I was the last group to go in and dive and heard reports of great viz and lobstermania...I did not bring my camera out today since this is a wreck for digging and hunting. After I splashed the viz on the top was horrible but started opening up after the thermocline. I estimate the viz to be about 25'-30', I could clearly see the wreck at 68' and divers on the bottom. This is really great for this wreck which is a garbage barge sunk on top of another garbage barge. There was no need for a wreck reel this dive (yeah) and immediately once I reach the bottom I saw bottles. I grabbed a few bottles and started seeing lobsters. I was pointing them out for my buddies to grab them. During the lobster grabbing battles the wreck silted up pretty good which is typical, this wreck is very silty. I decided to leave the silted in area and head out on my own in the opposite direction. I found some pieces of china and another bottle and then I saw it...Giant eyes staring at me, it appeared to be a giant flounder staring at me. I was yelling in my regulator look at that hugggeee flounder..Of course I was alone and no spear. I contemplated stabbing it with my knife but, I did not want to risk missing it. Then out of no where came Nick whom had a spear. I was trying to show him where the flounder was but, he had so many lobsters in his hand he could not bag them all so he grabbed my bag to put some lobsters in it. He then speared the flounder for me and it took three of us to get it in my bag since my bag was not big enough for it. I was so excited...bottles, lobster and flounder all in one dive.
After all that excitement I swam around looking for more bottles. I noted that the bottom temp was warm...60 degrees, it was 72 on my hang. I checked my time and I was into deco and didn't want to hang forever so I headed up. I did my hang in the terrible no viz area, although it was toasty warm. I completed my required deco and was doing my personal extra safety hang when BANG, I heard a loud POP and air was flowing out of my tank. I did not know exactly what blew and there was no one else hanging with me to help. I was in 20' of water and thought I may have seconds before I ran out of air so I surfaced. Turns out my low pressure regulator hose blew! Thank God this happened after my deco and in only 20 of water. I typically close my center valve on my manifold and today I did this which, is why I was still able to breathe during my ascent, the hose that blew was on the other tank and regulator that I was not breathing on. If this happened on the bottom, I still would have had a separate source of air and regulator to get me to the surface. I knew there was a reason for my dive today...I am planning on diving the Texcel, Varanger, and other deeper wrecks next week, good thing this did not happen on one of those dives!!! This low pressure hose blow gives me time to make repair and to check all my other hoses prior to next week. It also was a reminder to make sure I keep my center valve on the manifold closed on those deeper dives in case something like this were to happen. I can undo my harness strap and close my valves but when this happens, those tanks empty much quicker than I could close a valve.
There was a lot of lobsters boated today and I am sorry that we did not take photos along with all the bottles found. I did take a photo of our bottles ..
I was kind of in a rush after I got in since today was also Christmas in July at the sandbar with all my friends. I wanted to get home drop off my dive stuff and hop on my boat to head out to the sandbar for our big barbeque. Given how hot it was, it sure was a nice way to end the day out there relaxing with my best friends! The sunset was beautiful too!!!
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| The tide coming in on our Christmas in July party! |
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