Diving Social Events and More Old Dive Logs

It was a busy weekend in terms of socializing with other divers. I attended Women of Northeast Wreck Diving presented by Steve and Maureen Langevan at the NJ Maritime Museum on Friday night. They presented their documentary about the women wreck divers such as Evelyn Dudas, Sally Wharman, Janet Kieser and Deb Whitcraft whom paved the way so to speak for other women divers. I think the fact that sticks in my mind the most is that Evelyn Dudas dove the Andrea Doria with no pressure gauge. I cannot even fathom that.. There was a common thread among theses women divers in which they were all inspired to get involved with diving because of a special man in in their lives. Yet it is the "men" that created so many obstacles for these women. I could totally relate to that because there are special people whom inspired me to continue to dive all these years and yet they also have compromised my diving at times. The presentation was well done and had a great sense of humor about it. It was a nice night out and I finally got Bill to the museum to see our artifacts on display. We have a light and porthole from the Sea Girt Wreck, swing plate from the Brian C and china from the SS Mohawk on display. I am working on getting some more artifacts and photos to the museum, I'd rather have them there for many to enjoy than sitting in my garage or attic.




I also attended Ocean Wreck Divers Flea Market on Sunday in an attempt to sell some of our older gear. We sold a UK light but then ended up spending more money than we made. We got two small up-line spools and another pair of mitts. It was more of an excuse to get out and see some dive friends in the middle of the winter. Helen Bilinski and I were noticing that the crowd did not consist of divers from the younger generation which is bothersome. Who will the next wreck diving adventurists be, if we don't get younger divers involved in diving? I think its is mostly a result of the economy coupled with the inflated prices of dive gear. It seems to be much more expensive to start out diving than it did when I was a teenager. Which is exactly why I expected to see younger divers at the flea market trying to get a bargain. I hope this industry re-cooperates and the days of boats full of divers returns!

I decided to add a few more dive logs for fun:

First Lady (Horizon Dive Boat) 7/1/90
Depth 100', 23 minutes of Bottom time
"In-tack clamer, artificial reef, tons of mussels and large black fish, real nice wreck"

San Jose (Horizon Dive Boat) 7/1/90
Depth 112', 32 minutes of Bottom time
"wreck was in a circular shape, good visibility and lots of bugs"
I don't know what I was looking at back then to think it is was circular???

A.C.Wescott Barge-Artificial Reef (Horizon Dive Boat) 7/22/90
Depth 71', 29 minutes of Bottom time
"Square barge, sea squirts an anemones. I got my first bug in a tire (6lbs). Good photography wreck."
My dive buddy was Dave Keller (Killer) and he helped me to get this large lobster. I know there is a picture out there somewhere of "Dave and I" holding the lobster together. I sure would love to have a copy, if anyone comes across it. I remember this day fondly because Dave was and still is such a nice guy and he wasted his dive helping me tackle this lobster. I was proud of myself for getting that bug...I am not talented at harvesting lobsters and that was my largest one.




SS Mohawk (Sea Lion) 9/18/90
Depth 79', 39 minutes of Bottom time
"I circled around the entire wreck and then dug for china. I got pieces of china, a leather shoe sole, pieces of a toilet. I couldn't find the anchor so I did my Deep Diver objective: ascent using my spool tied off to the bottom. It wasn't difficult but the seas were calm and there was no current." On my second dive to this wreck I found a piece of a serving dish, piece of china with a flag on it (there was a "C" inside the flag), and pieces of crystal. During this dive I ended up going into decompression and ended up hanging extra long because I was cold.

Arundo (Sea Lion) 7/10/91
Depth 130', Bottom time-20 minutes, 22 minute safety stop
"Lots of flounder and poison fish on the wreck and portholes. I got my first case of nitrogen narcosis and felt like I was going to pass out and go to sleep. It occurred half way through the dive".
2nd dive on Arundo:
Bottom time 20 minutes
"I went inside a large piece of wreckage and found 2 portholes near the anchor line. Bill didn't have enough time to get all the bolts off, it'll wait till we return another day".

Sea Hag (Robin dive boat) 7/14/91
Depth 90', Bottom time-27 minutes, 15 minute safety stop
30-40' visibility
"Great visibility, we were in the bow where a room caved in. Lots of beautiful sea anemones, fish and mussels. easy wreck to navigate and I liked it a lot".

Resor (Robin dive boat) 8/11/91
Depth 130', Bottom time-22 minutes, 30' visibility
Dive buddy: Barb Mortenson
"Hooked into stern where there was plenty of places to penetrate the wreck. There were 3 backing plates near the big entrance"
2nd Dive: "My buddy Barb got stuck in a lobster hole and thank God I was swimming by. I saved her life, it took a lot to get her out of the hole and it put me over my time limit and into a long decompression. We also had to pull the anchor...The hang was hard and I was very low on air".

