nolatom
Contributor
Labor Day Sunday was a "day" dive for me, where day means hit the road by 0330 from New Orleans. My wife and even da dog came along for the ride, to spend the day ashore.
Scuba Shack and the MV Wet Dream with Captain Gene Freguson out of the Palafox St Marina, right downtown, has always been a good experience for me. Bit longer ride than the Warrington boats, but fun to see the harbor and Navy base (oh, and check out this weird-looking but impressive ship, the BIG BLUE, a pipeline and cable-laying ship at the next dock over Deep Blue, one of Technip's installation vessels. - Image - Offshore Technology. Then a warm, lumpy summer day out at the supply boat PETE TIDE, 10 miles offshore for the first dive. I usually rent nitrox but it was largely an "air" crowd and I needed an insta-buddy, so me and my Scottish wallet went for the air. This is a nice dive, and the PETE is intact and a good way to show visitors what these oilfield workhorses look(ed) like. And open enough I got to swim into the accomodation house then ascend up the stairway into the wheelhouse, just like when she was a working ship.
Vis was so-so at about 30 feet, warm water and good fish population. Karen, my new buddy, is a photographer and we were relaxed "same ocean while still paying attention sorta" buddies while she took photos and I went out somewhere then back. But what I noticed is the obvious lesson for one who usually breathes N-32, you run up your nitrogen ticks way faster on air. So it was going into caution with almost no time left before deco, that made me ascend with about 1400 rather than the usual 1000psi. Good news I guess is that means my breathing is slow enough for that to happen, so Nitrogen is the limiting factor, not gas. Used to be the opposite especially when there was current, which we did have. But it was fun, 108' and 42 minutes.
Second dive was shallow and just plain fun. The "Joe Patti's Reef" barge (there's a big sign on the bow saying this so you can't miss it) is an old deck barge sunk with lots of steel signage and artwork welded to her deck on posts, from Company names (including a profile of the Wet Dream) to fish sculptures to flags to even a replica of the storm-lost "Flora-Bama Lounge", complete with steel bar with sign behind it, and four steel bar stools we could sit on. Karen and I agreed (as I guess did most of the buddies) that they would "Meet you at Flora-Bama bar" if separated ;-). It was a hoot, and thanks to all the companies and families who contributed to this "funland" that tops out at about 35',.
So my air lasted forever, 57 minutes and 52 feet down to the sand, and I coulda stayed even longer. These two dives, on which I did a lot of "pull and glide" against the current, pretty much did in a pair of gloves, but anyway.
It only gets better. Between dives Gene grilled up some fantastic (and big) hot dogs with all the best toppings (I almost asked the mythical bartender at the Flora Bama for some Rolaids afterward but it was worth it ;-) And after the second dive, we got a dessert they had been working on on the way out--homemade chocolate ice cream, hand-cranked!! Wow, was it good. The fringe bennies on Wet Dream are excellent..
Hey, don't take my word for it. The day before, they got dog and ice cream compliments from a New Orleans guy and his son finishing a checkout dive--John Besh. Only one of New Orleans' premier chefs, is all, with some of the best restaurants. Anyway Gene wouldn' lie about something as serious (to us New Orleanians) as this, so we were all duly impressed and arrived back at the dock well-dived and well fed. Sorry no photos, I just dive, no camera.
Then on the way home, we got off I-10 and diverted over to the Mississippi Coast at Pass Christian for a nice dinner before driving back home on the "back roads" with sunset then a crescent moon and the sunroof open.
All in all a long, but fun, day. And today to rest up. I don't feel any different with air versus nitrox so maybe I can eliminate that as a reason, but staying down longer is a good reason.
Happy Labor day, all.
Tom
Scuba Shack and the MV Wet Dream with Captain Gene Freguson out of the Palafox St Marina, right downtown, has always been a good experience for me. Bit longer ride than the Warrington boats, but fun to see the harbor and Navy base (oh, and check out this weird-looking but impressive ship, the BIG BLUE, a pipeline and cable-laying ship at the next dock over Deep Blue, one of Technip's installation vessels. - Image - Offshore Technology. Then a warm, lumpy summer day out at the supply boat PETE TIDE, 10 miles offshore for the first dive. I usually rent nitrox but it was largely an "air" crowd and I needed an insta-buddy, so me and my Scottish wallet went for the air. This is a nice dive, and the PETE is intact and a good way to show visitors what these oilfield workhorses look(ed) like. And open enough I got to swim into the accomodation house then ascend up the stairway into the wheelhouse, just like when she was a working ship.
Vis was so-so at about 30 feet, warm water and good fish population. Karen, my new buddy, is a photographer and we were relaxed "same ocean while still paying attention sorta" buddies while she took photos and I went out somewhere then back. But what I noticed is the obvious lesson for one who usually breathes N-32, you run up your nitrogen ticks way faster on air. So it was going into caution with almost no time left before deco, that made me ascend with about 1400 rather than the usual 1000psi. Good news I guess is that means my breathing is slow enough for that to happen, so Nitrogen is the limiting factor, not gas. Used to be the opposite especially when there was current, which we did have. But it was fun, 108' and 42 minutes.
Second dive was shallow and just plain fun. The "Joe Patti's Reef" barge (there's a big sign on the bow saying this so you can't miss it) is an old deck barge sunk with lots of steel signage and artwork welded to her deck on posts, from Company names (including a profile of the Wet Dream) to fish sculptures to flags to even a replica of the storm-lost "Flora-Bama Lounge", complete with steel bar with sign behind it, and four steel bar stools we could sit on. Karen and I agreed (as I guess did most of the buddies) that they would "Meet you at Flora-Bama bar" if separated ;-). It was a hoot, and thanks to all the companies and families who contributed to this "funland" that tops out at about 35',.
So my air lasted forever, 57 minutes and 52 feet down to the sand, and I coulda stayed even longer. These two dives, on which I did a lot of "pull and glide" against the current, pretty much did in a pair of gloves, but anyway.
It only gets better. Between dives Gene grilled up some fantastic (and big) hot dogs with all the best toppings (I almost asked the mythical bartender at the Flora Bama for some Rolaids afterward but it was worth it ;-) And after the second dive, we got a dessert they had been working on on the way out--homemade chocolate ice cream, hand-cranked!! Wow, was it good. The fringe bennies on Wet Dream are excellent..
Hey, don't take my word for it. The day before, they got dog and ice cream compliments from a New Orleans guy and his son finishing a checkout dive--John Besh. Only one of New Orleans' premier chefs, is all, with some of the best restaurants. Anyway Gene wouldn' lie about something as serious (to us New Orleanians) as this, so we were all duly impressed and arrived back at the dock well-dived and well fed. Sorry no photos, I just dive, no camera.
Then on the way home, we got off I-10 and diverted over to the Mississippi Coast at Pass Christian for a nice dinner before driving back home on the "back roads" with sunset then a crescent moon and the sunroof open.
All in all a long, but fun, day. And today to rest up. I don't feel any different with air versus nitrox so maybe I can eliminate that as a reason, but staying down longer is a good reason.
Happy Labor day, all.
Tom
