UAE East Coast Temperatures

[Searcaigh]

That is HOT!!! What was the water temperature?

We had 28C on the bottom at Inch 10 (24m) and safety stop was 32C at 6m.

The wind was getting up around 11:00 when we splashed on CC2.

My tech buddies told me that it was 23C on the bottom on the Ines, and a ++ current on ascent, they were playing flags on a 90 min deco in 34C.

 

[Searcaigh]

Had a couple of dives from the Palm Dive centre at the Radisson in Dibba yesterday.

First dive site was at Cauliflower Gardens (40m), and I was shooting macro again, however I would have been better shooting wide angle, but I wanted to find these squat lobsters for some more photos.

There were 3 of us on the boat, my usual buddy Kerstin and a new guy Peter that we had met last week, who is currently going through some PADI tech training.

Peter was on twin 80s, Kerstin using a 15L Steel and I had my trusty twin 50s.

Water temp on the surface was 32C, when we reached a thermocline at 21m the temp dropped to a nice comfortable 24C, a nice relief ........ for about 10 mins.

The three of us descended together and from 30m I could see the large corals, conditions were pretty good, with very little current and great visibility (10m horizontally too )

Unfortunately we couldn't fine the squat lobsters but we did find some razor fish on one of the corals, it was challenging herding them into view, and I only managed one reasonable shot of two of them

After 20 mins I was feeling a bit chilly and given Peter's gas consumption we decided to ascend as per our plan for a 20 min bottom time.

Kerstin was practicing some skills and shot her bag after we left the bottom.

At 21m we did our gas change to 50% and I shot my bag also, whilst keeping an eye on Peter. The labelling on his stages was not clear and although I had seen marking at the top near the valves showing 50% and 100% the large depth numbers were showing 8m, however Peter confirmed he had changed to 50%

We had a good de-brief after the dive, and Peter is going to join us again next week for the same dive.

After a longer than usual SI, Kerstin and I headed out on our own boat* to The Reserve and did an 85 min dive.

Barely found a nudi over 1cm, I don't know where they have all gone.

Biggest was this H. kanga at 2cm

But most were tiny such as this Cratena sp. (my thumb is on the left hand side for scale)

There were a few Eubranchus sp, however my favourite shot is this pair of Trapania sp mating.

The larger of the two is about 5mm in length.

* Neither Kerstin nor I own a boat, but we had arranged our own boat (rental) with driver

 

[Searcaigh]

Not a pleasant day to go diving, very choppy on the surface plus a strong surface current.

First dive on Cauliflower Garden was pretty good though, we dropped a shot line which was bang on and we enjoyed a nice 20 minute dive, but dear God the bottom temp was 22C and I was getting very cold after 10 mins.

Fro the dive though everything went well until my zoom ring came off the lens and that was the end of the photography!

Couple of pics of the giant corals

My usual buddy Kerstin provided me with some red light and I took a few shots without the strobes

After we returned to drop off the third member of our team we then headed to the "Reserve", but the wind persisted and we had a most unenjoyable dive with lots of surge at 16/17m making it almost impossible to take photographs with the 105mm lens so I gave up!

 

[RainPilot]

Not a great day indeed. Inchcape 1 and Dibba Rock were washing machines today.

Had a student for OW 1 throwing up on the boat. Not the greatest start.

 

[Searcaigh]

After a two month absence due to a perforated ear while I was in Bali back in July, I was declared fit a couple of weeks ago and had my first splash with my daughter who recently returned from Oz.

We had our own boat via Palm Dive Centre at the Radisson and had a couple of dives at the "Reserve"

No lack of nudis but they were all tiny apart from one H. kanga and a few C. militaris.

First dive was a bit of a disaster though due to new floaty strobe arms that were very positively buoyant, i fact I had no gas in my wing at all during the first dive and this proved to be very challenging with all my buoyancy at one end of my body.

As my tank got down to 100 bar after 50 mins, I realised that surfacing was going to be an issue, so I shot my DSMB and sent the camera up the line securely using a couple of double enders.

With that done I could now trim myself and surface safely as there would have been no way to hold a safety stop at 6m while holding onto the camera.

Most of the nudis were less than 10mm in size and plenty less than 5mm.

 

[RainPilot]

Glad to see you're back in the water Gordon, beautiful pics as always.

 

[BoltSnap]

Glad to see you back in the water, missed your photos

 

[Searcaigh]

Thanks guys, two months out was driving me nuts especially as I'd also arranged to go diving in Scotland at the end of August but I did get wet there as it rained almost constantly for three weeks

The next two weekends are already booked, and there will be more experimentation with floaty strobe arms.

 

[Diving Dubai]

For once, I can legitimaly post (having been divign the East coast all weekend)

We had some spectacular vis. I've never seen it so clear on Inch 1. We re located the missing Seahorse 30 m or so from the stern

Even Inch 2 today had great vis - and was crystal clear inside

Surface temps were 28-30 below 10 m then 24- 22. So once again the dilemma of what to wear. Boil at the surface and on the boat, or freeze down below

Even Snoopy was on form Lots of cuttle fish (including very small babies - 3cm long Even 3 turtles on the night dive. Again great vis all weekend.

 

[Searcaigh]

Surface temps were 28-30 below 10 m then 24- 22. So once again the dilemma of what to wear. Boil at the surface and on the boat, or freeze down below

That is always a dilemma.

Temp at the Reserve was 27C at 17m, so very comfortable in a 3mm, although I used my hood on the second dive.