mongoose
Contributor
Hi, all
Had a great time this weekend, headed out for a business trip, left a couple days early to catch some diving before beginning the grind. This was my first boat dive, first ocean dive, I reserved a spot on the bottom scratcher about two weeks ago...
Fri, 6/3
Arrived orange county, got to the hotel, and, due to a sorority party, got precisely one hour's sleep due to laughing and running in the hallway. Lovely.
Sat, 6/4
Awoke 4:15 am, left for Long Beach, arrived about 5:00 am. Thought I was running late but I was actually a half hour early, what with the boat leaving at 7:00 am sharp. Met Greg, the captain, Bobby the deckhand, and Debbie the cook, all terrific people (more about Debbie in a moment). The boat departed precisely at 7:00 am, and we left for the island. I went up to the wheelhouse and talked for awhile with Cap. Greg, who was very generous with information and stories about the boat. Went down to my bunk (I highly recommend the 1st bunk on the port side in the forward bunkroom). Just don't put anything in the little slats, otherwise it will wind up in the bilge. Breakfast was terrific, pancakes, sausage, egg, coffee... you will *definitely* get fed on this boat...DEFINITELY..There was a little chop , and I made the mistake of reading while laying down in my bunk, which made me slightly queasy, that and having had too much of a very good breakfast.
I was irritable to say the least, having had almost no sleep, and I napped for about 30 min. Got geared up in my new semi-dry, which I *thought* I had squared away as far as weight & trim. Was I ever wrong... I hopped in, and the water was as I expected very cold. I didn't have on gloves but got used to it fairly quick... Everything was fine until I actually tried to go under...I had ankle weights, and unknown to me I had air trapped in my suit and under my hood. I nose over and force-fin down to about 15 feet, and I *cannot* get this suit under control... I am like a kid with a new RC car. I am literally banging into everything, rocks, kelp, throwing up silt (I am with two photo guys). I am literally out of control... head up, head down. On my back, on my side, ascending, decending, fighting like crazy just get any semblance of control. I burned 2000 lbs of air in 18 minutes fighting the suit... Finally I have had it, I am absolutely furious and exhausted... Too much so to barely appreciate the beauty of where I am. I realize in my pissed-off state I am overloaded and a safety liability and I thumb the dive...screw this! On the way up, I notice the massive bubble under the hood. I got back to the boat and sulk for a few minutes, then take a step back & rethink... I have on 37 pounds... wait, that just *has* to be too much. It has to be. I ditch the ankle weights, cut a hole in the hood(to vent air), and hop in for a weight check at 34 lbs. That's better.
We move the boat and I decide on a solo second dive, so I don't botch anyone else's dive. I drop down to 40 feet. OK, this is better... much, MUCH better. I burped the suit at the surface, got down to depth on the sand and shook the legs & arms of the suit. Bubbles flew out of it. Better still. I can actually swim around. Okay, here we go. The difference between this and the rock quarry in Terrell is *incredible*. The fish actually have color, I can see more that 6 inches in front of the mask... It's a whole different universe. Holy %$#@! Swam around on the sandy bottom, for a bit, hit my turn pressure, realize I shouldn't be soloing, chide myself a bit & head for the surface.
Did a third dive with a very nice instructor from Sports Chalet(can't remember her name), we saw a huge crab, lobsters, all really sweet stuff. Went to about 60, deeper than I'd ever been, but felt safe with this extremely competent diver with me.
Score a terrific lunch, headed back, and MAN you cannot believe the food on this boat. Chili, Chicken wings, pasta salad, spaghetti, brownies, man I ate like a freakin' KING. I am definitely doing this again tomorrow. The crew was even nice enough to let me stow my gear on the boat overnight.
Sun, 6/5
Arrive at the boat approx same time, get my same bunk, same spot on the gear-up rack. We head out, I had an ever better time than the first day. Greg is telling me stories about his house, his hitch in the Marines, the boat, explaining all the nav markers, shows me the radar, talks about the engines...terrific guy.
Here is the best and worst part of the trip, so I saved it for last. I had just finished my last dive, so I am packing up the gear, so I can get off the boat quickly. I have a quick-disconnect on my Aeris computer(one I paid dearly for). I have my reg bag on the gunwale packing it (dumb move). I accidentally twist the HP hose AND MY PRECIOUS ATMOS AI FALLS INTO THE OCEAN. Oh, Christ. I watch it as it sinks out of sight. I tell my plight to my fellow divers, and they are lamenting right with me. What a crappy thing to have happen. I can't go into the water. I don't have an SPG, and I don't know what letter group I'm in to safely dive tables. Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap. This is where the intrepid and wonderful Debbie(the cook) steps in. She gears up, Captain Greg tossed a weighted line overboard, and down she goes. I wait for 15 tense minutes.
Finally...I am in the galley, head in hands. I hear Captain greg, call, "Hey Kerry!". I rush to the back of the boat, and there is a grinning Debbie on the swimstep, holding my beloved Atmos AI in her hand as she exits. "No problem", she says, in her Bristol, England accent..."It was laying in a little bit o'kelp, about 70 feet, I just rooted around in it a little, and there it was!" Very few times in my life have I been as grateful to someone as I was to her just at that moment. What a terrific person. How incredibly considerate and helpful of her it was to do such a nice thing, with all the stuff she has to do on that boat, to go out of her way like that. Many thanks, and I dedicate this trip report to the fine crew of the Bottom Scratcher in general, and Debbie in particular. Many, many thanks.
This was one blast of a weekend.