I still think of this dive a lot and I am so thankful that I swam by and noticed that Barb needed help. If I was not there and alert, Barb would not be here today. I was forever shaken up by this dive and I hope that someone would do the same for me if I needed help. We never really expressed fully to other divers exactly what happened because both of us were so scared, instead we joked about it but, in reality, it was very serious. Barb has not been diving in recent years but, we keep in touch and we both know I was her guardian angel that day. This event also changed the way I dove, I realized that I must be self sufficient because I may not be so lucky to have someone swim by and help me out if I was in trouble. I became very aware of staying away from areas that I could get hung up on and made sure I was proficient in using my equipment to save myself if need be. It gives me chills to think about this day especially knowing it could have turned out very differently. We were very, very fortunate..

Since my last post I made the decision to go to the Cook Islands with Pangaea Explorations.
Link: Pangaea Explorations
It was a huge decision for me but, you only live once, and I really wanted to go dive, photograph and experience the pristine reefs of the South Pacific. Yesterday, they contacted me and advised that they were changing up the itinary and were only going to the island of Rarotonga and will not be visiting the other 7 islands as they originally planned. I was crushed to say the least and decided to pass on the trip. They did extend the invitation for me to participate in the portion of the expedition which covers the northern Cook Islands to Christmas Island near Hawaii. I am still contemplating this but, the timing is an issue with my schedule. A diver that inspires my diving advised me a few months ago to go and dive the world. I thought this was my chance...I guess the universe has different plans for me.

The Long Winter

Well its been a while since I wrote about diving and this has been and continues to be a long snowy winter. I actually like the snow and all the fun that it brings like snow shoeing, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling but, this year I've only had the opportunity to snowshoe and hike. I am trying to getaway at least once to ski but so far time has been an issue. A long weekend in Vermont is calling my name..I'll make it happen somehow!

I have been busy planing for the upcoming dive season. Like I said at the end of 2010, so many opportunities are knocking at my door and they just keep on coming. I was wondering why all of sudden these dive opportunities have arrived? Is it because I love to dive so much that I spread this aurora out to the universe and these opportunities find me, is it because I'm at that stage in my life that I have more time to devote to diving and realize what a gift it is to be able to dive, or is it because I've inspired others to learn to dive and this is my gift in return? I don't know but, it certainly makes it hard to pick and choose.

I am very interested in going on the Cook Island expedition with Liquid Productions LLC, given my marine science back round, my love of diving, and photography, this trip would be a dream come true. I of course feel guilty at the thought of going on such an extravagant trip without the kids so, I have been paralyzed on whether or not I should bite the bullet and just go. All of my friends are telling me to go and I really, really want to go but...I have that guilt especially when college tuition is right around the corner for the kids and it would also damper my chance to upgrade to a rebreather. I need to decide soon so stay tuned..

http://www.liquidproductionsllc.com/index.php/home/1-latest/49-the-ultimate-south-pacific-adventure

I have already booked some dives on the Independence II out of Cape May to the N. Pacific and the S-5 and hopefully this year the weather will be more cooperative. I am also on a few of their dives out of Manasquan Inlet to the Tolten, Maurice Tracey, and Resor. I have two separate invites for diving wrecks out of Hatteras, NC and I was personally looking into chartering a boat myself in June. I need to figure out what to do with NC and finalize it. Last year the weather did not allow me to dive when I was in NC so I am determined to go on at least one trip. Lastly, I am taking Trimix and I am trying to plan a trip to the St. Lawrence River to do the dives. Of course in between all of these trips I will continue to dive NJ wrecks such as the Varanger, Arundo, Cayru, Montgomery, Champion, Offshore Paddlewheeler, India Arrow, and many more wrecks or snags that are seldom visited. I know all to well that there will be those secret epic dives that come about so I am envious to see where they will lead me.

This winter I have been volunteering at the NJ Maritime Museum with my son, Matthew and have really enjoyed my time there. It gives me the chance to learn more about so many wrecks and to find new ones to dive. Plus Matt and I have met so many interesting people there that inspire both of us. This museum is a true reflection of Deb Whitcraft's time and dedication to maritime history and is also a reflection of what a remarkable person she is. I only wish I had more time to volunteer!

http://www.museumofnjmh.com/

I have to admit that it is kind of hard to think of diving when there is snow on the ground but, if I don't plan in advance what I intend to dive it won't happen. What can I say, I lead a very busy and exciting life! In fact, as I write this blog, I should be doing my Financial Management homework for Grad school but, I needed a break from number crunching and my thoughts always lead to diving. I have scanned in some old photos and I'll continue to post old photos over the next few months!


American Conger Eel (Conger oceania)


Planehead Filefish (Stephanlepis hispidus)


Me in my old Parkway Drysuit and Dacor Gauge (this gauge worked up until last year, about 21 years, I got my money's worth!)


Brian C


Pink Hearted Hydroid (Tubulaia spp.)


