VaScubaGirl
Guest
Hey guys! Just wanted to share my weekend. This past weekend I went to Carolina Beach (just south of Wilmington, NC) to go on my first lobster dive. We stayed in a cottage called Seaduced which was right on the canal side so we literally stepped out the back door and onto the dock which was great! The accomodations were nice, bring your own sheets and towels, but the beds were comfy, everything was clean and there was a nice kitchen/living area to hang out in. Saturday we got blown out because the seas were too rough (8' and getting worse) so we tooled around town and went to the aquarium which was really a pretty nice aquarium. They have a great ray tank! Went to dinner at a so so mexican place...but dang the Freaky Tiki Club next door was closed...and here I was all ready to dance!
Sunday we finally got out...the weather was beautiful if a bit cool. My first experience on a 6-pack boat was good too. It was dry and not nearly as windy as you'd expect. Took us about 1.5 hours to get 35 miles out onto the ledges.
Since I don't have a pony bottle, I quasi-buddied with another girl who also did not have a pony and a guy who had one but wasn't comfortable using it and we were the last three in the water. The guy went by at one point with a lobster he had caught and was trying to get in his game back which was too small. As he was swimming by, the lobster got free, he grabbed it and it wrenched free again and made a bee line straight towards my legs. So I caught the thing between my thighs. Eventually I get it and give it back to the guy who had lost it and we swim on, he still trying to get it into his too small game bag. I tried for my own lobster, though all I managed to do was chase it around and rip off it's antennae, and when I looked up, both of my buddies were missing. So I started back to the anchor line. I didn't see anyone anywhere...yes it was a bit unnerving at first. The thought of "what if I don't find the anchor line" crossed my mind, but I refused to worry about it and told myself I would just free ascent if nexcessary and swim to the boat on the surface. I did find the anchor line, looking around I still see no one. I start my ascent and the thought "what if this is not our anchor line" crossed my mind but I discared that too seeing as how we were the only boat out there. So I do my hangs and get on board and everyone is already up waiting for me. Apparently, one of my buddies lost her weight belt and grabbed the other buddy to keep from popping like a cork to the surface (we were at 110') so they had to do an immediate free ascent to the surface and swim to the boat. Once on board, they were worried I had croaked or something because they didn't see my bubbles until I was a good ways up the anchor line.
Second dive of the day...I managed to get separated from my buddies again while we are all hunting for our lobsters and flounder. I ripped a few more antennae off some more lobsters (poor things) but gave up when I couldn't get my tickle stick to get them out and almost put my hand right on top of a moray. Checked my time, it was time to head back. Got back and started my ascent...when Iw as about at 50', I saw one of my buddies and another diver get on the line. They came rocketing up to me and one grabs my guage and looks at it (I had around 1000psi)and points to her guage which only had about 200 psi. He had laready sucked his tank dry and was on his pony. Here's where I learned my lesson of the day...I do not have a good clip on my octo (which I keep clipped to my BC) I couldn't get it undone to give to her so she continued to ascend and went to a hang tank. But, because the surge kept jerking her to the surface (hang tank wasn't hung low enough) she gave up trying to hang after a few minutes and got on the boat.
All in all, it was a great trip and a good learning experience. My next lobster dive I will have a pony of my own and definitely a different clip on my octo. And who knows...maybe I'll get more than a handful of antennae next time! Just wanted to share
Sunday we finally got out...the weather was beautiful if a bit cool. My first experience on a 6-pack boat was good too. It was dry and not nearly as windy as you'd expect. Took us about 1.5 hours to get 35 miles out onto the ledges.
Since I don't have a pony bottle, I quasi-buddied with another girl who also did not have a pony and a guy who had one but wasn't comfortable using it and we were the last three in the water. The guy went by at one point with a lobster he had caught and was trying to get in his game back which was too small. As he was swimming by, the lobster got free, he grabbed it and it wrenched free again and made a bee line straight towards my legs. So I caught the thing between my thighs. Eventually I get it and give it back to the guy who had lost it and we swim on, he still trying to get it into his too small game bag. I tried for my own lobster, though all I managed to do was chase it around and rip off it's antennae, and when I looked up, both of my buddies were missing. So I started back to the anchor line. I didn't see anyone anywhere...yes it was a bit unnerving at first. The thought of "what if I don't find the anchor line" crossed my mind, but I refused to worry about it and told myself I would just free ascent if nexcessary and swim to the boat on the surface. I did find the anchor line, looking around I still see no one. I start my ascent and the thought "what if this is not our anchor line" crossed my mind but I discared that too seeing as how we were the only boat out there. So I do my hangs and get on board and everyone is already up waiting for me. Apparently, one of my buddies lost her weight belt and grabbed the other buddy to keep from popping like a cork to the surface (we were at 110') so they had to do an immediate free ascent to the surface and swim to the boat. Once on board, they were worried I had croaked or something because they didn't see my bubbles until I was a good ways up the anchor line.
Second dive of the day...I managed to get separated from my buddies again while we are all hunting for our lobsters and flounder. I ripped a few more antennae off some more lobsters (poor things) but gave up when I couldn't get my tickle stick to get them out and almost put my hand right on top of a moray. Checked my time, it was time to head back. Got back and started my ascent...when Iw as about at 50', I saw one of my buddies and another diver get on the line. They came rocketing up to me and one grabs my guage and looks at it (I had around 1000psi)and points to her guage which only had about 200 psi. He had laready sucked his tank dry and was on his pony. Here's where I learned my lesson of the day...I do not have a good clip on my octo (which I keep clipped to my BC) I couldn't get it undone to give to her so she continued to ascend and went to a hang tank. But, because the surge kept jerking her to the surface (hang tank wasn't hung low enough) she gave up trying to hang after a few minutes and got on the boat.
All in all, it was a great trip and a good learning experience. My next lobster dive I will have a pony of my own and definitely a different clip on my octo. And who knows...maybe I'll get more than a handful of antennae next time! Just wanted to share
