RandomGuy1
Contributor
Feb 6-9 2018
So I recently had a pretty interesting trip down to Key Largo and got to dive a few days with Rainbow Reef. I also had a new gopro along with backscatter lenses and intova video lights. I plan to put a mini review of the equipment up when I get a chance.
So I had scheduled to dive Tuesday afternoon, and on Rainbow Reef’s Tuesday night dive. I arrived early and was allowed to check in early at the Courtyard that basically shares a parking lot with Rainbow Reef’s dive operation. Grabbed a quick bit of lunch and got on the boat.
The first set of dives would be on Molasses reef. We did Hole in the wall, and Winch hole. Since I was a single diver, I chose to go with RR’s guide service. At Hole in the wall, we spent 52 minutes with an average depth of 24 feet. At Winch Hole, we spent 51 minutes with an average depth of 23 ft. Most of my dives up to this point were not in tropical waters, but there wasn’t as much marine life as I had hoped with this being my first dive in the Keys. Also, the reefs appear to be in pretty rough shape. Lots of bleaching, and not as much color as I had hoped. My only gripe with RR would be for the short surface intervals. Surface intervals between dives were only 5-10 minutes. I know it isn’t a safety issue with such shallow depths, but I like a little more time to relax and rest between dives.
Tuesday night dive was canceled due to weather.
Wednesday I was scheduled for the morning and afternoon charters. In the morning the wreck of the benwood and followed that up with a trip to French Reef at the site Christmas tree cave. On the bentwood we averaged 29 feet with a dive time of 46 minutes with a short excursion down to right at 50 feet. The dive at Christmas tree cave had an average of 28 feet for 46 minutes. I found this reef dive to be in much the same shape as the previous dives with a lot of bleaching.
I ended up canceling the Wednesday afternoon dives because I was getting a headache.
Thursday morning, we were headed out to the Spiegel Grove. This is an impressive ship, and I highly recommend that you dive it if given the chance. The guide took us on a nice long swim through. Unfortunately, I was following someone who didn’t know how to frog kick so the vis was pretty bad and messed up a lot of my video. Other thoughts on the swim through, I did tell the guide I was comfortable with a swim through, but this was a lot longer than I expected. Probably not the safeist thing I have ever done. There were rooms with exits about every 10 feet, but being on an aluminum 80 inside a wreck at 90 feet, in single file won’t happen again for me. I once again had a headache at the conclusion of this dive. After surfacing, I began to think that my hooded vest that I was wearing under my 3mm may be a bit too tight. I ditched the hooded vest for the second dive and felt much better.
Thursday night dive. My first night dive in the ocean. Good dive and felt the guide did well with the 3 people in the group. I did feel a bit rushed in a few places where I would have liked to video, but understanding I wasn’t the only person in the group was happy to move on.
Friday Morning – USCG Duane
Lots of current on this wreck and saw my first bull shark! 2 moray’s within a few feet of each other, and a spotted moray directly across from them. Current and wave action had me getting nauseous by the time I got back on the boat. Feed the fishes, and sat out the second dive.
My personal take aways from this week are that I miss my 120’s. I would have felt more comfortable on the deep wreck dives with either doubles or a large single with H valves. I think that rainbow reef runs a good operation and would dive with them again, just wish they allowed for longer surface intervals. When I go back to dive the SG or the Duane again, it will be in doubles, and hopefully with a scooter. I think that would make for a much more enjoyable dive.
So I recently had a pretty interesting trip down to Key Largo and got to dive a few days with Rainbow Reef. I also had a new gopro along with backscatter lenses and intova video lights. I plan to put a mini review of the equipment up when I get a chance.
So I had scheduled to dive Tuesday afternoon, and on Rainbow Reef’s Tuesday night dive. I arrived early and was allowed to check in early at the Courtyard that basically shares a parking lot with Rainbow Reef’s dive operation. Grabbed a quick bit of lunch and got on the boat.
The first set of dives would be on Molasses reef. We did Hole in the wall, and Winch hole. Since I was a single diver, I chose to go with RR’s guide service. At Hole in the wall, we spent 52 minutes with an average depth of 24 feet. At Winch Hole, we spent 51 minutes with an average depth of 23 ft. Most of my dives up to this point were not in tropical waters, but there wasn’t as much marine life as I had hoped with this being my first dive in the Keys. Also, the reefs appear to be in pretty rough shape. Lots of bleaching, and not as much color as I had hoped. My only gripe with RR would be for the short surface intervals. Surface intervals between dives were only 5-10 minutes. I know it isn’t a safety issue with such shallow depths, but I like a little more time to relax and rest between dives.
Tuesday night dive was canceled due to weather.
Wednesday I was scheduled for the morning and afternoon charters. In the morning the wreck of the benwood and followed that up with a trip to French Reef at the site Christmas tree cave. On the bentwood we averaged 29 feet with a dive time of 46 minutes with a short excursion down to right at 50 feet. The dive at Christmas tree cave had an average of 28 feet for 46 minutes. I found this reef dive to be in much the same shape as the previous dives with a lot of bleaching.
I ended up canceling the Wednesday afternoon dives because I was getting a headache.
Thursday morning, we were headed out to the Spiegel Grove. This is an impressive ship, and I highly recommend that you dive it if given the chance. The guide took us on a nice long swim through. Unfortunately, I was following someone who didn’t know how to frog kick so the vis was pretty bad and messed up a lot of my video. Other thoughts on the swim through, I did tell the guide I was comfortable with a swim through, but this was a lot longer than I expected. Probably not the safeist thing I have ever done. There were rooms with exits about every 10 feet, but being on an aluminum 80 inside a wreck at 90 feet, in single file won’t happen again for me. I once again had a headache at the conclusion of this dive. After surfacing, I began to think that my hooded vest that I was wearing under my 3mm may be a bit too tight. I ditched the hooded vest for the second dive and felt much better.
Thursday night dive. My first night dive in the ocean. Good dive and felt the guide did well with the 3 people in the group. I did feel a bit rushed in a few places where I would have liked to video, but understanding I wasn’t the only person in the group was happy to move on.
Friday Morning – USCG Duane
Lots of current on this wreck and saw my first bull shark! 2 moray’s within a few feet of each other, and a spotted moray directly across from them. Current and wave action had me getting nauseous by the time I got back on the boat. Feed the fishes, and sat out the second dive.
My personal take aways from this week are that I miss my 120’s. I would have felt more comfortable on the deep wreck dives with either doubles or a large single with H valves. I think that rainbow reef runs a good operation and would dive with them again, just wish they allowed for longer surface intervals. When I go back to dive the SG or the Duane again, it will be in doubles, and hopefully with a scooter. I think that would make for a much more enjoyable dive.
