 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
From Tom Pritchard . . .
Jess-Fest. Jess Zellers made her long-awaited pilgrimage to Willow last night to visit the TNIs. Attendance was outstanding for a hot August night: Jay, George, Rupp, The Wasp, GMan, Kulp, Dave Ho, Don Bradley, Speedy, and believe it or not, Darth Vermin! Yes, Darth made a cameo appearance to pick up his TNI pin. We agreed to take Darth to the tanker and the caboose, which are nowhere near each other, but it was the least we could do for a guest (I mean an Irregular). Vern, eager to show off his navigational prowess at Willow, got lost between the cement dock and the platform. Yes folks - he couldn't follow the rope from the dock to the platform. But wait! It gets worse. I fetched Vern and turned him around - but he would not be denied. He swam off. I surfaced figuring that Vern, lost and alone now, would do the same. I figured wrong. I headed down, hooked up with GM and Dave Ho, and headed into the east end without Vern, who was last seen heading west. After three divers sprinted past us dragging an enormous silt cloud that choked and gagged us, we decided to cross the quarry to find better viz. The only time I ever get accused of swimming too fast is when I lead by compass; you guessed it - I lost G and D. When divers can't keep up with me, they usually just follow my silt trail - but not last night. So I naved back to the south wall, and wondered why no one would dive with me. (Maybe it's was my breath). I headed east. GM and Dave did cross to the north wall - and they headed east. We met at the east end going in opposite directions. After the teary-eyed reunion, that I almost missed (they spotted me; I was in The Zone), we swam along the south wall, ascended to the tracks and followed the RR tracks toward the caboose. I should have stayed along the wall, but couldn't resist following a cluster of unfamiliar RR tracks that were leading in the same general direction. GM ran a reel from one of the many "torpedos" into Caboose Cove where the viz was its usual 3 feet. Once thru the caboose and I was more than ready to get out. I had dressed light and wore wet gloves for the first time in ages, so my arms flooded, and I was $%#&%!! cold - in August. As I struggled to get my fins off, Dave Ho appeared out of nowhere. I thought Dave quit the dive when we passed the platforms at the 50 minute mark. Apparently Dave, diving dark, stalked us the entire time. Who knew? Back on the surface we debated whether women eat better than men or taste better than men - then things got out of hand. Join us next week. Bring or buddy or we'll hook you up with someone who knows their way around the quarry, which rules out Vern. Besides, Vern is only a provisional TNI, which means he's can't lead ((or follow). It was great seeing Jess again. The "Who Do You Think Will Make It Back to Willow First, Jess or Vern?" Contest will be conducted next week. My money is on Jess - after all, she only lives down the road in Florida. 105 minutes, 5-8 ft viz, and a cold 57 degrees.
From Cindy Lu Who . . .
The Smokey's women had a well deserved and relaxing day. (Although some men decided to show up... we decided to let them dine and dive with us.)
We had some traditional quarry divers, new quarry divers, Caribbean divers and even, a guest diver from Florida! Jess Zellers decided to stick around two more days on her trip back home to Lancaster just to dive with the Smokey's group, even though she did ditch us for "the hole" and GUYS interested in diving longer than the rest of us girls.
Diana headed up the newer Smokey's ladies and made two fish filled dives along the road with Laura and Stacy. Beth was able to twist Jane Grushaw's arm and also went looking for fish. Janine, Sharon "the Brit," and I went to the deep boat, where it was cooler and you could actually see something. We ended up with a nice tour, continuing on to the dozer and cement truck. We actually looked like we knew what we were doing!
After our feasting session, Karen and Savannah joined in the fun, snorkeling and DIVING along with the rest of the Myers family. Christina Dorfhuber and her newly adopted daughter did the same combination. I took Michele Mayo out for a relaxing dive along the road. Good thing the silt out stops once you get past the point, or else I am sure she would still be wondering why we dive the quarry? But, we were able to see and stay warm-maybe too warm swimming out closer to access "B." (Never thought you would hear ME say TOO WARM-but with the temps being close to 80 degrees- a 0.5 mm suit kept me toasty along the road.) I finished up my day with a snorkel along the road with my guys (Kevin and Josh) and yet another young lady and future diver, Whitney Mayo. Donna Brown and Steph, along with Beautiful Bud's "better half", Colleen, showed up to support the Smokey's women and the men in their lives.
While we were playing, another young lady was completing here advanced open water cert with Bill Siwiec- WAY TO GO MARTA!! My heartfelt thanks to all the ladies that made the day the success that it was. Those of you that could not make it- I hope to see you there next year!
From Mark Myers . . .
Well – after much abuse, cajoling and prodding I finally showed up on a Wednesday night at Bainbridge. No, the abuse that finally pushed me over the edge didn’t come from divers – it came from my kids!! We arrived on site in time to see Joe Dormer and the “Lee’s” headed in for their dive – along with “Downtown” Jim Brown setting up. Special guest diver Jess Zellers was also in attendance. I understand that Joe, JB and co headed deep, while the kids and I headed out the road. Jess is right – the Wednesday night crowd heads out to the bar for beer and pizza, but I figured they wouldn’t appreciate the kids there. 85 degree surface temps, and 15 to 20 feet of visibility out the road. I understand it’s a little murky between 20 and 60, but then opens out again at depth. There was a good turn out for a week night.
