Maurice Tracey 6-12-11

Today I went out on the Independence II with Helen Bilinski and the Diversion Group (10 divers) to dive the wreck called the Maurice Tracey.  The Maurice Tracey was a steam powered collier.  She sank on June 17, 1944 almost 67 years ago to the day when she was rammed by the liberty ship, Jesse Billingsley.  Today the wreck sits in 70' of water.

Superstructure of the wreck

We were all hoping for good conditions today since the crew of the Indy indicated that the seas were snotty the day before and it appeared that the winds had calmed.  It did calm a bit but, there were still some large swells that made the boat rock n roll.  Once we anchored over the Maurice Tracey it wasn't bad at all but, a few of the divers opted not to dive due to the sea conditions.  Like I have said before, this boat has a set up that makes it easier to dive in rougher conditions because once you do a giant stride off the back you are at the carolina rig leading right down to about 25'. Even today, with a pretty good current and large swells, it isn't difficult to get under and out of the angry sea on the surface.  Once I was under it was apparent that the great visibility that has been prevalent this summer is still here.  It was a quick descent to the bottom and Dan Martinez had tied us into a high piece of superstructure.  The vis was about 20' or more, a little cloudy, a small surge, and the most apparent thing was that the water was much warmer, I had 53 degrees on the bottom and 58 degrees on the surface.  It is amazing how an increase in a few degrees makes a world of difference.

This wreck has two large boilers with lots of low lying wreckage around them.  I was taking photos again but notices that this wreck was kind of mute when it comes to color.  There is a type of hydroid that has blanketed this wreck completely and gives it that grayish color.  I believe the vegetation is known as garland hydroid, but I am not positive, in any event it is not the best for photos.

Garland Hydroids (Sertularia) blanketing this wreck

I swam out past the boilers and went out in the sand looking for smaller pieces of the wreckage.  I thoroughly enjoyed my dive especially since I was warm, I poked around, looked at the large sea bass and smaller bergals and also tried to locate some lobster.  I guess toward the end of my dive I was enjoying taking my photos so much that Capt. Dan was poking me in the head with his spear and I didn't even notice.  He couldn't believe that I didn't feel him poking me...I ended up with about 30 minutes on the bottom before I went up.  I only brought 1 set of tanks with me today so I made sure I left enough air for a second dive.  I used about 1000 psi during my 30 minute dive and hang...not bad.  Once I was up on the surface, the lobsters and speared sea bass started coming on board.  The lobsters were all a decent size and it was nice to see quite a few caught.  Everyone enjoyed their dive.  Today there was a barbeque of hot dogs and Helen's famous peorgies.  One of the reasons I enjoy diving with this group is the food, there is always lots of food.

Northern Stoney Coral

There was a smaller crowd that did a second dive, I think there was only 4 of us that went in.  I tried to convince those that sat out on dive #1 that it is worth going in but I didn't get any takers.  My second dive I headed further out into the sand and ended up out in the extreme stern of the wreck.  I tried to take some photos of the large sea bass but since everyone was spearing fish they were real skidish and made it almost impossible to get close enough for a good photo.  Their coloration is really rich in blues this year and would make for a cool picture.  Maybe next time.  I ended up with a little shorter dive, 25 minutes because I was cold but it was great.  More lobsters and fish were boated and everyone had something for dinner.

Pink Hearted Hydroid

As Helen said, I was the female representative today, since I was the only female that made it into the water.  I was happy to take on that role!!!.  While out diving today, I was missing my daughter's horse jumping competition and I wanted very much to be there with her. She placed first in one event and second in the other two.  I am so proud of her.  Sometimes I feel guilty being out diving while missing important events with the kids but, I think it teaches them to be independent and that life goes on without mom around.  I know they admire my diving and they know how happy it makes me so, they too see and learn from my example.  In the end its a win-win for all.

Me coming up from another awesome dive!!

Always Smiling!!

 Well, not sure when my next dive is as of yet, I'm taking off for a week of wilderness canoeing in Ontario, Canada.  Til my next wreck diving adventure...Be Safe!

