some changes to the planned trip may have us near Venice. What dive boats and shops does everyone use? I think my daughter would have a blast looking for megladon teeth. Who is the best to put you on the teeth? Thanks for the info.
Any recommendations on a good fossil dive operation in Vince
- Thread starter ryfly161
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1000RR
Contributor
Me and my daughter have used both Aquanutz (Mike) and Aristakat (Jamie). Both were great. I would not hesitate to recommend either of them. Either has their little thing they do differently or better and both are great dive ops!
OP
OK sounds like a possibility. 1000RR What little things do you see that each does differently? From the videos that I have seen this is interesting to me as I am use to diving the cooper river for megladon teeth and think thIs would be fun with my daughter. Thanks again for your time
1000RR
Contributor
Aristakat was a faster boat, more room (center console). Capt. Jamie had a helper onboard and he would have your tanks changed out as soon as you were back on deck. Very efficient, nice boat, great people.
Aquanutz was a little older boat, galley style so less room as you had to hang out just in the back. Captain Mike did everything himself in changing tanks etc. He worked his but off (by himself).
We did good with both of dive ops. We did better with Aquanutz. He went a little further South (they leave from the same general area) and hit some spots that probably hadn't been hit quite as much? Mike dives these spots himself (a LOT) as he is a collector and actually sells teeth on occasion too. I won't say Jamie is not a collector or dives his spots too but my gut feeling was Mike dove them more.
Bottom line is - both are great. We were luckier with Mike. If you want the newer faster bigger boat, go with Jamie... if you don't care about that Mike is awesome. Again, I'd go with either one. We did find more teeth with Mike, even some Mammoth tusk and a whale tooth too.
Both were great times. Both are only about 30' dives... that's the depth where the teeth are. Both have snacks and water/drinks/etc. Both cost about the same.
Aquanutz was a little older boat, galley style so less room as you had to hang out just in the back. Captain Mike did everything himself in changing tanks etc. He worked his but off (by himself).
We did good with both of dive ops. We did better with Aquanutz. He went a little further South (they leave from the same general area) and hit some spots that probably hadn't been hit quite as much? Mike dives these spots himself (a LOT) as he is a collector and actually sells teeth on occasion too. I won't say Jamie is not a collector or dives his spots too but my gut feeling was Mike dove them more.
Bottom line is - both are great. We were luckier with Mike. If you want the newer faster bigger boat, go with Jamie... if you don't care about that Mike is awesome. Again, I'd go with either one. We did find more teeth with Mike, even some Mammoth tusk and a whale tooth too.
Both were great times. Both are only about 30' dives... that's the depth where the teeth are. Both have snacks and water/drinks/etc. Both cost about the same.
cbm369
Contributor
Wasn't there a charter that was doing 3 tank dives for Meg teeth, instead of the normal 2 tank dives?
1000RR
Contributor
Come to think about it... last time out with Aquanutz, that was a 3-tank dive. Maybe that's why we came back w/more finds - haha?!
cbm369
Contributor
Ahh, ok.
I'm thinking about heading down to Venice the first week of April, if I can find a reasonably priced place to stay...
I've dove with Jamie before and I'm sure I will again, but would like to try out a few other dive ops as well. I normally do several beach dives as well.
I'm thinking about heading down to Venice the first week of April, if I can find a reasonably priced place to stay...
I've dove with Jamie before and I'm sure I will again, but would like to try out a few other dive ops as well. I normally do several beach dives as well.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
I dove with Aquanutz for my first fossil dive back in August. While I didn't have outrageous luck (one small chipped meg tooth and two partials, a fistful of smaller shark teeth, a stingray tooth plate, a mastodon tusk, a horse tooth, and a bunch of other bones I grabbed in fits of kleptomania), I liked Mike's operation and would use him again.
It was a 3-tanker; I believe Mike said something to the effect of "If you come up with 1000 psi in your tank, I'm sending you back down to find more stuff." I set a new personal record for longest bottom time. I had good fills on my personal AL 80s and logged bottom times of 145, 120, and 104 minutes. The deepest spot we did was only 35 ft. The first spot was actually the shallowest at 15 ft and I came up because I thought they were revving the engine; I still had 700 psi. Halfway through the third dive curling up and taking a nap on the bottom was seeming like a good idea; on my next trip I might bring some nitrox fills to cut down on the drowsiness. I definitely would not make a long drive after a day like that.
It was a 3-tanker; I believe Mike said something to the effect of "If you come up with 1000 psi in your tank, I'm sending you back down to find more stuff." I set a new personal record for longest bottom time. I had good fills on my personal AL 80s and logged bottom times of 145, 120, and 104 minutes. The deepest spot we did was only 35 ft. The first spot was actually the shallowest at 15 ft and I came up because I thought they were revving the engine; I still had 700 psi. Halfway through the third dive curling up and taking a nap on the bottom was seeming like a good idea; on my next trip I might bring some nitrox fills to cut down on the drowsiness. I definitely would not make a long drive after a day like that.
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