The dates of the trip were 21/07 through 29/07/10
I'll focus on the diving with a few notes thrown in here and there.
I missed the first three dives due to American Airlines stranding me in Miami. I learned from this to build in an additional day for airline snafu on the front side.
So, my first dive was Wolf Island Landslide
Max depth 103 42 minutes. Water temp 72* F
My depth was due to getting into a down current and not realizing it. I was wearing a 7mm full and reasonably comfortable. There were people wearing heavier suits than I.
All divers carry a SMB and a locator beacon.
The back roll out of the panga was easy, but you really do need to get to the bottom quickly.
Dives are very loosely lead. You must be comfortable in the water in current and surge. It took me a little bit to get accustomed to riding the surge and recognizing down currents. I did finally learn to watch the fish to see what the current was doing.
Hammer heads, galapagos reef sharks, eagle rays, hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles, huge morays. This theme goes on and on on every dive. I never got bored.
The sharks were hanging out below us. Lots of trumpet and coronet fish. Lots of Moorish Idol. Some corals. Mostly orange cup and a plate type coral.
The seas were pretty rough getting back into a panga. Waves probably bordering 4 foot maybe more. Weights handed up first, then BC. Watching some people wriggle out of a BC in the waves could be entertaining. It shouldn't be that difficult.
Wolf Island dive 2 Shark Bay
1:30 Surface interval. This was a normal SI for between dives 1 and 2 and between 3 and 4. We had lunch after dive 2.
78 feet for 47 minutes 73*F
Huge schools of hammer heads. Not as good of a dive as landslide.
Wolf Island #3 Landslide
84 feet 41 minutes 73*F
Wolf Island #4 Landslide
77 feet 50 minutes 71*F
Dolphins on the safety stop. I didn't see them though. More sharks, rays and turtles. The shorter times are due to more kicking. I feel like I am in pretty good condition and I was still getting worn out by kicking around.
Darwin #1
83 feet 55 min 69 *F
Seas had calmed down making getting back into pangas easier. Still some strong currents. I got to see dolphins on my safety stop this time. Thanks to my dive buddy who told me to turn around. I did get a picture. Many more sharks, not as many rays and plenty of turtles.
Darwin 2
99 feet 35 min 72*F
Darwin 3
78 feet 45 min 72*F
I could see and feel the colder water moving in. Not good.
Darwin 4
66 feet 51 min 70*F
Dives 2-4 were many of the same creatures with yellow fin tuna and large schools of bonito added in. Saw a group of tuna and sharks hunting together. All the small beeliner were not happy since they were the hunted.
Darwin dive 5 Remember what I said about water temps dropping...
88 feet 51 min 67*F
Whale sharks don't like cold water. 67*F is too cold. The sharks on the other hand don't mind it a bit. Now they were up on our level. Vis dropped too to about 30 feet. It had been running about 50 feet.
Darwin dive 6
88 feet 49 min 67*F
Vis and temp were still down.
Wolf dive 5 Landslide.... sort of
74 feet 42 min 67*F
The current changed. Or moved. Or something like that.
One shark. One eagle ray. I did see a really big manta on wolf on one of those dives. Don't remember which one it was.
Cousins rock
We only got to do one dive here due to getting back a little late. The park closes at noon. No more diving after 12p.
78 feet 45 min 64*F
Small white tip reef shark. Green sea turtles. Sea lion but didn't interact with divers. Surface conditions easier to deal with.
Gordons rock
85 feet for 36 min 64*F
Vis only about 40 foot.
Galapagos reef shark and a sea lion hunting together. Hammer heads and a lone eagle ray. Stronger currents than Cousins. Much more surge and some down currents.
I really enjoyed the Aggressor II. The only complaint I heard was about the engine noise in one of the upper cabins. Great food. Nice staff. The worked hard to help me get to the boat. They also made me a chocolate cake for my birthday.
All in all, it was a great trip for me.
I was on 32% nitrox. With the short surface intervals and deeper depths it was definitely worth it.
I'm going to put a much more detailed report in my blog. I'll post a link when I get it done.
