June 15 2012 (learning to dive) New Compass

   So as I drop down the usual swarm of fish come to see whats up and whats for dinner.
   But as I am making my way across the bottom in about 15 feet of water there is this little statue of two girls sitting on a bench. How awesome I thought to myself. I know it wasnt an old piece but it was neat to me. I decided it was time to practice buoyancy and took pictures and video while navigating around it. I didnt touch it and I tried not to stir up the bottom silt. Not too bad, but can still use a little work. There were plenty of fish hanging around too.

Air Temp--95
surface temp--80
Bottom Temp--75
Depth-25' + 10' altitude+35'
Total bottom time 50 min.

  I got a new compass that I was dieing to try! It was A retractable one that locked. I was able to snap it onto my upper BCD and still have easy access.
  I thought it would be a good idea to learn how so that when diving in the ocean I would have a better idea where the boat was. Plus I kept losing direction of my dive flag. So when I left the Statue I set my compass lumber line to come back in that direction, and off I went.
   So after I explored for about 20 minutes I started back while following my compass. I kept thinking it was off, but when I came within 5 feet of it I knew not only did it work, but it gave me confidence about where I was and where i have been.

This picture was pretty cool because the perch just hovered there watching me.
 It was like it had wings.

June 8 2012- beaver lake

Awesome dive!
    As I approached where I was going to take a dip I can see a gravel bar that protruded about 300 feet from the bank and there was only about 3 feet of water above it. So I thought that would be nice to dive all the way around it..

Air temp-92
Surface temp-80+
bottom temp-75
depth-27 +10 altitude=37'
total bottom time--45 min.

   I dropped off on the one side and started down. It was very murky. Not much to see and only a few fish. the bottom was all turned up, so I worked my away around the point and headed towards the other side. Much better. the viz was better and almost intermediately the fish started to show up.

   The rock formations was pretty good also.
It seemed there were fish under
every set of rocks. I played peek-a-boo with one under a stump. you will see it in the video below.
  The parent fish are amazing. I watched one for a long time protecting its nest from all the smaller fish. I am sure I didn't help by hanging around. Their seemed to be another nest that was abandoned near by. The small fish were all over it.



   Today I found the thermocline. It was at about 27'. I couldn't believe how cold it was and how foggy the water looked. I didn't go below it. didn't see any need for it. oh, and there was no pictures or photos because my little cheap camera wouldn't function at that depth. I tried. I didnt see any fish at all at that depth.

   The last time I had my tank filled, I talked to Nate about my pink dive sack that I used for an anchor for my flag. I asked if he had any solutions. He did. I guess they make a sack divers use gather stuff with. it was of a red mesh and closed and locked at the top. It was from Trident (yeah another sticker for my tank). It absolutely worked fantastic. It was cheap too! So I hooked my snap onto the metal ring that locked at the top, filled it up with some big rocks when I got to the bottom, and wala! Perfect anchor for my dive flag.
When I am done I just place the 30' rope in the sack and close it up. And also if I find anything cool or garbage, I can just swim back to my flag and put it in the sack.

My fins are starting to loosen up. Not as stiff any more. I am using a set of ScubaPro Sport jets. Nothing too fancy and only about $69.00. I will upgrade when I figure out what I think is best for me. But they work great for now.
 Here is my video below. Yep still the ole cheap camera!

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Ocean's Silent Killer

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We need your help to fight back against marine debris. Dear Derrick, Can you hear it? No? Neither can I, but I assure you it is happening. Tragically and silently, human carelessness results in precious marine life being killed by man-made waste in the ocean…every day. That is why I’m writing to you on behalf of the ocean to ask for your help: because together we can stop this silent killer before it is too late. Project AWARE needs people like you, people who care about the ocean, to take a stand with us! In today’s “throw-away” society, it is all too easy to forget that we are drowning the ocean planet in our trash like plastic bottles and bags: plastics that never biodegrade in the ocean and instead break down into even smaller pieces that remain a danger to marine animals that mistake them for food. The impact is both massive and horrific, and we urgently need your help to stop this.    Last year, with your financial support, Project AWARE launched the Dive Against Debris program, a year-round underwater debris removal and data collection effort carried out by our volunteer divers to reduce the devastating impacts of marine debris. Concerned divers around the world turn their recreational dives into ocean-saving actions by physically removing trash from our seas. This month, we are rallying our forces to strengthen and expand this program, and we hope you will be part of September’s Debris Month of Action. In addition to removing existing debris, our goal is to prevent it from entering the ocean. We already have more than 5,000 volunteer divers working around the world to improve the state of the oceans. In just one year, divers have removed tons of trash, and have completed over 500 valuable surveys about the debris they have removed. Surveys that give us hard data that we can use to prevent, reduce, and stop this silent killer before it ever reaches the ocean. This data is critical in supporting the development of coordinated governmental policies and strategies with a local, regional and global reach. Our Dive Against Debris program is the largest collective underwater clean up activity in the world. This program is vital to proactively ending debris-related destruction of the oceans. Your support to expand our activities is one of the most important investments you can make for the future of our planet. Please donate today, and ensure that Project AWARE has the resources needed to continue working to make global change—big, effective, impactful change for the ocean and for our collective future.                        Whatever you can give will help make a difference.                  Help us rescue the ocean from suffocating debris by donating today.    Thank you for your commitment to helping stop the ocean’s silent killer. We cannot do it without you! For the Ocean, Alex Earl Executive Director, Project AWARE Foundation P.S. Help us make September’s Debris of Month of Action a success by giving a gift today. Your financial support is vital to increasing our global reach and defeating the ocean’s silent killer!

