Thoughts by the light of the moon

[Fishkiller]

Well friends I just, ok a couple of hours ago, finished a night dive.

Here are a few of the questions that I came across while I was in the water, along with a few thoughts...

What is worse while decending in low viz: Wondering how fast the bottom is aproaching or hitting the botton before you see it?

Does thinking about claustrophobia make one claustrophobic?

How often does the magnetic pole shift? Do they shift enough?

Say you take a nice breath and slowly exhale then attempt to breathe again, do you think of the problem solving flow chart or how much longer you can go before you get air?


I had my dog on the pier along with a friend, when I came to the surface I was told that my dog wimpered and wined the whole time. While I used some physical coaxing soon my dog was soon swimming and was VERY content to be with me. While at the shore it occured to me that I could use her as a buddy, ya know in low viz conditions a buddyline is used, who is to say that both buddies have to be under water at the same time?


I adjusted my bouyancy such that my head was about a foot below the surface at a layed back profile what was more desirable the moon sparkling or the sun?


Then why is it that without any fins one cannot propel oneself in the water, to the degree that one does without gear?

 

[scuberd]

Well I don't have all of the answers but I might be able to help: I have been on a number of night dives and have never hit the bottom, so don't worry about that. I don't have claustraphobia so I dunno, the magnetic poles do switch once in a while, but they haven't in millions of years, however, if they do and you relize it, just read your compas backwards, it should still work. And I think it would be a bad idea to use your dog as a buddy, unless he could call 911 and administer first aid, in which case sounds like fun.

 

[Fishkiller]

Originally posted by scuberd
I don't have claustraphobia so I dunno, the magnetic poles do switch once in a while, but they haven't in millions of years, however, if they do and you relize it, just read your compas backwards, it should still work.

so can I practice now?

 

[ScubaBaby]

Originally posted by Fishkiller
Does thinking about claustrophobia make one claustrophobic?

I do get very claustophobic when I in tight spaces or have a lot of people around me.

I have only every suffered when diving when I dived in a lake and couldnt see out of my mask! Hence why the dive lasted 6 minutes!!! I was suppose to be training but couldnt even find my instructor so we gave up!!

In any other conditions, I have never suffered. And I cant understand why people do - its not as if they are restricted in space or movement - they have the whole ocean to play with!!!

But to answer your question....there have been times (no diving) when I have suddenly thought about where I've been and thought I was doing well - then I freak and leave!

 

[jonnythan]

Not to nitpick, but the last pole shift occured something like 14,000 years ago. Many geologists believe that a pole shift may be likely in the near (in geological terms.. thousands of years..) future. The current North Pole is moving at quite a rapid rate.

 

[Fishkiller]

if this is true "The current North Pole is moving at quite a rapid rate." I can say that I was following my compass correct

 

[otter-cat]

If your head is only a short distance below the surface, then, staring at the sun will only damage your eyes...but the Moon, that's another story. I hope my next night dive is when the moon is visible, so I can contemplate it through the a wavy and watery lens. How beautiful it must have been!

Full moon nights are great for night dives, not only because they provide more light at the surface, but also because many fish have behaviors that occur in lunar cycles, so there's things you can see underwater that only happen during a full moon!

Yes, the pole is moving. The magnetic north pole is in Canada, not literally at the (TRUE) North Pole. Your compass may be off by some degrees to the east or west, depending on where you are. It doesn't move that fast, though. Check a good nautical chart or topographic map, which will indicate how far off from North your compass will be in that area (at the time the map was made) AND tell you the rate it is changing per year, so you can figure out how far off your compass is now, based on the number of years it has been since the chart/map was made.

otter-cat

 

[CuriousMe]

Ok, so I confess that I'm somewhat disconcerted to find out that the North Pole is moving?!?! What's up with that?:whoa:

 

[Fishkiller]

Originally posted by otter-cat
If your head is only a short distance below the surface, then, staring at the sun will only damage your eyes...but the Moon, that's another story. I hope my next night dive is when the moon is visible, so I can contemplate it through the a wavy and watery lens. How beautiful it must have been!
otter-cat

I should add that I was only a short distance because any deeper I couldn't see the moon.. naturally I would be deeper if the sun was out... and yes the way the reflections dance are a wonderful sight I wish the water would have been clearer so I could have been deeper. There has to be something mystical about watching your bubbles disapear into a dancing reflection

 

[jonnythan]

Originally posted by CuriousMe
Ok, so I confess that I'm somewhat disconcerted to find out that the North Pole is moving?!?! What's up with that?:whoa:

Sorry for the delay. The North Pole is already quite far from the magnetic north pole, which is somehweren in northwestern Canada.

Most high quality compasses have adjustable declinations, to compensate for the difference in magnetic north and true north... you can change the declination based on time and position on the globe. If you think about having two points on a sheet of paper, the "difference" in angle between them is different depending on where you are on the paper. And if one of the points is moving, you need to be able to change the "deviation."

Highly accurate maps, in particular aviation maps, need to be reprinted every now and then with new declinations.

http://members.aol.com/annapress/Wild8.html has some good info.