Dive Report YDT-14 March 6, 2010

[paulwall]

The weather forecast promised the nicest weekend in a long time. I awoke at 6:30 am to a crisp, clear morning. After scraping the ice off the windshield :cold:, I set off from Pensacola to Gulf shores to meet up with the Cat-n-round for a trip to the YDT14.

Fortunately, Gary had set the meet time for 8:30, to allow the temps to warm up a bit before setting out. I spent the extra hour I had driving around looking for an open drugstore for some Bonine/Triptone/Dramamine. The forecast called for 1-3's, but I would rather take it and not need it than to not take it and feed the fish my breakfast...

Orange Beach doesn't have a 24-hour Drugstore, so I ended up buying a generic product at a grocery store.

Anyway, I showed up at Sportsman's Marina at 8am, and after inspecting the facilities, put on my wetsuit, booties, hooded vest and started moving my other gear down to the boat. Blake, our DM had already shown up and helped me load. Shortly after, my insta-buddy Troy from Minnesota showed up, and loaded his tote onto a cart for the trip down to the boat.

By this time the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature had moved up into the solid 40's, with a light wind out of the NE. My first tank had already been rigged up, so I just sat back and tried to stay out of the way while the other three guys checked Nitrox mixes, and geared up their rental tanks.
We set off shortly after 9am and headed for the pass. Troy suffered an oxycheq light overboard just outside the marina (I had nothing to do with it) and feared he had lost a glove, as well. I claimed my usual spot on the Aft Port Cushion.

When we cleared the pass, the wave forecast proved exaggerated, with 1's and 2's in quick sets, and the occasional 3' roller keeping us awake. The Cat's twin Yamaha 225's made quick work of the 20 mile trip to the YDT. I saw a 24-30" fish breach off to starboard. It looked like a mackerel, but I'm no expert in airborne fish at 30 yds.

It was chilly in the breeze on the way out. I was glad I was fully suited up and gloved for the trip.

Anyway, arriving on site, we encounter another, smaller boat anchored in. Surprisingly, although not flying a dive flag, they had divers in the water. We waited for them to reboard, and Gary maneuvered for the grapple drop. Hooked in, the pool was open! I have to give props to the two mississippi boys J and B (I'm terrible with names). One dove a 7mill farmer john with a 3mil shorty on top (bare arms), with no hood. The other dove a 3mm full suit with a borrowed hood. Both did both dives.

Pics: B, J, 1-2's, Troy, Brent, Gary and J, a few craptastic u/w wide shots. Vis was actually better than this shows. The second pic actually has a school of spadefish in it!

 

[paulwall]

I moved up to the seat right behind the pilot's chair and grabbed my rig, fins and mask.
Apparently, I was to be the first one in. I backrolled in, and Gary handed me my camera (I wasn't hopeful). The water felt colder than the 60^o my computer registered.

I made it to the anchor line against a very slight surface current, easily managed, and began my descent. Pulling down through the murk, vis was a solid 2'! When I finally reached 60' the murk pulled away and a solid 40' vis awaited us on the deck. I swam to the grapple to check its hold, and scared something away from the wreck's gunwale. I turned to see a good-sized shovelnose tuck into a corner on the deck. Into my catch bag he went. Catching a fever, I was determined to find more. Troy showed up at this time and I swam toward the bow.

This wreck used to have a room on the port side aft that could be entered through a doorway, and was lined with porthole openings and had a doorway out to the bow. Since I last dove it, the aft bulkhead has collapsed, making the entry uber-easy, now.

I swam through, looking for the well-camouflaged crustaceans and generally checking on the condition of the wreck. Troy tagged along on the outside, and stayed with the other two divers. I stayed at deck level, and ducked into the forward opening for a bit, before heading back to the anchor line in the stern. I do remember lots of snapper, red and otherwise, a large (not huge) A/J, another jack inside the wreck, schools of spades, a Ginormous sheepshead, and a large barracuda on the stern deck.

Max depth 92', TDT 37min, Min temp 60^o

 

[jhayes75]

Nice report, so how many bugs did you wind up with?

 

[algulfdiver]

Where are the pictures?

 

[Hetland]

Thanks for the report. glad to hear the good viz is working it's way into shallower water. Also glad you got at least one bug (hopefully more)!

 

[paulwall]

Ok, since apparently people are losing sleep waiting on this report, here goes tank 2...

After an hour surface interval, I rolled in for dive 2. I was first in the water again, and I hadn't reached the wreck this time, before Troy joined me on the anchor line. Vis seemed a little bit worse than the first dive, as I was almost on the rail before the wreck was visible. I was determined not to go as deep this time, and spend more time poking about the wheelhouse and other areas of the ship. I actually paid attention to the sea life this time. Spades, huge sheephead, snapper and amberjack were out and about. I swam forward along the port rail, and up to the wheelhouse. Of course, since I left the camera on the boat, vis toward the bow was a little better than I remembered. A panorama of spades swam back and forth, framed by the window openings like the ultimate High-def TV. I eventually turned 180^o and stuck most of my body into a blind room behind the wheelhouse. My C8 ELED lit up an anemone in a dark room.
No camera, but it looked a lot like an old fiber-optic lamp from the 80's when lit by my light :

I left the room, found Troy, and led him back to the anemone. My exhaust bubles had stirred up the rust from the roof, but he got a good look. Later, he said he thought it was a white urchin. I've never seen a white urchin 14" across, so I stick by anemone, or fiber-optic lamp.

I swam out the Starbord side door and looked over the rail to the sand. I saw a long, black line in the sand angled away from the side of the wreck. I then made out a triangular shape in the sand next to the hull, at the base of the line. I was looking at a 10' long Atlantic Stingray. All of the divers were around me, so I got their attention and traced the body with my light several times, until they understood what they were looking at.

Having run through half my tank already, I headed to the stern, noting that several of the railing posts had fallen over, but the wreck is still in pretty good shape. It should be an excellent dive for a few more years. I dropped into the rear hold to grab a tulip snail to put on the deck for the other divers to see.

I wanted to check the port side room one last time before heading up. I had a wife, a brother-in-law and his girlfriend who were still lobsterless on this trip. I slowly swam backwards, panning my light across the ceiling reinforcements until I found another shovelnose, looking exactly like a piece of the wreck. I shoved him into my waist pouch, as he was much smaller than the first, and headed for the anchor line, having gotten down to 1000psi, and running low on bottom time on my EAN29.

TDT 47min, Max depth 94ft (so much for staying shallower), min temp 60^o

The seas had laid down while we were diving. The trip back in was on glass!

Pics: More craptastic u/w, Troy n' Brent, B, and Dinner!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Great report Paul, the bugs look yummy!

 

[mrmccoy]

Thanks for the report! I wanted to make this trip but it was a little on the chilly side for me.

 

[paulwall]

You should have come! Great bunch of divers on the boat (except for me, I was comic relief).

Those MS boys made it look easy. 3mm wetsuits and/or no sleeves or hoods.

60* wasn't that bad with the sun beating down on you during your uptime!

I do have to say that diving with a 7mm sucks!
It restricts movement, and you need tons of lead to get off the surface, but are pumping the inflator like mad to keep from crashing into the deck at depth.

I guess all of the cool kids are hanging out at the St. Andrews post.:depressed:

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I wish I was a cool kid :/