San Jose on the Atlantus 6-6-11

Captain Brian Larsen of the Atlantus Charters called me just a few days ago and asked if I wanted to join him to check out some numbers and go diving for fun.  I told him I was diving on Sunday, June 5th and didn't think I would be able to get air to be able to dive with him.  We actually have 8 sets of doubles but most of them were empty....  Well, the nice guy that Capt. Brian is, he said he'd hook me up with some tanks.  So I decided what the heck, I'll leave my responsibilities of the real world behind and go diving for a second day in a row. It turned out that since the dive on the Pinta yesterday was so shallow, I was able to do two dives on one set of doubles so, I had another set to bring with me today. We headed out later than usual so we could all sleep in a little, and when we broke the inlet there was hardly a ripple in the ocean.  It was an eerie flat calm.  We went to check out numbers for two wrecks and found something small but, in the end decided to head over to the San Jose since it was the closest wreck to where we were.

The San Jose was a passenger freighter that no sits in 110' of water.  It sunk in January 1942 when it collided with the Santa Elisa. It is a great dive for artifacts, lobster and fish.

When we arrived at the wreck the Miss AC was on it with a fishing charter but, they were on the extreme southern end of the wreck so there was plenty of room for us to anchor up and Capt. Collette had no problem sharing the wreck.  Since there was only a few of us today, Tim, Henry, Mike, Capt. Brian and I, I was in the second team to dive.  The reports from the first group in were of awesome vis and what a great dive.  Capt. Brian and I splashed together and I was taking my camera and he was going to spear fish.  The vis on the bottom was again about 30',  seems to be the norm everywhere this week.  It was cold though, another day of 43 degrees.  Yesterday I lost one of my flash diffusers so as I settled in take some pictures of this wreck, I was getting bright spots in the photos, that coupled with the fact that this wreck is a little deeper than yesterday's dive and thus a little less natural light, I was finding it hard to get a decent photo.  I didn't spend too much time fussing with the camera, I just took off looking for artifacts.  I have been on this wreck so many times and I never seem to orient myself but today with this vis, I was able to cover some ground and get a feel for the layout.  I call it a messy wreck because there is just pipes and things everywhere.  When I surfaced it was so hard to believe that the day before, I was in such a 4'-6' sloppy sea and today, it was so calm, no current, and the diving was almost effortless.  In fact, during the surface interval they were all fishing and it felt like you were not even on a boat.

Hmmm...some diver must of taken a valve from here on a past dive...

Henry came up from his second dive telling us that he found some brass which we quickly named "Irish Gold". He left it at the anchor and asked Capt. Brian to send it up and they could share the artifact, 1/2 the year at one house and 1/2 at the other, they even negotiated weekends and holidays.  So, as Capt. Brian and I splashed for our second dive, I left my camera on board, I was going to check out the wreck some more and then, we were sending the artifact up the anchor line before we went up.  Henry found a large pipe valve that said "Luxenheim" on it.  It was a nice find!  I of course found nothing :(

I wish I was able to take better pictures of this wreck but, I inherently have bad luck with photos on this wreck.  It is a silty wreck and even with good vis, the silt always compromises the photos. Maybe someday it'll work out and I'll get some decent photos of it.

Both dives today were so relaxing and carefree, but that wasn't only from the great conditions in the ocean it is the auroa of the Atlantus Dive Boat.  It is always a laid back good time on that boat.  I was just one of those perfect days to play hookey from all your responsibilities.

Mike

Tim

Capt. Brian Larsen, Henry & Mike with the "Irish Gold"

 I am supposed to head out again this week to the Maurice Tracey and I hope the conditions prevail.  This is going to be one outstanding dive season if these conditions hold up.  Once I got home, I got another invite to play hookey next week..hmmm do I do it again???

Flat Calm!!

Pinta 6-5-11 on The Independence II

Photo of me on the Pinta taken by Alek Peterson

So many baby mussels!

                                     Today the forecast was for 2'-3' seas and I was scheduled to go on the Independence II to the wreck of the Tolten.  I have fond memories of past dives to this wreck and was really excited to go back to it especially with my newer camera.  When we headed out of the inlet we were not greeted by 2'-3' seas but rather 4' seas with close periods and as we headed towards the Tolten the seas grew larger.  After a lengthy discussion and vote by those who were warranted as having voting rights, we changed the destination first to the Gulftrade Stern then, we completely switched directions and went to the Pinta.  I tried to dive this wreck at the end of last year and ended up going for a boat ride to the wreck because when I jumped in my regulator would not stop free flowing therefore, I never made it to the bottom.  I have heard from a lot of people that this is a great wreck to dive.

