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From Huck . . .
Winter diving is just plain awesome! Don't let anyone try to fool you into thinking otherwise. If you don't have yourself a drysuit then you better get one and learn how to use it because you are missing out on some of the best diving of the year. Sunday, Chris Mayo and I were about the only divers at Bainbridge with the small exception of a few of the gang from York Divers taking down their Christmas tree. It snowed the night before and it was raining as we drove up there. Perfect weather for a dive! Besides, I wanted to try out my Durango in bad weather. Sunday qualified. Chris and I geared up as the rain came down. It was a bleak kind of a day but just the kind I like at the quarry. It adds atmosphere to the rocky terrain. Rain to the terrain....ok, I won't go there. Sorry. We surface swam out from the lagoon then dropped down the wall into the hole. All of the clouds over the hole from two weeks ago were gone. Vis was a good 15' or so at 120'. I could see from the bottom of the stairs all the way to the top of them. It was great. I can remember not being able to see my hand in front of my face down there. Not Sunday. It was great.....oh, I already said that! Sorry, again. We followed along the wall and came up on the line to the step van. It makes me feel good to see the little sign with Dan's name on it. I always know that he's down there with me. Chris and I did a circle around the tanker and headed to the deep boat. From there we just nutzed around ending up on the cement mixer. Then we headed to the south wall. As we were getting shallower I looked up and thought I saw ice above me. But my air bubbles broke it up. I was told that there wasn't any ice. Hmmmmm? Not rain......SNOW! What we left as we descended was a different picture as we ascended. It was just awesome......sorry, that's an overused word! It was a sight though. The snow was coming down fairly hard. There's nothing like diving in the snow. Everyone one else had left at this point and Chris and I had the place to ourselves. Try that on some July weekend. It was our quarry. After we loaded up it was time to get back to civilization. Chris left first as I was still in my drysuit just enjoying the serenity. As I headed out I found Chris standing next to his truck looking a bit dismayed. His pickup was sitting a little cockeyed on the bend around access "B". He was stuck! So I told him to back down the hill and I'll jump into the bed and we'll try again. Success. What do you mean I'm heavy? I'm just big boned!!!! Well, maybe not big boned like Darth. Sorry Darth. We still love you. Well, I do anyway!!! I was just enough weight to get his truck out of that spot. Needless to say the roads, as you already are aware were pretty poor. Chickies Hill was closed and Rt. 23 was clogged with traffic. So, I followed Chris over the hill to Mt. Joy and headed home. It took over an hour for me to make it home. I love adventure driving! Now, you can't do that on a summers day, now can you? Sunday was one of those days that I will remember for a long time. Thanks for coming out with me Chris. It was very much appreciated.
From Uptown Jim Brown . . .
JamesZ, Palm, Handsome, Rock, Susie Friedman, Frank Herring, Sharon and Christopher Thompson signed in at the shop. Some purchased their 2004 BSC membership. If you didn't get yours yet, you're losing return on your money. After just 10 visits your membership starts paying you back.
It was chilly to be sure but much warmer than last weekend according to Frank Herring who was out for an icy dip. We had a good gang unloading into the building at Access A where Frank and I deployed our propane bottle heaters. Frank's double and my single really made quite a difference despite the building's skeleton construction. Sharon from York joined us for her first dive in her new dry suit. Her enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sport is contagious and I'm glad she's out in the cold soaking up the great vis and Smokey's buffoonery. Christopher (hereafter Topher) was sporting his new pony bottle setup. Susie was doing that camera thing but I didn't catch all the particulars. Since Palm was her dive buddy, I'm sure her camera was in extra good hands.
Now, when you wait until your dive buddies are geared up to wrestle with gear config in the freezing cold, you earn demerits and must suffer the wrath of whatever crazy stuff emerges from the dive kit. So, Topher (the best nickname I could come up with associated with gay wire ties) had to suffer with a hot pink wire tie marrying his console and pony spg for streamlining. See pic for detail! He will not hear the end of this for some time to come. You may ask yourself, what are hot pink gay wire ties doing in my dive kit? That's a story for another dive...
JamesZ, Rock and Handsome hit the water and went somewhere. I thought Nate was with us when I heard the Rock proclaim, "Now where were we?" Handsome just kind of chuckled then tried to explain... Bryan and Susie made two entries, two descents, and two exits; a rather perfect record for a day of diving. Frank led our gang to and fro, a sleek demonstration of his zigzag nav capabilities. The Pennsy looks good, the steam shovel in clear view, the dozer its usual clear self, the deep boat in full view (check out the clarity of the console in the pics, and the layer of muck upon it). Now, he didn't notice that we noticed but Topher spent a few breaths of air dealing with dangling stuff, all wrapped around his hoses. Another lesson in gear config, this time at 95'. across the pond to the pumphouse was as clean as I've seen it all year. Check out Sharon at the pumphouse - great vis, great pose. She's starting to look a lot like a Smokey's diver already, hamming it up for the camera. Note the rope ascension to the left of the pic - a notable pumphouse feature. Now, when Topher attempted to ascend this upline to nowhere, he actually had to pull it all the way down just to confirm nothing was attached. Ah the bliss of nitrogen narcosis. Despite my busting on Topher, check out his relaxed attitude as we passed by the Pennsy. A Smokey's diver to be sure!
So up the ridge and into the Bowl, Frank led Topher to make the exit with an appropriate amount of residual air. Sharon and I buddied up for the return trip, passing over to the dolphins for a couple of photo opps. She's a regular scuba model, wouldn't you say? Now about this time Sharon is asking herself, how do jb and Vern actually communicate UW? I have no idea what he means. We do have our own little language don't we Bean! I missed ya buddy, and Sharon had to pay for it. We made the exit point landmark at the path and started our hang.
A short cruise along the ridge and up onto the grass we came across goose tracks. Steve is working hard to eliminate the winter visitors as they are adding nitrogen to the water at an alarming rate (read bad for the ecosystem, hence bad vis). There's a good write-up in the December03 (pg. 83) Dive Training that addresses hypoxia in the Gulf, but can be applied to other bodies of water, especially calm waters. There's a ton of information on limnology and aquatic ecosystems and Steve is sleep deprived as he tries to get a handle on the state of affairs. Nevertheless, BSC is our premier local dive site, and its visitors make it so! Keep on living the adventure!
From Darth Vern . . .
We have a fun bunch of divers heading out this weekend AGAIN. Weather does not stop a Smokeys diver!!!! I know myself, Palmer and newly annointed Smokeys divers Sharon and Frank are heading out. I am sure James Z and Mayo, will join us. I am also expecting Huck and Dr Deco as well! I got several invites this past Sunday and I had to pass since my drysuit is out getting some TLC, but I am going to try and steal the rental drysuit from the shop and get out this weekend!!! I am going to try and guilt Mark and Cindy to get out this wekend as well! Also looking for more: Rock, Nate, Steve Mooney - where are you guys?
OK on to something a little different:
As many of you know I am heading up a search and recovery team for the Columbia No.1 Fire Department and some of Smokeys divers have joined my crusade. I am designing their new website [still be constructed] when you get a chance, stop by and check it out: www.columbiafire.com
Keep on diving and LIVE THE ADVENTURE!!!
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