pairizarry
Guest
Dive Report Millbrook Quarry (Haymarket, VA) 3/13/05
I received a call from Virginia Scuba that my dive buddy was waiting for me at the shop. I arrived at the shop and picked up my tanks at 11:30 am, which was the time the gates at the quarry were supposed to close. We arrived at about 11:45 am and the gates were locked so we walked through the locked gates and walked to Beach 2 to find the gatekeepers. They were kind enough to let us in, so we prepared to go diving.
It was a sunny day about 45 degrees for the 3rd and final Chilly Willy Dive, sponsored by The Dive Shop. Jackie and I were at the 1st Chilly Willy on Sunday 1/9/05 when the water temps were about 44 degrees, so we expected about the same. Jackie came prepared with every wetsuit garment she could find to prepare to do 2 dives. I had purchased another 7mm wetsuit and 3mm dive socks as additions to my Chilly Willy clothing line. Jackie was psyching herself up by saying it wouldn't be as cold as last time.
We suited up; I wore my new 7mm farmer john, for the 1st dive, along with 5mm gloves and boots, and 6.5mm hood. As soon as I put my foot in the water, I knew the water was just a little bit colder than before. We started our descent; I immediately noticed that a 7mm farmer john requires more weight than a 7mm one piece that I normally wear. I went into the headfirst swimming decent to get down instead. The vis was about 10 feet with algae floating around like green jellyfish. The fish were nowhere to be seen, they must have been huddled somewhere. We finished the 1st dive with 59ft, 25 min, and 41 degrees. My hands were the only things that were cold on my body.
Now it was time for dive #2. Jackie decided not to go, so I went on my second dive with Shawn of The Dive Shop. I had planned to change out of my farmer john and into my one piece but since I saw Shawn was ready to go in his dry suit, I changed out my boots and gloves, and put on 3mm dive socks, 5mm boots, and 2-3mm gloves. At about 15 minutes into the dive my hands were getting cold, so the idea of wearing 2 sets of gloves did not work. My feet started feeling cold at about 20 min, so there goes the idea of adding dive socks for warmth. I started to get a little chilly at about 25 min. We finished the dive with 79ft, 31 min, and a balmy 41 degrees.
My next reports will be of my trip to Key Largo 22-23 March (Molasses and French Reef, and Spiegel Grove) and Jupiter, FL on 26 March where the water should be a bit warmer.
I received a call from Virginia Scuba that my dive buddy was waiting for me at the shop. I arrived at the shop and picked up my tanks at 11:30 am, which was the time the gates at the quarry were supposed to close. We arrived at about 11:45 am and the gates were locked so we walked through the locked gates and walked to Beach 2 to find the gatekeepers. They were kind enough to let us in, so we prepared to go diving.
It was a sunny day about 45 degrees for the 3rd and final Chilly Willy Dive, sponsored by The Dive Shop. Jackie and I were at the 1st Chilly Willy on Sunday 1/9/05 when the water temps were about 44 degrees, so we expected about the same. Jackie came prepared with every wetsuit garment she could find to prepare to do 2 dives. I had purchased another 7mm wetsuit and 3mm dive socks as additions to my Chilly Willy clothing line. Jackie was psyching herself up by saying it wouldn't be as cold as last time.
We suited up; I wore my new 7mm farmer john, for the 1st dive, along with 5mm gloves and boots, and 6.5mm hood. As soon as I put my foot in the water, I knew the water was just a little bit colder than before. We started our descent; I immediately noticed that a 7mm farmer john requires more weight than a 7mm one piece that I normally wear. I went into the headfirst swimming decent to get down instead. The vis was about 10 feet with algae floating around like green jellyfish. The fish were nowhere to be seen, they must have been huddled somewhere. We finished the 1st dive with 59ft, 25 min, and 41 degrees. My hands were the only things that were cold on my body.
Now it was time for dive #2. Jackie decided not to go, so I went on my second dive with Shawn of The Dive Shop. I had planned to change out of my farmer john and into my one piece but since I saw Shawn was ready to go in his dry suit, I changed out my boots and gloves, and put on 3mm dive socks, 5mm boots, and 2-3mm gloves. At about 15 minutes into the dive my hands were getting cold, so the idea of wearing 2 sets of gloves did not work. My feet started feeling cold at about 20 min, so there goes the idea of adding dive socks for warmth. I started to get a little chilly at about 25 min. We finished the dive with 79ft, 31 min, and a balmy 41 degrees.
My next reports will be of my trip to Key Largo 22-23 March (Molasses and French Reef, and Spiegel Grove) and Jupiter, FL on 26 March where the water should be a bit warmer.
