Advanced penetration of the Spiegel Grove Wreck

[Celt]

The type of sites this thread is talking about is one with plans for sale, mooring balls, and probably sees more divers in a day than you site sees in a year.

For me every dive is a new dive and i treat them all with the same respect. And the last thing I'm going to do is tell someone how they should dive the "Spiegel". Ive never dived it and based solely on the posted video I can see how someone could land themselves in trouble, Great vis, lovely conditions and everyone enjoying themselves but look what happens at 01.37 a sudden drop in vis and i know there is an opening just ahead but the same could happen anywhere along the corridor, add to that the camera makes it look a lot brighter. thats the vis i would plan my dive for, also forget about all the other divers around you if they are not part of the plan they don't exist.

 

[ontdiver]

What is that standard exactly that you are referring to? -Z

The one used by the MOD(s) that decided on the ban.

 

[Manatee Diver]

For me every dive is a new dive and i treat them all with the same respect.

So you don't avail yourself of the wealth of information available for tourist sites? IMO that just as inadvisable. You can learn a lot about a site from seeing videos, looking at maps, and talking to people that go there. The OP may not has listened to advice, but there are numerous reports on the site and the conditions in this thread that can be used to do initial planning. Obviously since it is an ocean site you need to be flexible in case the conditions don't match what you expect, but it is better to have more information than less information.

 

[Celt]

So you don't avail yourself of the wealth of information available for tourist sites? IMO that just as inadvisable. You can learn a lot about a site from seeing videos, looking at maps, and talking to people that go there. The OP may not has listened to advice, but there are numerous reports on the site and the conditions in this thread that can be used to do initial planning. Obviously since it is an ocean site you need to be flexible in case the conditions don't match what you expect, but it is better to have more information than less information.

If we were sitting down together having a chat about a wreck that would be totally different. Of course I would take what you’d say on board but I always plan my dives topside on the day taking all the conditions into account. If I was researching a lost ship I’d trawl the internet for any reference to it.

 

[jadairiii]

As a MOD on another forum that deals with rebreathers I can tell you sometimes it's hard to know where the line is. ....

Having come from the time of Cavers, Tekdiver and Deco Stop (even Spearboard) forums, the talk of "lines" makes me laugh. Merely asking where to buy spring straps in that era could get 17 pages of cursing, allegations of the most heinous crimes, and all around frivolity! I miss those days......

 

[happy-diver]

 

[Manatee Diver]

Fear is healthy, if you are doing something dangerous (like overhead diving) and you don't at least have that little voice saying "This is dangerous," it is time to hang up your fins IMO.

 

[Storker]

Fear is healthy,

One of my favorite aphorisms: Scuba diving is perfectly safe as long as you realize that it's gonna kill you if it gets the opportunity

 

[Celt]

I think of fear as worry trying to get its foot in the door, Rational concern about any aspect of your diving is what needs to be dealt with. You must pin down exactly what it is and deal with it. There’s no place in diving for worry and it must never be allowed in.

 

[rsingler]

Thought I'd bump this thread with my son's video of my Dive #2 of Advanced Wreck class on the Spiegel Grove with Dan Dawson of Horizon Divers from last week. My son on doubles and me on my JJ.
We staged 100% O2 for him at 90' at the anchor line and another AL80 of 30% at 110' in the traverse. I carried an AL80 of 28% for bailout, plus my instructor had his as well as a staged AL40 of oxygen for accelerated bailout deco.
We entered via the starboard trunk at Main deck level (100') around Frame 210 and dropped to the Traverse at 110'. We did a primary tie-off there and ran line forward about 200' to the trunks at Frame 106 that dropped two decks to 130'. You'll see me struggling a bit with my tieoffs along the way.
Interesting coping with my counterlungs vertically head down for two decks. Continued laying line into and around the Forward Engine Room. Began retrieving line and returning out the way we came at around 35 min run time. Stopped for lost line drill in silt and darkness courtesy of my instructor (not photographed) and then returned to the trunk up to the Main Deck and a swim to the anchor line for deco. Found a short run of semi permanent line at 137' down below the main boilers from a regular visitor to that area. Touch-contact exit in darkness after the lost line drill was spooky but fun. Occasional blue glow from a small hole in the deck above made it eerie. Not quite enough light to see the line.
85 min run time; GF 50/70; lots of fun except the 1+ knot current starting at 30'. Finished deco at 15-20' because it was too surge'y at 10' in the current.

Enjoy!
Dropbox - Advanced Penetration of the Spiegel Grove to the Forward Engine Room