Smokeys Divers Den - Dive Reports

We went back to Dutch Springs which will for most of us be our last Dutch Springs dive of 05. Next weekend's early forecast calls fro real November weather not the 65 degree weather we enjoyed today (Nov 13, 2005)

Terry and Mike Grogan started diving this year. Today was Terry's 89th and 90th dives of the 05 season. Mike is 2 dives behind her pace. Since Terry took all of these pictures, it seems only reasonable to give her the credit for another job well done. Incidentally next Sunday is Terry's birthday she would love to have all of us come celebrate her birthday by simply diving with her at Dutch Springs.

Today was my first dive at the East end of the Quarry where all of the machinery is located from the Access Point constructed at the East end. (I recall and earlier BZM [Before Zebra Mussels] dive originating from the Student Section.) The East end access area is small. There are 4 picnic tables, and 2 Port-a-Johns. From the East end you can see all the stuff that is there. The first 6 Pics include (1) Scooter Q, (2)ScubaBob, (3) Ralph, and (5) The Access Point.

This weeks group included Scooter Q., AI's Scubabob, and Ralph Spayd. DM Bill Hockley, Terry and Mike Grogan, and several others. The water temperature on the surface was 57, midwater 59, 57 at 75'

On our first dive we dropped in and down to about 55' "About" is a key word because we were attempting to dive as a group. We set up Buddy Teams before we started. The idea was to keep the teams together not necessarily the whole group. We went East around the end of the Quarry. Lots of stuff to see Pics (11,12,13), and headed back down the S side of the Quarry. Directly opposite from our entry point was a rope which leads back to about where we started.

Natasha (Scooter) and I came back along the rope, then went West for 5 minutes, circled back, did safety stops and exited the Quarry. My max depth was 78', dive time 37".

We were back in the water about 1hr 30 minutes later. Terry took us West along the N side(10), then N to the beginning of the beginner diver area which is where the Bowels (8) fire truck (7) (11) is located. We came to a wooden boat.(9) A rope descends from the platforms a little further N. A rope from the front of the boat would take the diver SW and lead one to the Tanker. The boat sits right next to a ridge. If you go E along the ridge you will come to an unmarked fairly large wooden boat. If you go S off that wooden boat, you should see the helicopter without much trouble. If you continue W past the boat, the ridge makes a 1/4 turn to the right which is where the school bus is located.

We went past the wooden boat until we located the fire truck. It is a very small fire truck. From the fire truck (20) (Bill Hockley) there is a rope going to the school bus mentioned above.(16) (Ralph and Sheri Phillips) (17, 18, 19) We followed the rope to the SB. From the bus one can ascend the rope leading to the platforms on the East Side of the Peninsula, or take the rope that goes to the small airplane on the Island. (From the airplane there is a rope going to the Tanker. I used to swim from the student side the circuit made by the ropes as described.) From the SB today I could see along the ridge a small wooden boat in poor condition that is upside down on the East side of the ridge.

What made the day for me in addition to the companionship of the group as a whole is that Natasha is able to help me set the neck seal on my drysuit so I stayed completely dry for both dives. For admittedly selfish reasons I wish she was at every one of my drysuit dives.

We hope to see first year (dry suit) divers Natasha, Terry and Mike at Willow Spring for the Jan 1 dive. The report would not be complete without 2 additional pictures. Mike is in the orange sleeves, and our photographer Terry is in the pink sleeves.

SCUBABOB

There were also several of the regulators out on the "Old Salty II" this weekend on a trip hosted by Rick Huck. The crew dove the wreck of the "Mowhawk" off of north Jersey. At a depth of 80 feet, divers reported visibility in the 10 - 15 foot range, at nearly an hour's bottom time. They say that although seas were a bit "snotty" the "Old Salty" handled them well, and no one had any real problems.

Get Out and Dive and Live The Adventure!!!