TwoBit
I'll focus on the diving with a few notes thrown in here and there.
I missed the first three dives due to American Airlines stranding me in Miami. I learned from this to build in an additional day for airline snafu on the front side.
So, my first dive was Wolf Island Landslide
Max depth 103 42 minutes. Water temp 72* F
My depth was due to getting into a down current and not realizing it. I was wearing a 7mm full and reasonably comfortable. There were people wearing heavier suits than I.
All divers carry a SMB and a locator beacon.
The back roll out of the panga was easy, but you really do need to get to the bottom quickly.
Dives are very loosely lead. You must be comfortable in the water in current and surge. It took me a little bit to get accustomed to riding the surge and recognizing down currents. I did finally learn to watch the fish to see what the current was doing.
Hammer heads, galapagos reef sharks, eagle rays, hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles, huge morays. This theme goes on and on on every dive. I never got bored.
The sharks were hanging out below us. Lots of trumpet and coronet fish. Lots of Moorish Idol. Some corals. Mostly orange cup and a plate type coral.
The seas were pretty rough getting back into a panga. Waves probably bordering 4 foot maybe more. Weights handed up first, then BC. Watching some people wriggle out of a BC in the waves could be entertaining. It shouldn't be that difficult.
Wolf Island dive 2 Shark Bay
1:30 Surface interval. This was a normal SI for between dives 1 and 2 and between 3 and 4. We had lunch after dive 2.
78 feet for 47 minutes 73*F
Huge schools of hammer heads. Not as good of a dive as landslide.
Wolf Island #3 Landslide
84 feet 41 minutes 73*F
Wolf Island #4 Landslide
77 feet 50 minutes 71*F
Dolphins on the safety stop. I didn't see them though. More sharks, rays and turtles. The shorter times are due to more kicking. I feel like I am in pretty good condition and I was still getting worn out by kicking around.
Darwin #1
83 feet 55 min 69 *F
Seas had calmed down making getting back into pangas easier. Still some strong currents. I got to see dolphins on my safety stop this time. Thanks to my dive buddy who told me to turn around. I did get a picture. Many more sharks, not as many rays and plenty of turtles.
Darwin 2
99 feet 35 min 72*F
Darwin 3
78 feet 45 min 72*F
I could see and feel the colder water moving in. Not good.
Darwin 4
66 feet 51 min 70*F
Dives 2-4 were many of the same creatures with yellow fin tuna and large schools of bonito added in. Saw a group of tuna and sharks hunting together. All the small beeliner were not happy since they were the hunted.
Darwin dive 5 Remember what I said about water temps dropping...
88 feet 51 min 67*F
Whale sharks don't like cold water. 67*F is too cold. The sharks on the other hand don't mind it a bit. Now they were up on our level. Vis dropped too to about 30 feet. It had been running about 50 feet.
Darwin dive 6
88 feet 49 min 67*F
Vis and temp were still down.
Wolf dive 5 Landslide.... sort of
74 feet 42 min 67*F
The current changed. Or moved. Or something like that.
One shark. One eagle ray. I did see a really big manta on wolf on one of those dives. Don't remember which one it was.
Cousins rock
We only got to do one dive here due to getting back a little late. The park closes at noon. No more diving after 12p.
78 feet 45 min 64*F
Small white tip reef shark. Green sea turtles. Sea lion but didn't interact with divers. Surface conditions easier to deal with.
Gordons rock
85 feet for 36 min 64*F
Vis only about 40 foot.
Galapagos reef shark and a sea lion hunting together. Hammer heads and a lone eagle ray. Stronger currents than Cousins. Much more surge and some down currents.
I really enjoyed the Aggressor II. The only complaint I heard was about the engine noise in one of the upper cabins. Great food. Nice staff. The worked hard to help me get to the boat. They also made me a chocolate cake for my birthday.
All in all, it was a great trip for me.
I was on 32% nitrox. With the short surface intervals and deeper depths it was definitely worth it.
I'm going to put a much more detailed report in my blog. I'll post a link when I get it done.
TwoBit
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