Second time out-dive 7 & 8

It was a cloudy day, but still clear down below. As I brought dog food again this time I used an orange juice bottle. It didnt leak like the pill bottle that I used last time.
so the food stayed dry until needed.

I could squeeze the bottle and the fish loved it. It came out fast or slow as I needed it, even the bass came in for a closer look.

air temp-90
surface temp-80
bottom temp-74
depth-25'+10'alt =35'
total time 45 min.

On this dive I went a few feet deeper, but there was more activity at 20 feet. 

It is getting easier now to stay hovering instead of floundering like a sick fish. I am able to control my breathing better also.

It is getting darker as the storm comes up but viz is still fairly clear. I can see this will be my therapy from the rest of the world. I sat on the bottom and was mesmerized by the fish. It seemed that life was so...simple. I cleared all my thoughts from my everyday life and the business that I owned. It was nice.

Last time I filled my tank, I decided to get a small dive knife in case I got entangled with fishing line or something. It is a small knife without a point. I didn't want a point because I figure it would just be a hazard only to myself. It came with a small hard plastic sheath that I was able to attach to my upper BCD.
I remember to give it a quick rinse when I rinse all my other gear after each dive also.

I used a plastic bag (it was pink) for an anchor. Last dive, I tied my dive flag to some boulder on the bottom, but it didnt hold very well. So I brought a sack that came from a department store. I had a 30 foot rope tied to the flag and a snap on the end to clip on the bag. Then I filled the bag up with heavy rocks on the bottom. Now I dont need to find something to tie to. Nor do I have to carry a boat anchor with me. I will try to find a sturdier sack (not pink) for the next dive.

First dive since certified

This was a great dive! I dived solo which wasn't any problem, I just stayed in the safe zone. The viz was amazing! So many fish. I found a fallen tree and the fish were everywhere. I brought dog food to feed them, which they loved. some peices would float and some would sink. There were brim, perch, and a few bass.
There also was fish nesting. It was interesting. They wouldn't leave the nest for very long at all.

The water was warming up and it was sunny on this day.
Air temp--85
surface temp--76
bottom temp--70

My overall depth was 20' which with the high altitude of 10' feet it becomes 30'

Viz--20-25'

2 dives totaling just over an hour.

I bought a new tank (Neon yellow) I bought the base protection and valve cover.

The video below was taken with a cheap underwater camera from walmart that was limited to 10 feet but it took great photos and videos at 20'
 It only cost 50.00

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This #scuba diving video has gone viral around the world and it’s about ice diving - actually, it’s about pretending to be “Fishing Under Ice” in Finland :)

Last night of class

Well this was the last night of the class until we meet at the lake.
This was also test night. I studied the dive tables a lot and it was a good thing since there was several questions pertaining to the tables. The test wasn't too bad. I did miss 3 because I was thinking too much intro the questions. They were simple, but I had to make them complicated. It took an hour to take a 50 multiple choice questionnaire. Everyone passed in the class. Then we went to the pool to finish off the pool training. Again what a great night. We learned how to remove and replace our weight belt at the surface and at the bottom of the pool. Which was great because that night I bought my own weight belt so that I can get used to my own. The weight belt cost 25.00 and all the weights that I needed cost 50.00. so for 75.00 I got a new belt that was comfortable. There was cheaper ones but it would of only saved me 16.00.
Then we practiced removing and replacing our BCD with tank at the surface and at the bottom of the pool. Now as easy as that sounds, and it is....kinda. When trying to do this at the surface there is some tricks to it. Dont over inflate your BC or you will fight it the whole time. Keep it Buoyant but only semi. And you think well it will be easy to do on the bottom. Here is the trick. Although you think well I can stand up and just take it off. Well make sure you are not the first one doing it so that you can share a giggle with the instructor when everyone loses their balance. Now for the trick. Kneel on the floor and take it off. but be prepared to lay on the floor forward, because you will automatically start to fall forward and then just put your bcd back on as you are slightly falling forward. Its simple once you do it.
Next, the instructor turned off our air underwater so that we can feel what it feels like to run out of air. We watch the pressure gauge as she did it and then we practiced an emergency accent to the surface and manually inflated the bc when we surfaced. Very interesting night. I was amazed on how much we actually learned in only 4 nights in the pool. We all wished there was more. But now we are waiting for the lake to warm up to finish the certification. It will be 2 days with 4 dives total including navigation and a dive to 60 feet. It should be great!