Thread: Palau Aggressor
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Old July 15th, 2008, 09:28 PM   #2
Shasta_man
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Don't worry about handling reef hooking. Piece of cake.

Be certain to attach rope around upper mid section for balance. Wind rope up and stuff in BC. You won't feel the current until you get very close to reef. Start a little below the reef and come up at reef edge so you stay low enough to grab onto reef. You want to hook in close to reef edge so you can have a wider field of view and see over edge to everything below. You get your hook out as you approach reef. As you pass over reef edge start looking for hand hold, leaving the living critters alone. Stay calm. Grab on to a handhold and current will turn you into current. Put hook into handhold and hold up to keep tension on line. Now add air to your BC so you float up. Let yourself float up until you put tension onto line. Only thing to watch for is that current pushes you back, then during current ebb you float slightly forward. You want to keep tension on line so it doesn't come loose during ebb. Stay high on line so you don't kick wondercritters on reef. Look down. Whole little world living in the crevices below you. Now, get comfortable and relax. Just hold line and breathe easy. Wow, look at the huge school of fish hanging over the reef. Wow, shark here, shark there, all patroling back and forth with fish on their minds. Maginificent. Once you learn how to do this, it will be the easiest diving you have ever done. Nice slow breathing so air lasts forever.

Remember this before you detach: let air out of BC or you will head for the surface when you detach from reef. Keep your breathing normal while you detach so you don't drop onto reef and kick critters. Let go. Current takes you away. Enjoy view, flying over bottom. Safety stop and surface with ear to ear grin.

Only bad thing to this trip is you're starting at the top of liveaboard living so everything else will be difficult to compare. I know cause I did the same thing. :-)
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