, or Newman’s wall.

The dive operation is first rate, and highly professional. From the layout of the gear lockers, to the dive boats and crews, things are designed with the serious diver in mind. Although the boats did not always leave exactly on time, it is a well-oiled machine that offers the best value for the diver, and 24/7 shore diving and Nitrox continuously available. Shore diving is an easy entry and exit, with a short walk from the gear lockers into the water.

Marine life is abundant, and during the week our group had sightings of Whale Sharks, Dolphins, Seahorses, a variety of crabs, shrimp, squid, octopus, and a wide assortment of Caribbean Fish. There were several all-day diving excursions offered to the West End and Port Royal. The West End group ended up snorkeling with 2 Whale Sharks (which I unfortunately did not sign up for!), and the Port Royal trip ended up being shortened to a ½ day trip due to weather concerns.

Typical dive profiles were in the 60 to 80 foot range, with many dives lasting about 60 minutes. Diving is varied, and can offer depths in excess of 100’ for the more advanced divers. 32% Nitrox is available (and plentiful) for $6 per tank, or $100 for the week. You can pretty much dive your own profiles on the shore dives, although the DM’s limit the depth & dive time when on the boat to 60 minutes to keep things organized. Also, a lot of the divers really liked the ease of entry back on the boat using the center “Moon Well” ladder on the dive boats.

The Resort:

The Resort is situated on a private island about 20 minute ride from the airport. After transport to a small landing, you take a boat to the island, and begin orientation briefing that lasted about an hour. The resort delivers your luggage to your room, which I thought was a nice touch. After that, they conducted a short orientation dive in the “front yard”, and the wreck of the Prince Albert.

The rooms were basic, but clean. We had an over-water Cabana that was a large open wood-trimmed room, with a private porch overlooking the Caribbean. Since our room was booked as part of a group package, I am not sure of the specific rates for the different room options (Bungalow’s, Cabana’s, vs., Ocean View Rooms) but in general I do not think you can go wrong with any of them. Maid service was daily, with a change of sheets mid-week.

The resort has a small friendly bar (you must try the “Monkey-La-La”) for unwinding in the evenings, and you are provided with a free drink coupon upon arrival. Two evenings they had live entertainment, and also “fire dancers” one night. Most nights the group was in bed fairly early due to the extensive diving, although Willie the bartender was very friendly,

The resort also has wireless Internet in the “Clubhouse”, and also 2 computers with Internet access located near the health spa. The made it easy to keep in touch with the world - if that is what you want to do while you are on vacation! Also FYI - I found the cell phone reception was fine at the Resort with my GSM Cingular world phone.

A short note about the bugs – we used 100% DEET everyday, and still managed several nasty bug bites. We heard an assortment of bug repellant remedies from various guests from Dove soap to herbal lotions with mixed results. So – come prepared. The local critters like foreign blood!

An aerial view of the resort can be found here: http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=16358943&x=-86431841&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

The Food:

I would rate the food at the Resort very good. While not gourmet, the food was fresh and well prepared. Breakfast was typically eggs to order, fresh made waffles, sausage and bacon, and plenty of fresh fruit. Dinner was an excellent main dish (meat, chicken, or fish) with local side dishes. All meals were served in the open-air screened Dining room Buffet style.

One of the nights we had an island cookout with ribs and chicken on the Cay (very good), and another night was Lobster and prime Rib (excellent). The menu is fairly varied, and should suit even the most demanding diets. My wife and I went to a local restaurant (Gio’s) as part of a Resort organized outing, and while the food was good - I would rate the Coco View Lobster dinner better. Dinner at Gio’s ended costing my wife and I about $50.00 each with appetizers and drinks.

The drinking water at the resort is provided in the room in 5 gallon bottles. We had plenty of salad and fresh fruit without concerns about bacteria. Before traveling to Roatan, we did get all the required immunizations, and also Malaria medication as recommended by the CDC.

The Island:

I would recommend the Island tour on Friday Afternoon (since you can’t dive before flying anyway). It consisted of a visit to the Iguana Farm (so-so), the Botanical Garden (very good), and a trip to West End. The West End is basically a dirt road surrounded by dive shops, restaurants, hotels, bars, and gift shops. It reminded me of somewhere you would go on spring break when in college. Nice to visit one-time, but don’t know that I would go back except to hit one of the great Restaurant’s on the water.

