Go deep, stay long

Kind of sounds like a Jules Verne novel.

After some scheduling conflicts, I was finally able to head down to Florida for NAUI Tech instructor training. The class included me, as instructor in training, and a friend of mine as a Trimix student. Our class was with Chris Laughrey a NAUI Tech Course Director from Pittsburg, PA. He comes highly recommended by fellow divers, and most of my instructors. After completing the course, I would also highly recommend him.

The trip down was long. My friend (also named Chris) and I were going to travel together, but some more last minute schedule issues caused us to go separately. I got on the road Saturday morning around 4:00am and found myself pulling into the driveway around 8:00pm. One more “South of the Boarder” sign, and would have lost it. We talked for a bit to unwind from the road, then turned in.

We were up at six and out the door to 40 Fathoms Grotto. It’s recently been taken over by a commercial diving training agency, and is also a NAUI training facility. There have been a lot of changes including a new Mixing station and classrooms. We unloaded, went over the dive plan, reviewed gear configurations, and then jumped in the water for Laughrey to have a look at our abilities. We demonstrated skills, Laughrey would have me demonstrate them to Chris, then he would do them fo me. (At this point, I have to admit that I’ve been CCR, save for Open Water classes. This was my first time in doubles in two years.) Dive one went off without a hitch. We debriefed, and we were off to the classroom.

Laughrey had the latest rev or the NAUI Tech course material (still under review). It contains details on new studies and the latest research. Great stuff! We went over it for a while during the surface interval, then jumped back in for more skills on Dive 2. This was an all skills dive Valve drills, S-drills, stage drills, line drills … Again after a debrief we packed up and headed back to the room and out for dinner. It had been a long Sunday, and the class was just starting. We had dinner and talked shop for a while. We started the dive plan for the next day, then turned in.

The rest of the class proceeded much the same way. We did progressively deeper dives early then classroom during the surface interval and skills in the afternoon. As the week progressed we transitioned from Laughrey running the dives, to him briefing me, then I worked with Chris to plan and execute the dive. Each morning we would arrive, setup our gear, and analyze our mix. It’s a new mixing station, and they are working out the bugs. Most of the time it was pretty accurate. On occasion it was off. The crew was very helpful in correcting any inaccuracy, and we did teach Chris to always analyze.

Laughrey seemed to know everyone in the area. I know he has been diving and teaching for years. During dinner he would entertain us with stories from the who’s who of diving. On the last day Hal Watts stopped by to join us for the 240ft dive.

By the end of the week Chris was proceeding well. We had worked through some equipment issues, and were honing our skills. Everyone learned a lot. Even Laughrey said he learned a couple of tricks, but then he may have been humoring me. I look forward to getting the production copy of the course materials. A great deal of work has gone into this, and it shows. I also recommend 40 Fathoms Grotto for anyone considering Trimix training. There are constant improvements going on. It’s like a smaller version of Dutch with 240ft of water.

On a final note, we were extra careful not to lose Laughrey’s brand new reel. He did make the mistake of calling it “jam proof”. We took that as a challenge.

I taught my first Rescue class last weekend. Lee did the classroom work, and I took the class to Dutch. I must admit, I was a little nervous. Lee is great instructor. He has been diving, and teaching for years. He’s easy going, and will spend as much time as necessary working with students until he’s sure they know the subject. He was also my Intro to Tech instructor. Bottom line, he’s a hard act to follow!

Once everyone arrived at Dutch, we reviewed the procedures, then got in the water and worked through the skills. We practiced them until everyone felt comfortable performing them. I got to play victim. It’s kind of fun since I’m 6′6″ 220 lb. Most people are not ready to try to pick me up and drag me about. Much of the skills involved showing them how to make the job easier on them. If your winded by the time you get the victim to the shore, then how can you get them out of the water, or perform CPR. Do your best to make the situation work for you.

We worked a lot on the techniques, but we also talked in depth about responsibility, and having to make one of the toughest decisions: Can I safely assist without putting my own life in danger.  As leaders (DMs and instructors) there is a “duty” to assist. However as recreational divers, most people only have a duty to their buddy. Assisting others is a choice they have to make, and it’s a very difficult one. To date, I’ve never had to make that call.  Most of the “rescues” I’ve made were simply helping a diver with a small problem before it became a large one.  In the end, that’s the best type of rescue.

I think the biggest lesson at the end of the day is that rescue is tough, it’s physically challenging, and therefore puts the rescuer at risk in most situations. You have to decide if your willing to take that risk, and then you have to constantly reevaluate the situation as it unfolds.

While it was a little cold, it was a great weekend, and a fantastic class. Great work everyone! I know everyone was worn out, and slept well. Next time, I don’t think I’ll be nervous.

This is October??? What a day! The forecast for the day was 5-10 kt winds and 2-4 ft seas. While there was a bit of a chill in the air as we left the dock, once the sun rose in the sky the air quickly warmed up. The water was in the 65-70 range on the surface, and there was not a breath of air. The seas were flat calm without even a ripple on the surface. This is October????With the flat seas Captain Bill was able to hit the Tuna Seizure’s top speed of 26 knots. We were on the wreck in no time. We hooked in quickly, and Kenny got ready to tie the hook in. Bill was racking up surcharges quickly given the clear skies, clear water, and calm conditions. He tried for the marine mammal encounter, but no one was able to verify the sighting.

Kenny gears up.

We were on the Copper wreck. It was an old wooden steam ship that had copper cladding. The report is that she burned to the water line before sinking. There is quite a bit of charred wood about the wreck which seems to substantiate this store. The main feature is the huge engine which raises 30 ft off the bottom, and the prop shaft. The remainder of the wreck is broken down debris with copper sheets here and there.Over the years a few nets have caught on the engine draping it in layers. These are now covered with muscles and marine growth, making it both a hiding and feed place for seabass and tog.

We could see Kenny dropping down through the clear water as he descended the line. The surface water was clear to 40 ft. There was a thermocline at 70 ft, but the bottom was still in the 50+ range. Kenny was set on doing some digging on this trip. He brought his DPV to blow away the sand and a lighted helmet to help him see in the cloud he generated. Fortunately for the rest of us, the bottom was sand not silt, and there was a slight current to keep the visibility clear. He did dig up what appeared to be the bow of the ship. The shape was rounded and covered in shining metal.

Flat Seas during SI

Winter flounder were seen about the wreck, but not that big. While they are in season, small ones are too much work compared to the mammoth fluke we have seen this season. I looked for fluke about the wreck, but did not see any. Several large lobsters were found on the wreck. The bigger two were 6 and 3 lbs. I had my hands on a big one, but his hole was far too deep to get behind him. While preparing to look in one hole, I was startled by a huge fluke that I almost laid on. He swam off into the distance, as I wept a tear or two. I consoled myself with a bag of seabass, and headed to the anchor.We were back at the dock before 1:00. Bill took the lobsters over the the marina to get them weighed.What a great day of diving!!!