Date: 2/13/08 (Wed)
Dive Location: Vet Spark
Buddy(ies): HBGottaDivGurl and Ken "right on time" Liu
Time: 7:47 PM Splash
Bottom Time: 1 Hour 3 Minutes
Max Depth: 111
Vis: Much better than last week at this time - 10 to 15 Feet
Wave height: Flatness - Seattle Entry
Temp at depth: 54
Surface Temp: whatever - dry suit
Tide information: Attached - First Quarter - much less water moving tonight
Gas mix: AIR (ew...)
Best moment: Pulling a "Here's Johnny" and properly introducing a 21" Purple Stripe Jelly to Ken and Claudette!
Things to do differently next time: NOT fill my tank with Air... what a rip off
Comments: Fastest 1 hour dive ever
=============================================
Wow, that was fast.
KenL joined Chica and I at Vets on Wed night. We got in a little later that night because traffic was prohibitive getting to the site. OY.
The three of us met, and the plan was to walk down the center stairs into the flatness that was Vets, scooter out at 280 degrees to about 110 feet, head South a bit, go east back up the canyon and see what we see.
As I was gearing up, I realized I left the battery for my HID at home - so I borrowed Chica's and she dived with her LED back up.
Not as much water on the move - so we suspected it'd be clearer than last week.
Chica and I had a couple of 130's with AIR in them - so we were diving air for the first time in forever here at Vets. I'll only say it once - Air is such a rip off. That vile gas stole some significant bottom time from us last night, and I'm still a little bitter.
We got in without incident and scootered to about 110. It was very clear to the lip of the canyon (60'-ish feet) where we were met by the first of several sea lions that wanted to play (and thus, stir the place up.)
Over the lip and into the canyon we plunged. LOTS of squid eggs. Getting fatter and more tapioca by the day - each candle looking like an opaque pantyhose leg filled with BB's.
I took some shots of a baby Giant Black Sea Bass at about 105 - but I could tell by the lighting I had a strobe (my left one) that wasn't firing. I played with it some, but it wouldn't fire. It was on - the modeling light was illuminated - but it wouldn't fire. This was sad.
I soon saw a HUGE Dirona Picta Nudi at about 90-ish. Took some shots, but with only one strobe, they came out pretty poorly. Shot a fish coming out of a bottle at about 95... terrible shot. Poor lighting. I'm getting very depressed.
We continue the dive. So after some minutes at depth, the vile air clock was going off. We motored to about 50% of max depth (to about 50 FSW) and spent some time on the shelf.
This is how narc'ed I was - it wasn't until I got to about 50' that I even thought to shut off the bogus strobe, swing the good strobe over to the middle and try to salvage some shots... OY! Because I only had one strobe, I was unable to light through the subject - I had to simply light the subjects with direct lighting. Most of the shots came out really flat, 2D and very disappointing. The GOOD news is only the battery flooded (about $100 to replace) as opposed to the strobe flooding (closer to $600 to replace.)
We kicked along the shelf, and I shot several more octos in the 50 to 40 foot range - including the little baby on the grass jungle gym and the silly peek-a-boo octo below.
Chica and KenL brought over a little Dirona Picta, and 'dette flew it. I snapped some shots of the flying (better: falling) Nudi while KenL looked at us like we were mental patients.
We continued to kick along the canyon. I was in the lead, and I see this HUGE purple stripe jelly ahead in the distance. As Chica was without a light, I knew she hadn't see it. So I stopped and waited until she and KenL finned over - they both looked at me with that, "OK, what is Ken's deal this time...?"
I, with great fanfare and a huge sweeping gesture cast my HID sharp to the right, and there was the mother of all Purple Stripe Jellies. I've seen a zillion of these at Vets - but never one this huge. Claudette squeeked, KenL gasped and we mobbed the thing. The two of them looked at me, and I just pointed to my camera, to the lens and shook my head... I opened everything up. pumped up the one working strobe and shot into its bell as it rolled on the sand. I got about 10% of the thing framed up in my 60mm - but the colors and textures are remarkable.
It was time to head up the canyon and get out of dodge - so we pushed the scoots from about 38 to about 20 feet and spent the last 6+ minutes of the dive at <20 feet.
We popped up and walked out in a perfect Seattle exit.
We saw lots of fun stuff - many of the Pipe Bayfish, two baby GSB, a couple of nice Dorina Picta Nudis, tons of octos, some fringeheads, Sea Lions, a whole new channel of Squid Eggs we hadn't seen yet, a couple of squiddy-come-lately's looking for love and the beach ball Jelly.
Thanks KenL for joining us again. I really like diving with you - you are always, ALWAYS near by. You dive to stay found, and I really appreciate that.
Chica - always a pleasure diving with you. Fun night. Truly the shortest 1 hour dive ever.
Pics below.
---
Ken
==========================================
Baby Octo - this little guy kept going back and forth between these grass blades - like he was a gymnast!
Here is a series of flying Dirona Picta
A couple of Peek-a-boo octos. This shot he had a little buddy (shrimpy) hanging out on the Kelp with him.
In this one I really jammed up the strobe to light up the Kelp - his Shrimp buddy took off (or got fried) but you can clearly see the Octo's arms holding on to the kelp as the kelp became translucent.
This is the shot into jel-zilla. I'm sure KenL or Claudette will come by to tell you more about it. This thing was the size of my truck tire.