The Island tour will give you a better sense of the Local Island culture, and you will find that the Roatan standard of living is low, with many dirt streets and a low level of services available. This is stark contrast to the rolling hills and the natural beauty of the island both above and below the water.

Conclusion:

If you love to dive, dive, dive – Coco View is the place for you. If not, look elsewhere on the island. There is not much else to do at Coco View other than diving since you are pretty well island-locked. The diving is outstanding, and I would consider Coco View an excellent value for the Money.

New Wing!

The best part about Diving is getting new gear! Almost like a kid at Christmas. Anyway, recently purchased a new OxyCheq 30# Mach V wing. I've admired these wings for some time, and since my LDS has finally started carrying the OxyCheq line, I decided to take the plunge. The make of the wing is high quality Black Cordura, with the word "OxyCheq" stitched distinctly down the side of the wing in a bright gold lettering. Compared to my old Deep Outdoors (DO) 34# wing, the OxyCheq seems substantially longer, and much much narrower. In my early days of diving (with my Zeagle Ranger) I used an alternate air source Inflator, but I have long since gone for the more traditional inflator, and a dedicated (bungeed) Alternate Second Stage. The OxyCheq wing has a high quality Power Inflator as part of the package.

After mounting the wing to my backplate and dry fitting to my standard Worthington HP Steel 100 cuft Tank, I found that the bottom of the wing touched the ground, where the DO wing did not ride that low. A nice design feature is that the OxyCheq wing connects on the bottom to make a "doughnut" air bladder configuration. This was one of my complaints with the DO wing, and would allow some off balance air-trapping. Although this was never a major problem, I did feel that this did not help with trim since I often use the rear pull dump (only on one side) when in the horizontal position to manage bouyancy. With the OxyCheq, this bladder connection on the bottom will allow air to flow from one side of the bladder to the other.

One adjustment I had to make as a result of the new OxyCheq Wing to to replace my LP BC inflator hose from my First Stage. My old hose was 30", and this was waaaay too long for the new wing (with shorter corrugated hose). I ended up replacing it with a 22" hose, and this was still maybe an inch or two too long. During my Cavern course earlier this year, a shorter corrugated hose was one change recommended by my NSS-CDS Instructor, Mr. Johnny Richards.

I really like the nice tight package this wing makes, and can't wait to dive it! I will have a good opportunity to fully evaluate the wing since I am getting ready to head to Honduras in two weeks for a much deserved dive trip!

More on the in-water evaluation after I get back.

Until then, dive safe!

Caribbean Blue.

Converting a Sartek Light from Backplate to Belt mount

Finally spent about 30 minutes converting my 10W HID Sartek Cannister Light from Backplate to belt mount (See my previous Blog for SS Quick link connection to Backplate).

Photo 1 - The SS bands have been loosened and removed from the cannister.

Photo 2 - a 10 inch piece of webbing has been cut and the ends burned to prevent fraying.

Photo 3 - The webbing is folded in half, and looped over the top band, and then both ends under the bottom band. Note that the switch (top of light) is to the left on the photo. The SS bands were placed approximately 3 inches apart, and then tightened.

Photo 4 - The Cannister placed on the right side web belt with a second delrin buckle holding the light snug against the right side D-Ring. Light Switch is in the up position.

Photo 5 - Inside of waist belt showing Cannister and second buckle.

The bands may be spaced just a little bit too wide, but after I dive this setup a few times, I will evaluate if the webbling gets too flexible to hold the light firmly in place. If so, I will slide the bottom SS clamp a little closer.

All in all, a very easy conversion.

Dive Safe.

Caribbean Blue

The Bones Family says hello

Shot taken today of the world famous Bones Family at the Divers Ramp - Lake Jocassee, Upstate South Carolina. Did a couple great Solo dives today with the Standard Gear, and Pony bottle.


Conducted thorough pre-dive check (since solo), and gave me an opportunity to practice running guideline, finning and bouyancy. Carried new Sartek light as blogged previously.

Only highlight of the day was when I was reeling in on Dive Number 1, noticed that I seemed to have something tugging on the other end of my guideline. I thought for a second that maybe I might have caught a fish, but you guessed it, some stroke was trying to pull himself along my line.

