Trip review week of 8/21/2018: Key Largo, Key West, Marathon & Looe Key

[Steve_C]

If you are counting on your pony as part of your gas supply then it is no longer a redundant source of air and is just an addition to your tank. At least that is the way they teach in SDI. Also solo should not be a "pinnacle dive". You may be a great diver but you are more of a risk taker then I like to dive with and not who I would want as a buddy.

 

[caruso]

I did read your entire post, twice.

Thanks for that. I know it was rather long.

This is what I got out of your post:

I can't think of a good reason that you ended up having to ascend on the wrong line.

My girlfriend burned through her air much faster than expected. She was clearly getting anxious and wanted out of there. We came upon the opposite crane and I figured "any port in a storm", better to sort it on the surface than spend any more time and gas at around 80'.

I'm confused by the comments about a potential live drop dive on the Duane.

Drift diving the Duane is going to be a tough sell. Hot drop 6 divers, 2 will come up the wrong ball, 2 will come up the right one and two will be adrift.

It wouldn't be a live drop. Tie up at the upcurrent mooring, divers descend on the line, drift the wreck and ascend on the opposite mooring where the dive boat is now tied off.

I also had good luck with Horizon and Silent World

Thanks for the suggestions, I've added them to my list of potential Key Largo dive ops for the next trip.

Your 1st dive on the Vandenberg had high current and low viz. You had a strenuous swim on the surface line before your descent.

The traverse line from behind the stern to the mooring was at about 14' give or take, not on the surface.

you would have surfaced with >500 psi after your routine safety stop. In general, your pony gas volume is not used in dive planning and is reserved for emergency use.

I consider my pony bottle a combination- bailout if something catastrophic occurs during the dive, and as a reserve to my main tank towards the end of the dive as I let my main tank get below what is typically considered a "safe reserve". I know, some divers say "you're not supposed to use a pony bottle like that" yet no one ever says why it's more dangerous to have 19cf more gas than anyone else on a dive boat.

You complain about inexperienced divers and their errors on your 2nd dive on the Vandy, I'm not sure why this would have affected your dive group, assuming you were independent.

I assume the reason we didn't do a second dive on the Vandenberg is because of the inexperience and all the problems experienced by the other group, but I don't know for sure.

These would be short dives on air.

Yes, the dives were limited by no deco times, not by gas consumption, however I had circled the entire wreck and there was literally nothing else to see at that point.

Your afternoon dives on the Thunderbolt were cancelled due to local conditions. Unfortunately, again, Captain's call, he or she was there, you weren't.

We were 20 miles south at Looe Key. Are the conditions that much different?

If you are counting on your pony as part of your gas supply then it is no longer a redundant source of air and is just an addition to your tank.

The gas in a pony bottle is redundant until and unless it's used. I count it only as a reserve to my main tank I don't actually use it during a typical dive.

 

[KristenK]

I'm sorry for your experience, very disappointing after so much planning.

I have a question not dive related. I lived in the Keys for a couple of years and my parents recently moved from Big Pine. Wondering how the recovery from the hurricane is coming along. Were you able to see much on Big Pine, Bahia Honda, Summerland?

 

[caruso]

Wondering how the recovery from the hurricane is coming along. Were you able to see much on Big Pine, Bahia Honda, Summerland?

We didn't see much in the way of damage as we headed from Key Largo to Key West. There was a line of damaged fencing down somewhere around Marathon, and a trailer park was still being rebuilt. There were some vacant homes on the ocean side also before Marathon (If I am remembering the location correctly). But that much being said it would be hard to imagine a devastating hurricane passed through the area only 1 year ago.

 

[KristenK]

@caruso Thank you! Good to hear.

 

[sportxlh]

I've done several drift dives with Conch Republic. My favorite is a drift on Conch Wall.... Its one of the deeper reefs (100 feet to sand) so doesn't get as much dive traffic which keeps the reef in beautiful condition. Its also a great place to lobster since most divers who hunt in KL seem to stick to shallow sites. Next time you're in KL, it might be worth requesting.

I've also done a drift dive on the Duane and Spiegel Grove with Conch Republic. Both times were from their big dive boat, the 46' Newton, and visibility was good (current ripping though). Also in both cases the boat was filled with divers who the captain knew, so he felt comfortable with the divers skill levels. I can understand why the didn't want to hot drop you with fast current and poor visibility. That's not a great combination, especially if they didn't know all the divers very well and especially from the small Island Hopper.

Sounds like a rough week. I've had some idealic weeks in the upper keys but every once in a while have been disappointed with a string of lousey days too.

 

[Dan G]

Hi @caruso
Your dive on the Spiegel Grove had high current and poor visibility. Your group was not able to execute the dive plan you had in mind. One diver went through their gas quickly, prompting you ascend on the wrong line, with a strenuous surface swim. Current and visibility cannot be planned. Gas consumption by your group is your responsibility. I can't think of a good reason that you ended up having to ascend on the wrong line.

My girlfriend burned through her air much faster than expected. She was clearly getting anxious and wanted out of there. We came upon the opposite crane and I figured "any port in a storm", better to sort it on the surface than spend any more time and gas at around 80'.

This is scubadada's point. A member of your group ran low on gas sooner than expected. That is all about gas planning. I am glad you were able to thumb the dive without incident.

We were 20 miles south at Looe Key. Are the conditions that much different?

Certainly reasonable to believe the conditions might be.

S. Florida can be very hit or miss and the Captains run the show. That's the reality of the place. The distance we travel to dive may be directly proportional to our level of disappointment when dives get canceled, but there is zero correlation to whether they get canceled or not.