--'Goose
Had a great time this weekend, headed out for a business trip, left a couple days early to catch some diving before beginning the grind. This was my first boat dive, first ocean dive, I reserved a spot on the bottom scratcher about two weeks ago...
Fri, 6/3
Arrived orange county, got to the hotel, and, due to a sorority party, got precisely one hour's sleep due to laughing and running in the hallway. Lovely.
Sat, 6/4
Awoke 4:15 am, left for Long Beach, arrived about 5:00 am. Thought I was running late but I was actually a half hour early, what with the boat leaving at 7:00 am sharp. Met Greg, the captain, Bobby the deckhand, and Debbie the cook, all terrific people (more about Debbie in a moment). The boat departed precisely at 7:00 am, and we left for the island. I went up to the wheelhouse and talked for awhile with Cap. Greg, who was very generous with information and stories about the boat. Went down to my bunk (I highly recommend the 1st bunk on the port side in the forward bunkroom). Just don't put anything in the little slats, otherwise it will wind up in the bilge. Breakfast was terrific, pancakes, sausage, egg, coffee... you will *definitely* get fed on this boat...DEFINITELY..There was a little chop , and I made the mistake of reading while laying down in my bunk, which made me slightly queasy, that and having had too much of a very good breakfast.
I was irritable to say the least, having had almost no sleep, and I napped for about 30 min. Got geared up in my new semi-dry, which I *thought* I had squared away as far as weight & trim. Was I ever wrong... I hopped in, and the water was as I expected very cold. I didn't have on gloves but got used to it fairly quick... Everything was fine until I actually tried to go under...I had ankle weights, and unknown to me I had air trapped in my suit and under my hood. I nose over and force-fin down to about 15 feet, and I *cannot* get this suit under control... I am like a kid with a new RC car. I am literally banging into everything, rocks, kelp, throwing up silt (I am with two photo guys). I am literally out of control... head up, head down. On my back, on my side, ascending, decending, fighting like crazy just get any semblance of control. I burned 2000 lbs of air in 18 minutes fighting the suit... Finally I have had it, I am absolutely furious and exhausted... Too much so to barely appreciate the beauty of where I am. I realize in my pissed-off state I am overloaded and a safety liability and I thumb the dive...screw this! On the way up, I notice the massive bubble under the hood. I got back to the boat and sulk for a few minutes, then take a step back & rethink... I have on 37 pounds... wait, that just *has* to be too much. It has to be. I ditch the ankle weights, cut a hole in the hood(to vent air), and hop in for a weight check at 34 lbs. That's better.
We move the boat and I decide on a solo second dive, so I don't botch anyone else's dive. I drop down to 40 feet. OK, this is better... much, MUCH better. I burped the suit at the surface, got down to depth on the sand and shook the legs & arms of the suit. Bubbles flew out of it. Better still. I can actually swim around. Okay, here we go. The difference between this and the rock quarry in Terrell is *incredible*. The fish actually have color, I can see more that 6 inches in front of the mask... It's a whole different universe. Holy %$#@! Swam around on the sandy bottom, for a bit, hit my turn pressure, realize I shouldn't be soloing, chide myself a bit & head for the surface.
Did a third dive with a very nice instructor from Sports Chalet(can't remember her name), we saw a huge crab, lobsters, all really sweet stuff. Went to about 60, deeper than I'd ever been, but felt safe with this extremely competent diver with me.
Score a terrific lunch, headed back, and MAN you cannot believe the food on this boat. Chili, Chicken wings, pasta salad, spaghetti, brownies, man I ate like a freakin' KING. I am definitely doing this again tomorrow. The crew was even nice enough to let me stow my gear on the boat overnight.
Sun, 6/5
Arrive at the boat approx same time, get my same bunk, same spot on the gear-up rack. We head out, I had an ever better time than the first day. Greg is telling me stories about his house, his hitch in the Marines, the boat, explaining all the nav markers, shows me the radar, talks about the engines...terrific guy.
Here is the best and worst part of the trip, so I saved it for last. I had just finished my last dive, so I am packing up the gear, so I can get off the boat quickly. I have a quick-disconnect on my Aeris computer(one I paid dearly for). I have my reg bag on the gunwale packing it (dumb move). I accidentally twist the HP hose AND MY PRECIOUS ATMOS AI FALLS INTO THE OCEAN. Oh, Christ. I watch it as it sinks out of sight. I tell my plight to my fellow divers, and they are lamenting right with me. What a crappy thing to have happen. I can't go into the water. I don't have an SPG, and I don't know what letter group I'm in to safely dive tables. Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap. This is where the intrepid and wonderful Debbie(the cook) steps in. She gears up, Captain Greg tossed a weighted line overboard, and down she goes. I wait for 15 tense minutes.
Finally...I am in the galley, head in hands. I hear Captain greg, call, "Hey Kerry!". I rush to the back of the boat, and there is a grinning Debbie on the swimstep, holding my beloved Atmos AI in her hand as she exits. "No problem", she says, in her Bristol, England accent..."It was laying in a little bit o'kelp, about 70 feet, I just rooted around in it a little, and there it was!" Very few times in my life have I been as grateful to someone as I was to her just at that moment. What a terrific person. How incredibly considerate and helpful of her it was to do such a nice thing, with all the stuff she has to do on that boat, to go out of her way like that. Many thanks, and I dedicate this trip report to the fine crew of the Bottom Scratcher in general, and Debbie in particular. Many, many thanks.
This was one blast of a weekend.
--'Goose
Made her day...you writting about that trip.