The Pinta was a Dutch freighter carrying teak lumber on May 8, 1963 when it was struck broadside by a British freighter, SS City of Perth.  Today the Pinta remains partially intact and it is very easy to navigate.  Once we arrived at the Pinta I lagged behind the other divers so I that I could get a visibility report and it was reported that there was great vis.  I was planning on only doing one longer dive since it was pretty rough and I felt pretty beat up from the ride out there.  This wreck is in about 80 feet of water so I figured I could stay until I got cold.  As soon as I splashed I could see that the vis was just incredible.  I cruised around the wreck for a few minutes to orient myself and then settled in to take some photos.  This wreck is so full of marine life and it is just beautiful to look at.  Alek Petersen and I were both taking photos so I took a few of him and he took a few of me and then we parted to focus on shooting the wreck.  Since the vis was about 25'-30' my pictures appeared to be coming out well.  The bottom temp was 43 degrees so my plan of doing a longer dive was not going to work out because after 20 minutes I could no longer feel my fingers.  I do wish the North Atlantic would warm up just a few degrees.  Once I was back on the boat most of us came back with issues of frozen fingers. As you can see by my photos, this is a pretty wreck!

 

Since the conditions on the bottom were so awesome and the surface conditions were awful, I decided to go ahead and do a second dive.  The vis improved even more...I was at a depth of 46' and I could see Alek on the wreck.  I spent the second dive taking more photos and exploring this interesting wreck.  This is definitely a wreck that I'd like to visit again..There are both low lying areas and areas of high relief.  It is just a neat wreck and I like it a lot.  The ride home was smoother sailing and I am now pumped for my dive out of Atlantic City tomorrow!!!!  There will also be a lot more photos posted on my facebook..

Alek Petersenhh

Alek & Igor

1st Dive of my 25th Year as a Diver- "The Arundo"

After diving so many wrecks over the past 25 years, I still get quite nervous in the days leading up to my 1st dive of the season.  I guess in a way it is a good thing, because it makes me think through my dive and all the what- ifs and also to take a good look at my equipment and modify things that did not work well the year before.  This year is no different as I sat at my sons' baseball game on Saturday, I was thinking through my dive plan.  I had planned to splash earlier in the season on some shallower dives to work out the kinks but, the weather did not cooperate with my plans.  So here we are, my 1st dive of the year to the Arundo.  Last year I had a fantastic dive on this wreck and I was confident that today would be another great dive to this historic wreck.  I planned to buddy up with Susan Martini  and Aaron Snow and also planned to do a nice and easy short dive, no camera, just go down breath, look at some fish and come back safe.

Well, as we broke the inlet it was not the 2'-3' seas as predicted in the weather forecast, it was rough and we were taking large waves over the bow.  Captain Dan was determined to make it to the Arundo so we continued on and it actually got calmer as we were further offshore.  Captain Dan made a good call because once we were anchored up it was not bad at all.  Reports of the first few divers in said the vis was decent so I was excited for my dive.  I splashed ahead of Sue and Aaron and took it nice an slow going down.  It got pretty cold once I was below 50' and my darn drysuit was leaking in my back zipper and also in my boots...this is not good.  I quickly remembered the end of last season that I determined it is time for a new drysuit, well I am shopping for one now, for sure.  Once I was on the bottom I couldn't believe how good the vis was (20' or better) and what great ambient light there was for this early in the year.  This put me at ease and I actually did not travel too far from the anchor line, sticking to my plan to just check out my equipment, breathe and look at the fish.  However, there were little or no fish, I saw one large taugue and that was it.  I did not recognize where we were on the wreck, it appears we were at the extreme end of the wreck and there was large links of chain so I assume it was the bow but, I am not sure.  There were lots of pieces that rose quite high off the bottom and also some piping that looked like a prop-shaft so, maybe we were in the stern, I don't know it remains is a mystery to me.  My dive buddies went out into the sand to gather scallops and I chose to hang out in my peaceful environment.  I didn't last long, after about 15 minutes in 43 degree water, I was freezing and wet so up I went.  My hang was uneventful but it was warm, 54 degrees.  Others reported large dogfish swimming all around them but, I did not see any.

As I surfaced Brandon, crew member extraordinaire, was there too take my bag and swing bottle as I climbed the ladder with ease.  I became really cold on the surface and was soaked, I opted to skip the second dive.  This is a habit on mine in the early season, do just one dive.  However, I really do regret not going back in today because it is not often that you have good conditions on this wreck since it is in the mudhole.

