Going Deep

...But well within the limits of recreational diving.

Some great dives this week and a few noteworthy events.  Good thing I have a blog so I can publicly pat myself on the back.  I finished the certification course for my Deep Specialty with a dive to 129.5 feet.  As I've said before, there's not much more to see at this level but the topography does change and so does the flora and fauna.  I would say though, that the changes are not dramatic enough to counter the lack of time that a person can stay at this level.  I was only able to stay that deep for around 5 minutes as my computer is very conservative about no deco.  Which is a good thing.  (Today's dive was the last of a series of dives to this level.)  I did have time to do the various skills and research needed to complete the course and still had time to enjoy the rest of a very fun dive.  Cary Satin joined me and my instructor Torri.  Carey had her camera and provided me with these great pics.

When you complete a dive usually you take 3 minutes to allow for the release of nitrogen in your body.  This is done at 15 feet.  On a deep dive you extend your safety stop to 8 minutes because at lower depths you absorb more nitrogen because of the pressure.  Also on a deep dive you have the potential of using much more air than you would on a normal dive.  So for safety purposes a drop tank is suspended from the boat at 15 feet and a deep diver will use this air and remain at this level for much longer than usual.

There's not a lot to do for 8 minutes while hanging around under the boat so things can get quite silly.  Here I'm riding the tank while the boat yanks it up and down from the wave surge above.  I believe I stayed on the bull for the full 8 seconds.

Thanks again to Carey for capturing the moment.

This week was also rewarding for me as I was given the opportunity to lead a dive from start to finish.  A young lady came in a few days ago with her mother to do some snorkeling.  We took them out on one of our boat dives and she snorkeled while her mother sat in the boat and the rest of us all dove.  When she returned she asked about checking out SCUBA.  We have a program that is called Discover Scuba Diving.  lots of instruction, a confined water equipment & skills introduction and an open water equipment & skills tour.  I got to lead one of the open water tours.  It was really fun to follow the whole process from the greeting at the door through to the debriefing at the end.  She went home with a new love for the activity and a confidence to someday to get certified.

This is about half way for my visit and things are really starting to click.  I'm knocking off the requirements and my knowledge and confidence is building.  Here's a before and after of "the board":

You can also see that I have been joined by 2 more DMTs, Francois and Melanie.  -Many hands make quick work.  They are alot of fun and a very interesting couple.  I am enjoying their company.

Today is my day off.  So I'm cleaning, doing laundry, going banking & shopping, and blogging.  

I think I'd rather be "working".

Some more of my photos to round out this session of the Sun Blog.  I call this series "fences":

And this set is called stuff under our dock: ...and yes, I think those are needle fish swimming with the larger fish.