The Truth Is Out There...

Off I went...

In search of these droves of divers without skills or a clue.

I dove 4 cattle boats (and a six pack or two) in S. Florida in 7 days, from Boynton Beach to Key West.

14 boat dives total, on the Boynton Reef, the Cayman Salvage Master, Adolphus Busch, Looe Key, American Shoals, The Duane, and The Speigel Grove a few times, among other places.

-Not only- did I live through each and every dive, so, amazingly, did everyone else!!!

-Hundreds- of divers, maybe a hundred in one dive alone, on the Grove.

I dove with 50 different divers or better just on the boats I was on.

I buddied maybe 8 dives with complete strangers, and none of them tried to kill me.

No one dragging on the reef, no Coast Guard rescues, not one OOA.

Not a single Polaris Maneuver.

Divers from across the US, as well as other places, good trim, streamlined, good boat manners.

Vacation divers, Rec/tec, even a few doubles on the Grove.

Even the ones like me certified by... PADI!!!

The only gear I lent out all week was a pair of gloves, and a pair of booties, and the (missing) booties were washed overboard.

I did lend a little air to a guy on the Grove, who later explained that he had plenty, but wanted to have 500 back at the boat.

This was a total stranger who swam up and gave me a slate with a written request (I had 1800 psi left). Too funny.

I was also asked to dive with a new OW diver, a young lady that did a fine job, including drilling me on hand signals, checking my gear without being asked, and asking about the differences.

Impressed the hell out of me.

If I could point out one thing, it was that there was a lotta line hanging going on during safety stops, but seas were 3-5 or better one day, with a current.

It's hard for a group of several divers to stay at 15, near the line in a current.

A fantastic trip, made more enjoyable by the diving public at large.

Thanks everybody, it was good to see you.

And good to see you doing so well.

Very good post...too many times we only hear the negatives about experiences...its nice to know that you had a good (and safe) time.

Sounds like fun to me! I wish I could of been their. When you seid in your post that you had 1800psi and that he was at 500 or so, can you send me a private message or post back telling me how you saved your air like that. That would be great !

How can you 100 divers on one dive site and not 1 of them having problems. That is amazing!



Colton

Sound like you had a blast, and Welcome back.


But it sounds like a fluke...Statistical Anomaly, with all those divers there should have been at least 3 accidents, one of which should have been a PADI instructor....But you wouldn't be able to see it because of all the silt that must have been raised up.

Don't get to worked up Pops, it was a federal holiday -- both Murphy and Grim were on vacation!

Cornfed

Popeye knows what Gilboa looks like on the weekends, so anything less than a complete siltout would look fantastic to him!

Popeye once bubbled...
14 boat dives total, on the Boynton Reef, the Cayman Salvage Master, Adolphus Busch, Looe Key, American Shoals, The Duane, and The Speigel Grove a few times, among other places.
This was a total stranger who swam up and gave me a slate with a written request (I had 1800 psi left). Too funny.

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I've done the Cayman Salvager, Adolphus Busch, Looe Key, the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. I think of all of them my favorite was the Adolphus Busch. As I remember, it had a long swim through that was all cleaned out and that you could see ambient light in from one end to the other. My dive log says I saw a big jewfish there and lots of snook. I also had an awesome night dive on the Duane last month. If you ever do it again, I would recommend the Thunderbolt off of Marathon and the Eagle off of Key Largo.

Just curious about what you liked. Sounds like a great trip.

ibnygator once bubbled...


I've done the Cayman Salvager, Adolphus Busch, Looe Key, the Duane and the Spiegel Grove. I think of all of them my favorite was the Adolphus Busch. As I remember, it had a long swim through that was all cleaned out and that you could see ambient light in from one end to the other. My dive log says I saw a big jewfish there and lots of snook. I also had an awesome night dive on the Duane last month. If you ever do it again, I would recommend the Thunderbolt off of Marathon and the Eagle off of Key Largo.

Just curious about what you liked. Sounds like a great trip.

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I have a special place in my heart for the Busch, which I've been diving for four years. www.reef-divers.com/ is my guy down there, and a fantastic operation it is. I try to hit the Keys twice a year.

But this gig was definately the Grove, my first trip.

First time with this operation, I had been exchanging posts and e-mails with the owner in my other group for over a year, and I was very impressed with his op and crews (www.silentworldkeylargo.com/index.html), and very much look forward to my next visit.

The Grove was like a parking lot on the 4th & 5th, but there's a lotta ship to see.

Viz was 100 plus, but hard to figure on that big a target. She catches a lotta light.

I've done the T-bolt and Eagle before.

The most, er, interesting, dive I ever did was drifting the Duane and the Bibb (solo), not for the faint of heart.

The Cayman Salvage Master and Joe's Tug came about because my dive bud required a KW stay, with a motel on White Street and an eatery tour. I usually go on trips solo, but she made a good argument. That'll be my first and last Key West diving, though.

JeffG once bubbled...
Sound like you had a blast, and Welcome back.


But it sounds like a fluke...Statistical Anomaly, with all those divers there should have been at least 3 accidents, one of which should have been a PADI instructor....But you wouldn't be able to see it because of all the silt that must have been raised up.

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On Tuesday, I did the Cayman Salvager in near Zeeeero Viz and a two knot current.

It was just me and the Dive Guy. Shortly after we left, at least three other boats tied up to her.

Bet that was a scene...

Colton once bubbled...
Sounds like fun to me! I wish I could of been their. When you seid in your post that you had 1800psi and that he was at 500 or so, can you send me a private message or post back telling me how you saved your air like that. That would be great !

How can you 100 divers on one dive site and not 1 of them having problems. That is amazing!



Colton

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Air consumption is a whole nuther thread, but comfort in the water is a first step. That means, dive, dive, dive.

Creative tank fills also help.

100 divers diving and not one having a problem is totally normal, however, and was the point of my post.