The boat was packed full today and most of the divers came back with bags full of scallops and some of Anthony's students came back with some bottles.  This wreck was carrying 5,000 cases of beer bottles so there are lots of  bottles to be found and it is a great momento from your dive.   This was a truly great day to be out diving.  Here is a great video that Brandon McWilliams shot which shows the beautiful conditions we had out there:
Video of the Arundo 5/22/11 by Brandon McWilliams

I must, at this point talk about the Independence II, their Captain's, and crew.  I have been diving on this boat over the years and there have been numerous improvements made each year and I think now, they nearly have it perfect!  The carolina line system is the best I've ever used and all boats should incorporate a set up like theirs.  It sure beats swimming on the surface to the anchor line in rough seas, to be able to jump in and have the line right next to your entry bringing you down 25' is wonderful.  It also makes for a very pleasant decompression hang.  There is always someone on this boat to help you suit up or get out of the water plus they keep very consistent and accurate track of everyone's run-time, time in and out and they check to make sure no one has exceeded their due back time.  Its one thing to keep track of everyone's run-times which lots of boats do but, it is even more important that you follow each divers schedule so that if someone is over due even by a minute or two you are ready to jump in and check on the delayed diver.  This can help to save lives!!  I also like the safety sausage requirement where as everyone must have one and send it up only if you need help, they will then send a diver in for assistance.  This boat is very roomy and clean, even the bathroom is clean which is hard to find out there on dive boats.  Thanks to everyone that worked this trip today with such professionalism,  Sean and Sue Martini, Brandon McWilliams (aka Purple, Pink and Lime Green dude), Aaron Snow (professional Rain-ex window cleaner), Capt. Bill Trent and of course Capt. Dan Bartone.  Looking forward to many trips out this year on the Independence II.

I still cannot believe all the diving that I have done over the past 25 years and quite often wonder why I continue to dive year after year.  I think the excitement that leads up to the dive and the curiosity of what I will find or see on each dive drives me to continue. Its also the people that I have met along the way that inevitably end up enriching my life which continues each year. I need intellectual stimulation in my life and I find that divers are typically on the same intellectual wavelength as I.  I usually learn a lot of interesting things from simple conversing amoung divers.  I hope that all of my instructors over the years realize that what they have taught me is carried through each and every dive and I will always be grateful for the things they have taught me and also their inspiration.  I have lost touch with most of my instructors over the years but, perhaps they will find this blog and be proud of my accomplishments that began with them.

I have so much planned for this special year, a week of North Carolina wreck diving, diving wrecks in the St. Lawrence seaway, and also being able to spend time photographing my favorite local wrecks off of NJ such as the Northern Pacific, Varanger, Cayru, Max's Wreck, Tolten, Maurice Tracey, S-5 and many more to be added.  Sooo, Let's go Wreck Diving 2011!!

Be Safe and Happy!

Happy Dive Birthday to Me!!!

Today is my birthday and I was excited to get a pair of Diving Concepts dive mitts as a gift from the kids. They are the old fashioned 3 finger lobster claw type that I swear is the only thing that keeps my hands marginally warm. I have been looking for a new pair of these for a few years and they found them!!! This gift is motivating me to get ready to do some diving in the near future. This is going to be a great year in terms of diving for me and I can't wait for that first dive!

Cool Change

This is a little off topic but, definitely related to my wreck diving adventures. I work a second job in the winter as a corporate tax accountant which involves long tedious hours and is mentally exhaustive. I do it because it provides funds for my diving adventures throughout the year. Well today, when I was so worn out and questioning why I keep this tiring job, the song Cool Change came on the radio. It immediately reminded me why I am working so hard...to be able to spend more time diving under the sea. This song gave me the strength to get through another tough day at work and dream of dive adventures to come. The words to this song are very meaningful to me and it also happens to be one of those songs that is often in my mind during a dive. I don't think it was a coincidence that this song came on the radio when I needed to hear it.

While we all share diving together, when you are underwater you are truly alone with nothing but your thoughts and breathing..it brings me such peace. I know when I go diving for the first time this year I'll be humming this song and thinking, I'm glad I worked all those hours so I can be here right now, enjoying another amazing NJ Wreck Dive!

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.

End of 2010 Dive Season

Me on the Moonstone this year!

On Sunday, Nov. 28th I planned to do one more peaceful NJ dive before the long winter sets in. I awoke to a 26 degree clear morning and realized it was going to be a cold one! So, I figured it would be better to wait until the sun is up and let it warm up a little before heading out. We went out under breathless seas, so calm... but, it was still very cold (low 40's). The surface water temp was 44 degrees with almost no surface vis. Lots of particulate matter was floating in the water column. At this point I was freezing, I really feel the cold these days. Therefore, there was no way I could get in the water. So when there is no diving what else do you do? Go Striper fishing! I did not catch any fish but, got to watch an amazing show put on by two very large gray seals. They swam around the boat checking us out and played together as if they were wrestling each other. I tried so hard to get a good photo of them but every time I clicked the camera, under they went. So in the end, I did get a last peaceful day out in the ocean, it wasn't diving but, it was still invaluable time spent out on the Atlantic Ocean with marine life.