Remember the guideline rules of etiquitte:

1. If visibility is good, there is no need to ever touch a guideline.
2. You should never pull or tug on a guideline.
3. The guideline is meant as a directional reference, not a means of propulsion.
4. If visibility is bad, you should circle your index finger and thumb around the line, managing your bouyancy by touch contact on the line.
5. Finally, never remove or cut a guideline that you have not personally placed.

Over 3 dives, max depth was about 80', and bottom temperature 61 degrees F. The Bones Family was in full force today, and asked me to pass along the important message above to the diving community!


Until next time - Dive Safe.


Caribbean Blue.

Diving the "Haunted Forest" - Lake Jocassee

Training dive yesterday at the Divers Boat Ramp at Lake Jocassee.

Equipment for the dive as follows;

• Fred T SS Backplate with STA, Hog webbing
• 100 cuft Worthington HP Steel Tank (31% Nitrox)
• 30 cuft AL Pony (slung left side) - Bailout Bottle
• Mk 20/S600/R190 Long hose configuration
• 7mm Bare Fullsuit with Henderson 3mm Hood
• Salvo 400 foot Primary reel
• Brand New Sartek 10W HID Canister Light - more on this later!
• Scubapro Jet Fins
• Suunto Vyper Computer

Dive profile as follows:

• Depth: Max - 130 feet, Average - 68 feet
• Dive time: 33:40
• Temperature: 68 degrees surface, 52 degrees bottom
• SAC Rate: 0.7 SCFM (a little high)

Buddy and I did a training dive yesterday to practice some of the cavern skills from the NSS-CDS course earlier this year (see blog below for review). We started off in the water with a match check, bubble check, S Drill, then checked gas and calculated turn pressure. I was diving a 100 cuft tank, and buddy was diving a 130 cuft, so my turn pressure ruled. Objective was to do a deep dive into the "Haunted Forest" on the North side of the divers boat ramp, and I was going to practice tie-offs and running the guideline. The Divers Boat Ramp is located in Devil's Fork State Park on Lake Jocassee in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina.

First time diving with the new Sartek 10W Canister light with 2 Lithium Batteries (CBPS4.5LIH10MRFS - burn time 8 hours). The light has a high quality industrial feel to it, and all cords, connections, etc. look like they are made for the long run. I believe this light has the new Brightstar bulb, but have not been able to confirm this fact. A lot of discussion and Pro's and Con's about the Brightstar vs. Welch-Allyn bulbs can be found on the web. The light came with 2 110Volt wall chargers, 2 car chargers, and also a light clip and brass snap-link, but no handle. Instruction sheets are bare bones, and included with each of the components. Would be good if they included a little more instruction for the care and feeding of the Li-Ion batteries. Batteries as delivered were nearly full, so just topped them off and connected them for the dive.

I connected the light directly to my backplate with 2 SS links. The band spacing on the light matched the hole spacing on my backplate, so this worked well. I do not like the metal to metal connection in case I need to hand off or ditch the light, but I will eventually change the canister to belt mount when I get some time to reconfigure. Mounted the canister switch down, and was easily able to reach and turn the light on and off. This light has the newer rotating white on/off switch.

I ended up going with the Dive Rite elastic hand mount handle. It was substantially cheaper than Sartek Goodman handle which is made from milled aluminum (about $18 vs. $65). The clip from the handle to the light head light perfectly, if not just a little bit loose. One disappointment was that the dive Rite handle has two screws attaching the clip to the handle, and when I first attached the head to the handle and rotated the head, the exposed screws scratched the black anodized light head. Oh well - knew it would happen sooner or later.

So how does the light work? I bet you were wondering when I would get to this. The light beam at depth is very bright, with a slight bluish tint. The beam was able to penetrate a considerable distance, and it did not pick up much backscatter from the suspended silt particles. The light has a focusable head, and I tried various settings at depth in the woods, but really didn't see much of a substantial difference. I'm sure at night this would be more obvious.

I have read all the debates about Right hand vs. left for carrying the light head, but used the light head on my right hand for the majority of the dive. Even with deploying my Primary reel also in the right hand using my thumb to control line tension, no issue at all with controlling the reel and light together. As you can imagine, reeling the line in was a little more interesting since I was holding the reel in my left hand, and was reeling in with the right. However, since the Salvo reel is "ambidextrous", I may try reeling in with the left hand just for fun. As a side note, I also have an OMS Safety reel, and I find the reeling action of the Salvo reel substantially smoother.