I didn’t make it out Thursday, but a family reunion on Saturday was enough to drive me back underwater on Sunday. We arrived around 11 to find the party in full swing, and most of the “Ladies” already finished with their first dives. Nick Caloyianias waited patiently for me in the heat – while most everyone else had already assumed I wouldn’t show. Cindy and Co, Beth, the Grogans, Jess, the entire Mayo clan, JB, Donna, and many, many others were there taking a break from the heat. Special mention to Dennie Leese and “Beautiful” Bud Fletcher who we haven’t seen on the dive site for some time. We feasted on chicken, hotdogs and burgers, along with the usual tons of other food.
Nick had been forewarned that I already had a date to take my daughter out the road again – at 6 ft – as a Bubblemaker. At 6 feet, you can get A LOT of bottom time out of a steel 100. I didn’t get a complete run time since my computer reset about 4 times – but I know it was well over an hour. Savannah enjoyed the temps while Nick tested yet another new camera – this one a compact HD video rig, and we shot some pieces of video he plans to use in an upcoming film being produced by the Baltimore Aquarium.
From Jess Zellers . . .
Five diving days, four fills, three quarries, two days at Smokey's and a partridge in a pear tree. It's been a nitrogen filled week with 386 mins of bottom time. But I now need to return to the Southeast where temperatures are normal.
Wednesday night - Bainbridge
Wednesday night I had to do something that was very odd because I haven't done it in a very very long time.... dive with someone other than Kulp!! He had to work. I heard rumors Huck and Uptown were going to be there, so I didn't mind this strange thing I had to do so much. However the rumors I heard about Huck being there were just that rumors. Uptown already had plans to take someone down to the 'deep' boat and step van, so I tagged along. I had tried to talk Uptown into a trip out to the barn, but he said after reading the dive report from last week he didn't have the gas to keep up with my taste of bottom time.
We get into the water while it's still light out, but we're going into the hole. I have the head of my light on hand with the cord nicely wrapped around my arm as to be streamlined. We past the mixer and in our group of three, mine's the only light. We past the dozer, mine's the only light. We hit the deep boat, mine's the only light. I'm wondering if Jim forgot his light? We get to the step van, mine's the only light. Jim, the hole has 90ft of light-blocking silt-filled water on top of it.
I think there's going to pictures with the dive report this week. This will provide proof that Mark Myers does remember how to get to a dive site! (Yes, Mark was at a dive site). But I say I think there's going to be pictures because when I was getting out Jim was taking pictures. So they're either for the dive report or he was taking picture of me in my sexy doubles for his own personal collection. Either way you got a photo release from me Jim!!
Oh, do NOT let Joe give you directions to ANYTHING. If you absolutely must, have him type it on a computer. Unlike Thursday night, the Wednesday night crowd doesn't bring food ... they stop a bar in Marietta. Joe was trying to give me directions, but I had such an awesome dive and really wasn't paying attention. So I tossed him my slate and didn't bother to look at it until I was on the road. dum da.... a three hour tour.
Thursday Night - Myerstown
I think this announcement will be redundant, because there's a slight chance that Vern will include it in his dive report if you haven't already heard about it from him personally. Vern graced our presence at Myerstown this week.... and left with a TNI pin. He didn't steal anyone's pin, but I call for a journal vote to ensure that there was quorum present and this pinning was in fact legal! Vern as TNI you are now expected to be a expert guide of Myerstown....that means you have to get to know the quarry. Running into the outhouse after leaving the pipe is not the best way to make it to the caboose!!
Kulp brings his own bottle of O2 to the dive site just in case it is needed. Sadly it was need this week by more than one person. But the biggest benefit of having your own O2 equipment is that you know it will work properly when needed. And Thursday those who were in need were thankful that the equipment worked flawlessly. You see oxygen is highly combustible. And there was problems starting a fire for the food ... which we all badly needed. Using deco bottles to start fires has been a long running joke on Thursdays, but we've never actually used one for such a purpose. Until this week!!! That baby light right up!!!!
Sunday - Bainbridge Ladies Day Dive!!
It was fun. Huck's presence was no rumor this time, we got wet with Speedy. There's gonna be lots of other people writing and this is getting quite long (I've done a LOT of diving this week, I've been a good diver!) So I'm gonna let others tell y'all about Ladies Day Dive.
End of week-
While hanging out in the shop this week I was introduced to a student as "..hard core, one of the originals from the old crowd, back in the day." Whooaoa. I know I've been around for a while, but didn't realize I had crossed from 'long time shop regular' to 'the old crowd'. Although I've been seeing a lot of new faces while I was out this week, so I guess I have.
Sunday was refreshing, I saw some of those new faces again, and to my relief a bunch of faces of 'the originals from the old crowd'. Well, you really can't run from yourself, so I suppose I am from the old crowd, back in the day. But originals? Well for the really old crowd that I was introduced to as 'the old crowd' many years ago... (if you remember me in an AL80, crappy BC, and no computer... then you're in the really old crowd).... And if you don't have a red stripe on your Smokey's Dive team jacket, then it's purple!!!
For them, I hope you got to see my trim sexy streamline cave-configured self this week. This is the result of all those dives getting lost going to the mixer, answering my requests to dive at 8pm on a Friday, wasting an entire tank (AL80) in 20mins to the dozer ... in Feb, a whole lot of dinners at Myerstown, three tries on three different dives and Thursdays (in Jan/Feb) to get my first sight of the Quest, showing up willing to dive with anybody, and helping with the roaming gear after 'the Feista Roll'.
My point is it takes a village to raise a diver. And Smokey's, as a village, does that very well.
Keep on diving and LIVE THE ADVENTURE!!!
Click To
Enlarge
Enlarge
|
|
||||
Home | Classes | Events | Equipment | Clothing | Instructors | Staff | Members
|
||||