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Dive Location: Vet Spark
Buddy(ies): HBGottaDivGurl and Ken "right on time" Liu
Time: 7:47 PM Splash
Bottom Time: 1 Hour 3 Minutes
Max Depth: 111
Vis: Much better than last week at this time - 10 to 15 Feet
Wave height: Flatness - Seattle Entry
Temp at depth: 54
Surface Temp: whatever - dry suit
Tide information: Attached - First Quarter - much less water moving tonight
Gas mix: AIR (ew...)
Best moment: Pulling a "Here's Johnny" and properly introducing a 21" Purple Stripe Jelly to Ken and Claudette!
Things to do differently next time: NOT fill my tank with Air... what a rip off
Comments: Fastest 1 hour dive ever
=============================================
Wow, that was fast.
KenL joined Chica and I at Vets on Wed night. We got in a little later that night because traffic was prohibitive getting to the site. OY.
The three of us met, and the plan was to walk down the center stairs into the flatness that was Vets, scooter out at 280 degrees to about 110 feet, head South a bit, go east back up the canyon and see what we see.
As I was gearing up, I realized I left the battery for my HID at home - so I borrowed Chica's and she dived with her LED back up.
Not as much water on the move - so we suspected it'd be clearer than last week.
Chica and I had a couple of 130's with AIR in them - so we were diving air for the first time in forever here at Vets. I'll only say it once - Air is such a rip off. That vile gas stole some significant bottom time from us last night, and I'm still a little bitter.
We got in without incident and scootered to about 110. It was very clear to the lip of the canyon (60'-ish feet) where we were met by the first of several sea lions that wanted to play (and thus, stir the place up.)
Over the lip and into the canyon we plunged. LOTS of squid eggs. Getting fatter and more tapioca by the day - each candle looking like an opaque pantyhose leg filled with BB's.
I took some shots of a baby Giant Black Sea Bass at about 105 - but I could tell by the lighting I had a strobe (my left one) that wasn't firing. I played with it some, but it wouldn't fire. It was on - the modeling light was illuminated - but it wouldn't fire. This was sad.
I soon saw a HUGE Dirona Picta Nudi at about 90-ish. Took some shots, but with only one strobe, they came out pretty poorly. Shot a fish coming out of a bottle at about 95... terrible shot. Poor lighting. I'm getting very depressed.
We continue the dive. So after some minutes at depth, the vile air clock was going off. We motored to about 50% of max depth (to about 50 FSW) and spent some time on the shelf.
This is how narc'ed I was - it wasn't until I got to about 50' that I even thought to shut off the bogus strobe, swing the good strobe over to the middle and try to salvage some shots... OY! Because I only had one strobe, I was unable to light through the subject - I had to simply light the subjects with direct lighting. Most of the shots came out really flat, 2D and very disappointing. The GOOD news is only the battery flooded (about $100 to replace) as opposed to the strobe flooding (closer to $600 to replace.)
We kicked along the shelf, and I shot several more octos in the 50 to 40 foot range - including the little baby on the grass jungle gym and the silly peek-a-boo octo below.
Chica and KenL brought over a little Dirona Picta, and 'dette flew it. I snapped some shots of the flying (better: falling) Nudi while KenL looked at us like we were mental patients.
We continued to kick along the canyon. I was in the lead, and I see this HUGE purple stripe jelly ahead in the distance. As Chica was without a light, I knew she hadn't see it. So I stopped and waited until she and KenL finned over - they both looked at me with that, "OK, what is Ken's deal this time...?"
I, with great fanfare and a huge sweeping gesture cast my HID sharp to the right, and there was the mother of all Purple Stripe Jellies. I've seen a zillion of these at Vets - but never one this huge. Claudette squeeked, KenL gasped and we mobbed the thing. The two of them looked at me, and I just pointed to my camera, to the lens and shook my head... I opened everything up. pumped up the one working strobe and shot into its bell as it rolled on the sand. I got about 10% of the thing framed up in my 60mm - but the colors and textures are remarkable.
It was time to head up the canyon and get out of dodge - so we pushed the scoots from about 38 to about 20 feet and spent the last 6+ minutes of the dive at <20 feet.
We popped up and walked out in a perfect Seattle exit.
We saw lots of fun stuff - many of the Pipe Bayfish, two baby GSB, a couple of nice Dorina Picta Nudis, tons of octos, some fringeheads, Sea Lions, a whole new channel of Squid Eggs we hadn't seen yet, a couple of squiddy-come-lately's looking for love and the beach ball Jelly.
Thanks KenL for joining us again. I really like diving with you - you are always, ALWAYS near by. You dive to stay found, and I really appreciate that.
Chica - always a pleasure diving with you. Fun night. Truly the shortest 1 hour dive ever.
Pics below.
---
Ken
==========================================
Baby Octo - this little guy kept going back and forth between these grass blades - like he was a gymnast!
Here is a series of flying Dirona Picta
A couple of Peek-a-boo octos. This shot he had a little buddy (shrimpy) hanging out on the Kelp with him.
In this one I really jammed up the strobe to light up the Kelp - his Shrimp buddy took off (or got fried) but you can clearly see the Octo's arms holding on to the kelp as the kelp became translucent.
This is the shot into jel-zilla. I'm sure KenL or Claudette will come by to tell you more about it. This thing was the size of my truck tire.
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