Two seals in the distance

As another NJ Wreck diving season comes to a close, I am feeling sad that there will be no diving for the long winter. This season was a tough one between constant blown-out dives and when the dives did go, that ever persistent green water with 0 visibility greatly hampered my joy of taking photographs. All in all, I still managed to complete 28 dives to wrecks such as the Varanger, Arundo, Southern Lilian, Max's Wreck (Montgomery), Yellow Flag, Moonstone, Offshore Paddlewheeler, 9 Minute Barge, Dry Dock, Conway, Pinta, Wellington, John Marvin, Patrice McAllister, San Jose, Double East and the Gloria. Some of the epic dives to the Cayru, Northern Pacific, Durley Chine and Oil Wreck were blown out repeated times and the Varanger, well I was blown out 6 times to it but did manage to dive it once this year. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to safely complete so many dives this year!

Just as this year's season was winding down, I was invited to dive on some new dive boats and also some new opportunities in the diving community are opening up for me. I was recently asked to model for a photographer on some NJ wrecks which I am really excited about. I do not have a lot of photos of me diving and always relish at the opportunity to be in some photos or video. It seems I am always the one taking the photos and not the model. I hope things work out and I get some awesome pictures of me on a wreck!

Over the winter I will post some more old photos similar to last year, it brings me a lot of pride looking over the older photos and remembering all that I have accomplished. I think I may also post some old trip reports from the pre-computer era. I am also going to spend time trying out some rebreathers. I've narrowed my choices down to the Meg and Kiss. I am still saving my pennies for a rebreather and since I have such a hard time getting air fills, it seems it will be worth the investment for my kind of diving. There were definitely some missed opportunities resulting in not being able to get fills in time this season. I also will be purchasing a new drysuit. Its time for my Bare drysuit to go to neopreme heaven.

In looking ahead, the 2011 dive season will be my 25th year as a diver! I cannot believe that I have been diving for 25 years!!! I can still remember becoming a certified PADI diver at Diver's Way in Long Island. I did my checkout dives in the Long Island Sound along the north fork in a town called Greenport. I had to lug all my gear down this huge hill, the current was ripping, the water was cold, and you couldn't see a thing. I completed 6 dives in these conditions over a few days and perform drills like buddy breathing, ditch n dong your equipment, remove your mask and put it back on etc. I still don't know why I actually stuck it out but, I did. I guess after this season not much has changed in all these years, the water is still cold, the vis is low, and sometimes the current is ripping. After I became certified I spent 6 months in St. Croix, USVI at college and dove almost every day...I was living the easy leisurely diver lifestyle and enjoyed a lot of 151 Cruzan rum too! It wasn't until July of 1987 that I actually dove on my first NJ wreck, the San Saba, I got jelly jars and buttons on my first dive. It was such a thrill to find artifacts on my first NJ wreck dive. I was hooked and the rest is history!

I have met so many inspiring divers over the years and also lost a few too. I have to tell you that it is not always so easy to keep up with the macho men that find their way onto the many dive boats. Sometimes I have been knocked down pretty hard by the most unsuspected divers and dive leaders. I am a sensitive person but, I somehow gather up the strength to continue on and keep on diving. Many people tell me that I am sooo strong, well, that's just on the outside. Those trips that I was not permitted on because I was a girl, only prepared me for greater dive adventures that eventually came my way. Who knows, maybe being excluded from a dive boat or dive trip was to keep me away from certain people or activities that could have resulted in compromising my safety as a diver. Things in life happen for a reason. In fact, I started this blog as a way to help myself get through some painful events that happened in my diving circle. I thought maybe I could inspire others to dive like so many divers have inspired me over the years and it would help me to heal and move on. I do truly believe that this blog has opened up my diving world and has enabled opportunities that may have never existed for me. I am grateful to all those divers and dive boats that have helped me to achieve my dreams and goals through diving. I am also grateful to those whom knocked me down and forced me to change my course because I would not be where I am today if it was not for them. I hope someday I will be remembered for my small contributions to wreck diving in NJ.

