November 6, 2010, 8:18 pm
| Place: | Flagstaff
| Buddy: | Eithne |
| Weather: | Rainy |
Type: | Boat (Sea Life V) |
| Max. depth (m): | 21.0 |
Visibility (m): | 10 |
| Time down: | 11:25 |
Dive time (mins): | 40 |
| Average depth (m): | 12.8 |
Water temp. (C): | 18.0 |
Notes: With Simon and Ciara. Double-dive 5/5 Pro dive package. Not as good vis on this one. Some strange white coral covered in brown fuzz which would retract on touch.
I released my SMB at the end of the dive. As it sailed smoothly up someone honked their underwater honking device with enthusiasm. Chuffed at the apparent applause, I struggled around wondering how to bow underwater but all I saw was a bunch of divers motoring maniacally past in pursuit of something. I tried to follow to see what it was but couldn’t tow the SMB very well and had to ascend with Eithne as planned. Damn SMB obsession: a giant bull ray, we missed.
Equipment: As previous dive.
Accumulated time underwater: 2 days, 6 hours and 7 minutes
November 6, 2010, 7:52 pm
| Place: | Long Reef
| Buddy: | Eithne |
| Weather: | Rainy |
Type: | Boat (Sea Life V) |
| Max. depth (m): | 22.2 |
Visibility (m): | 15 |
| Time down: | 09:27 |
Dive time (mins): | 42 |
| Average depth (m): | 14.3 |
Water temp. (C): | 17.0 |
Notes: With Simon and Ciara. Double dive 5/5 of Pro dive package. Long Reef was really nice. Lots of swim-throughs and shoals of fish. An eastern blue devil fish in a cave. Good vis.
Slightly manic guide. He kept pointing things out and then zipping off. Once, having no torch, he mistook a rock for a shark, then zipped off. He was constantly worried we’d break out of our buddy pairs; judging by his gesticulations, three metres was too far for “so-called” buddies to be apart. He’d turn abruptly and do the buddy sign with an accusing look before ploughing off to find the next attraction.
Pro dive have gone up in my estimation over the last few dives. It may be partly because there have been fewer on the boat, but there have been better air fills, more substantial between-dive snacks (cup a soups and pies with ketchup!) and friendlier staff on the boat. Having said that, one otherwise insanely bubbly staff member did spend a few minutes slagging off my wetsuit. She did give me a loan of a hooded vest though, so I was somewhat mollified.
Equipment: Usual gear. Left the camera at home. This time I had all 24 lb of weight integrated. The BCD only comfortably fits 18 lb integrated, but I jammed 6 lb in each of the back pockets (the non-removable ones) instead of the usual 3. This was perhaps my best dive in my own gear in terms of buoyancy and weight distribution.
Accumulated time underwater: 2 days, 5 hours and 27 minutes