Weighting - just a short comment about this critical topic. With the Pony on the left, and the canister on the right, weighting balance was about right side to side. I was concerned about this initially, and in the end decided against wearing any ballast to offset. If I am wearing the Pony alone, sometimes I will wear a 2 pound weight on the right side to offset. So, no additional weight on this dive.

After reeling in, I was at turn pressure, and Buddy and I turned the dive. Did a slow ascent, deep stop, and safety stop. Finished the dive with about 700 psi. SAC was a little high as noted above, but considering the task loading, depth, and temperature - was OK. Temperature was a brisk 52 degrees (buddy recorded 50 degrees) at depth, but I was fairly warm with the Bare 7mm Arctic Full suit. I have blogged about this before, but this is a great affordable suit with wrist and calf seals inside the suit to limit the water exchange. I was diving 31% Nitrox, so was limited to about 132 feet at 1.6 PPO2. Don't usually like to dive at 1.6, but as the dive profile indicates, was at this depth for a limited time. At depth, minimum NDL time from going into Decompression was 3 minutes, so didn't push it too close to the limit.

Duke Power formed Lake Jocassee in the early 1970’s as they were creating the nearby Oconee Nuclear Plant, and a considerable amount of land and forests were flooded to create this lake (along with Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell). The tree trunks at depth are a stark contrast against the sepia colored water, and give the dive site an interesting composition where you would expect to see the "Headless Horseman" come riding through at any minute. The remaining tree trunks and branches give the site an eerie other world feeling. This interesting contrast is why I like to call this dive site the "Haunted Forest".

Until next time - Dive Safe.

Caribbean Blue.

Diving Lake Jocassee for the first time in 2007

Been a couple of weeks since the last post. Yes I have been diving, but nothing new to report since most dives were at the "Hot Hole" at Lake Keowee.

So - had the opportunity to dive the "Junk" Wreck for the first time in 2007. Our local Dive Shop has finally moved back to Jocassee since it should be warmer - little did we know! The weather was fantastic outside, and one of the best days so far this year. Air temperature was near 80, and only a few clouds in the sky and little winds. Water level at the lake was -1.1' below full pond, which was very unusual. This made the sites about 20 feet deeper than my last dives here in November/December 2006.

We loaded the students on the boat - who were on their second (and final) day of Open Water Certification. Took the short boat ride over to the Junk Wreck. Tied off the boat, completed the dive briefing, then the group splashed in - 6 students, the instuctor, and I was DM'ing for the dive.

Visibility was suprizingly good at about 20' until the students stirred up the bottom!. Max depth was about 65', water temp a brisk 55 degrees, and a total dive time of 22 minutes. All in all a good dive, and we swam around the wreck several times giving the students a chance to acclimate to the depth (and temperature). Just as we were settling in, a student indicated he only had 1000 psi (turn pressure was stated as 1500 psi in the dive briefing!), so we turned the dive. I gave the thumbs up to all students, and directed them back to the line for the acsent and safety stop. After the students turned, I went back to the wreck and did a final sweep to make sure no one left behind. Students did an excellent slow ascent up the line, and safety stop.

Most students had at least 1500 psi left, so we made the short trip over to the rock wall near the Junk, and did a second dive. Considerably shallower here, and I ended up with Max Depth of 42 feet, water temp 57 degrees, and dive time of 23 minutes. I had about 2100 psi left starting the dive (100 cuft steel tank), and really enjoyed this dive. Since the students were technically certified, they were more or less on their own, and I went in and first check the anchor set, then swam to the wall, starting deep, and worked my way up checking the student groups I passed to make sure they were OK and air was holding. Visibility again was very good at about 20 feet, and this was a very peaceful dive and opportunity to work on frog kick and bouyancy. Bouyancy on this dive was about the best I have had. Turned the dive, and navigated underwater to where I thought the boat was, and unbelievably came up at the boat ladder. Considering the depth, low vis, and dive time, this made a great finish to the dive!

Will be back out again soon with the classes, and hope to see you at the Lake!

Dive Safe,

Caribbean Blue.