To celebrate 25 years of safe wreck diving I will be looking into diving wrecks in North Carolina for a week in June, so if anyone else wants to go let me know and we can get a small group together. I also hope to dive all of my favorite wrecks in NJ and to spend time out on the Atlantus, Independence and Gypsy Blood dive boats and some private boats too. This will also be a special year because my daughter will be learning to dive...I can't wait to take her on her first wreck dive! Hmmm what wreck will make an impact on her so great that she too wants to dive for a long time to come?

The sun sets on the 2010 season

Keep warm this winter and if your diving throughout the winter, you are more courageous than I. If your bored during the winter, come visit my blog once in a while, I'll try to post some things to keep you entertained.. I am anticipating that my 25th year of diving will be my best year yet!!

Pinta 11/7/10

I was out to dinner celebrating a friend's birthday when I received the call from Mark Hennessey that the dive was a go today. The forecast was for 4'-7' swell and a 25-30 knot NW wind, I said are you sure?? Captain Nick of the Ol' Salty confirmed that we were heading out so, I headed home to load up my dive gear. I have been invited several times over the summer to go out on the Ol' Salty with my friends Mark Hennessey and Jenn Washko so, I was determined to at least go out once this year with them.

I arrived at the dock at 6:15 am and there was no wind (yeah!!), I loaded the spacious boat and off we went. The cabin was so toasty warm and we had only a few divers today so there was tons of room to spread out. Besides Mark and Jenn, there was Alan, Tim Callahan, and Dave Matthews diving today. The seas were not calm but, it was mostly swell so we stuck it out and went to the Pinta. I have never dove the Pinta and knew it was a good wreck to take photos so I was excited. I always like going to a wreck I've never been on.

The Pinta was a Dutch freighter carrying teak lumber. It was sunk in a collision with a British Freighter on May 8, 1963. Today the wreck sits in 90' of water, is mostly intact although, Dave Matthews was saying that parts are collapsing and its tall masts extend out into the sand. It is known for abundant marine life and lots of fish.

Once Dave tied us in, the pool open bell rang and it was time to go in. I will not kid you, it was rough and Jenn and I were contemplating waiting for Dave to come up to get a report on bottom conditions. Dave took his time on the bottom so we took that as a signal that the conditions were ok, so we suited up. Mark and Jenn went in ahead of me and I lagged a little behind. I was having the usually nervousness of how I was going to get back on the boat in rough seas plus for some reason I was definitely feeling a little seasick. The ladder was a small one so I felt I could conquer it. The last two times I went diving my Diverite regulator was free-flowing so I had Bill switch it out for his new Apex to solve the problem. WRONG!!! I jumped in and that regulator started free-flowing. I struggled to get down below the surface to about 20' so that I could try and stop the free-flow but nothing worked. I hit the purge button, swished it around in the water, turned the knob and switch, but still full force flowing. I went back up and climbed on the boat. It continued to free-flow until we shut the air off. Just those few minutes exhausted me. I thought of switching regulators again and going back in but, I was just too tired and also feeling even more seasick. I was done :( On rough days, I get so beat up and the energy it takes me to climb on the boat is overwhelming (those double steel 100's weigh a ton!). I really wanted to go back in and dive but, I was way too tired. I also have not felt seasick in years, I hope this isn't something new...

Jenn, Mark, and Tim completed their dives and had about 10' of vis and said they were amazed at the tons of black fish on the wreck. There was a stiff current on the bottom and there was also a little surge. All in all they said the dive was good but, no one saw any lobsters. I was now feeling let down and should have pushed through my issues and dove. Oh well, maybe next time. The seas were building and since everyone did a longer first dive, we decided to head in. I have to say that with such a nice heated cabin, and the water so warm (55 degrees on the bottom), it actually was not that bad out there. It was just that swell, if it had been a little bit calmer, it would have been a perfect day to be out diving.

Today I kept my promise to go out on a dive boat with Mark and Jenn, they dove and I went for a roller coaster ride. We had some good conversation on the way home about cave diving and women diving with old school NJ wreck divers. Back at the dock Mark was trying to get me to come out again with them this year, I said, only if it is calm.. Once I was as home I looked at the regulator and the purge button was jammed. I should have fixed it and gone back in...Some days, you are meant to be a bubble watcher! However, as I write this I am feeling a little sick, perhaps that is why I felt so weak and seasick. The last few dives have been awful for me, I am going to try and get out and have at least one more decent dive before hanging it up for the winter so stay tuned!!!