Northern Stony Coral (Astrangia danae)
This coral can survive in low light conditions and temperatures of the N. Atlantic unlike most other corals. It is a filter feeder similar to sea anemones. This photos is with the polyps extended.


Frilled Anemone (Metridium senile)



The Dive Boat in Guanja Honduras, 1993


Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatas)
These cute guys often swim vertically to blend in with the coral.





A really healthy reef in Guanja, Honduras 1993


Sea Urchins (Echinoidea) amongst the Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis)

I thought I'd post some old dive trip reports, check it out in the previous post. Be Safe!

Old Dive Logs

I thought it would be fun to look at how I described some of my earlier dives in terms of what I saw, diving techniques, what boats etc. Some of the wrecks are now called different names and I'll try to determine what their recent names if I can. It is apparent in looking back that I dove a lot (2-3 times a week) and slowly progressed to more difficult dives, nothing was rushed. Good lesson to learn. I also dove very conservatively. I am thankful now that I have these dive logs even though I felt it was mundane to fill them out back then, hence why some logs do not have much detail. My memory is not what it was and without these logs, the memories of these dives would be gone.

San Saba (Good Times dive boat via Triton Divers) 7/6/87
This was my first NJ wreck dive!!!
Conditions: VERY cold, calm, good dive, Depth 75 feet
23 minutes bottom time, dive 1 and 20 minutes bottom time,
dive 2
"retrieved artifacts!! Buttons and Jelly Jars"
"extremely cold"

Stern of Gulftrade (Goodtimes dive boat via Triton Divers) 5/30/88
Objective: To get lobsters
First dive in my new Fathom Wetsuit
Conditions: Poor Visibility, Depth 88 feet
25 Minutes bottom time
"lots of mussels, good sightseeing & photography wreck"
"new wetsuit was incredibly warm, good investment"

San Diego (Wahoo with Capt. Steve Bielenda out of Long Island) 7/22/89
Depth 110 feet
"Intact turtled wreck, penetrated wreck, good visibility, Great Dive!"
2nd dive: "1st Decompression dive, long 25 minute hang"

Aqua-artificial reef 8/15/89
Depth 80 feet
Bottom time 25 minutes, 10' visibility
"Wreck was intact, 2 ladders opening to the engine room blown out, Good Dive"

Duane, Islamorada, Florida (Lady Cyana Divers) 4/2/90
Depth 95'
Bottom time 22 minutes, Bottom temp. 75 degrees
"New wreck, not much marine life, intact, water temp was wonderful, lots of barracuda"
I went to the Keys to dive wrecks by myself, pretty courageous for a young 24 year old I might say.

Tolten (Robin II) 8/15/90
Depth 95', Bottom time 34 minutes, 30' visibility
"Great visibility, huge wreck, BEST DIVE EVER, definitely go back, lots of small lobsters, tried for 2 but missed them"

Farrel (Sea Lion dive boat with George Hoffman) 9/15/90
Objective: To complete one of my wreck diving objectives for my Wreck Diver class
Conditions: 10' visibility, Depth 50'
"Intact tug, penetrated tug using buddy at the entrance with a light technique. This wreck is the sister tug of the Patrice McAllister"
I believe they now call this the William Farrel.

Cry Baby Clammer (either Horizon or Bob Meimbrese's dive boat) 9/90
Deep Dive Objective
27 Minutes bottom time. Depth 68 feet
"Did a 25 minute free hang at 15'. I saw a brass window but a beam was behind it preventing it from being freed. Lots of Mussels, I dove this wreck the previous year as a second dive to the Jacob Jones."

Sea Girt (Bob Meimbrese's boat out of Brigantine) 9/20/90
70' deep; 45 minute bottom time dive 1 and 30 minute bottom time dive 2
20' visibility
"Intact clammer that sank, Bill tried to get a porthole on dive 1 but failed, he got brass horns and a box. Lots of cables to get hung up on, lots of fish and portholes!" "Got swing plate, light and small bell. Sent up my own lift bag with light and bell" "All together everyone got 7 portholes, 2 swing plates, red lantern, compass and box, cage light, bell; some portholes were small and cute."

 This was a day I will never forget, it was shared with Bob Meimbrese, Bill Dixon, Tina Held, and Dave Keller. In another post, I will someday tell the 20 year twist of fate story about this dive, all I can say is diving really connects people together for life.



Varanger (28 mile wreck) 7/7/91 (Down Deep dive boat)
145' deep, Bottom time 21 minutes, bottom temp. 60 degrees, 40-50' visibility
"My first real deep dive and I found no effects of nitrogen narcosis. This wreck is huge with lots of sea anemones and marine life. Wreck stood up so high it looks like a building"
This is a dive I have never forgotten and every time I dive it I think the same thing, what a massive wreck. This is a wreck that has grown to be one of my favorites. I should try and figure out exactly how many times I have dove this wreck over the years, I know it is a lot and its always an adventure.