Anyone up for a Swampers Get Together at CSSP?

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OK, I wanted to get this up earlier but with some of the other events that occurred on that weekend I've been tending to other threads. First off lets see if I can name everyone who made it out.

TxHockeyGuy
czzzaar
khacken
Illini_Fan and son
texdiveguy
Foo and husband
Texass
Firefyter
Timeliner

The first two dives I did were with czzzaar up near the plane. Vis was between 8-12 ft depending upon where you were. Above 15 ft it was nice and warm probably around 70* or so. Between 15-20 ft it was in the mid to upper 60's and between 20-25 ft in the mid to lower 60's. Below 25 ft it was just !(#$ cold. I know Timeliner got 54* at 54 ft and it couldn't have been too much warmer than that up at 30. I actually spent some time below 25 ft but since I wasn't wearing a hood, I didn't spend a lot. My first dive was how shall we say, interesting. I hadn't dove since October and wasn't used to a 7mm and it showed. I played the role of a human yo-yo on that first dive and my air consumption showed it. At about 40 min we surfaced. My second dive was quite a bit better as I finally got something that resembled buoyancy down and I enjoyed it much more.

My third dive was with khacken, Illini_Fan, texdiveguy, Foo, Texass, and Firefyter. I'm pretty sure at various points in this dive almost all of us switched off buddies, separated into multiple groups, regrouped, and then continued. Everyone except for me that is. Towards the end of the dive we ran into another group underwater and I couldn't tell who was who until I saw Foo's pink wetsuit so I headed her way. The look on that divers face told me, this isn't Foo. Apparently I adopted some other divers as my new found buddies. Oh well, I knew I was right at the exit anyway so I just surfaced as did everyone else a short time later, still got in a good dive.

This is where we broke for lunch and I cooked up some brats and fajitas for everyone. The seemed to go over pretty well and for those that missed it, well you'll just have to try the next one.

My fourth dive is where I must confess that I fed the fish out at CSSP. So I will have to retract my vote on that pole that was put up not too long ago. In my defense I wasn't feeling well and the feeding of the fish was not planned nor voluntary, if you get my drift. That ended that dive for me and wasn't exactly one of my more pleasant dives.

My fifth dive was a night dive with Illini_Fan. We had a little trouble towards the start of the dive but got more or less on track until BOTH my computers started to malfunction. The air integrated computer's backlight wouldn't work and the other wouldn't give me an ascent rate so I chose not to trust any information it was giving me. Fortunately I don't really trust computers so I have my trusty SPG still attached and figuring out that I was above 25' wasn't exactly real difficult given the thermo. Given the problems I was already having we pretty much just circled in an area near the exit but saw many more fish than during the day. It really turned out to be a fun night dive.

At this point we cooked up dinner for myself, Illini_Fan, Foo, and Don (Foo's husband). We pretty much had a good old time till 11:30 or so eating more brats, fajitas, enjoying the cake Foo brought, and partaking in a few after dive beverages, well most of us did anyway. A good time was definitely had by all. It was so nice with the wind keeping most of the bugs away and the air temperature was just perfect.

The next morning I got 2 more dives in with Illini_Fan and his son. We had to cut the second one short after Illini_Fan's son had a sinus squeeze, poor kid looked like it was really hurting him. Both dives were fun none the less.

I did get in one more dive with Foo, Don, and Timeliner. Don had some ear problem so we split up with me and Timeliner finishing up the dive together and Foo and Don doing their own thing. It was a nice 40 minute dive.

All in all the weekend was thoroughly enjoyable, excluding the obvious major incident that occurred on Sunday. I am certainly looking forward to doing it again. I was also told that I apparently bring too much food. I still had brats left over after 3 different meals as well as half the fajita meat I brought. Like I said out there, anything worth doing is worth doing right (aka over doing).

Here's a link to some of the pictures that were taken - http://netnotworking.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1101
 
Thanks for the report. Glad you all had a great time and thanks for posting the pictures.

Willie
 
TxHockeyGuy did an outstanding job of keeping our tummies full all weekend- I felt positively spoiled. Thank you so much for for the delicious fajitas & brats, you rock! This was a very good time, with the obvious exception already mentioned by THGuy.

Mr. Foo and I arrived Fri. evening, and he left early Sat. morning for a martial arts competition in Mesquite (he is a longtime instructor/competitor/tourn. promoter) so I was on my own- suited up and began the long surface swim toward where THG & co. were supposed to be. Lo and behold, when I arrived at the dock, they were gearing up and I never had to get out of the water, they joined me and we did the dives that THG reported. I had 5mm of neoprene and being the www I am, I stayed around the 1st thermo most of the time (18 ft or so), or at least when I let myself think about the cold. My daughter certifies out there in 2 wks, and I've warned her to wear plenty of wetsuit!

Tina, thanks for your concern- I wondered why you didn't return my call. Of course, I have a confession to make- I too, have now, experienced Thomas' long hose. PM me if you want details. :wink: BTW, Thomas, don't you have any news you want to share?

It was great to see TexDanceGuy (so glad your son is doing so well!), Texass (always a pleasure!!), Firefyter (need I say more?), khacken (new nickname: Ditto) and that ol' tunnel digger/cheesewhiz gun inventor, Timeliner again, and to meet David, Tom and Josh. I only did 3 dives all weekend, but the surface intervals were awesome- except when pooooooooor khacken made his big boo-boo... too tragic for words, it was so hard for most of those guys to keep a straight face and to try to act sorry for him... I think I heard someone choking a bit, trying to hold back their emotions. :wink: I was passing out the hankies.

Thanks for a wonderful weekend, fellow Swampers. Great diving, great friends. Summer is near!
 
Foo:
except when pooooooooor khacken made his big boo-boo... too tragic for words, it was so hard for most of those guys to keep a straight face and to try to act sorry for him... I think I heard someone choking a bit, trying to hold back their emotions. :wink: I was passing out the hankies.

Hahah, that darn brain thief!! Anyways, I am glad I was able to share my empty head with the group! As always I had a blast.
 
Thanks again for the guided tour of the scuba park TxHockeyGuy. Sorry I wasn't able to hang out and do the night dive, camp out, and especially the fajitas. Unfortunately, my work schedule 'is what it is' and I don't have a day off coming 'til the end of the summer so I guess it'll be a while before I'll be able to get a night dive in there.

Well, where to next? I work half days on Wednesdays and have Thursdays and Fridays off if anyone wants to get in dives during the week. Feel free to PM me!
 
Foo:
Tina, thanks for your concern- I wondered why you didn't return my call. Of course, I have a confession to make- I too, have now, experienced Thomas' long hose. PM me if you want details. :wink: BTW, Thomas, don't you have any news you want to share?

It was great to see TexDanceGuy (so glad your son is doing so well!), Texass (always a pleasure!!), Firefyter (need I say more?), khacken (new nickname: Ditto) and that ol' tunnel digger/cheesewhiz gun inventor, Timeliner again, and to meet David, Tom and Josh. I only did 3 dives all weekend, but the surface intervals were awesome- except when pooooooooor khacken made his big boo-boo... too tragic for words, it was so hard for most of those guys to keep a straight face and to try to act sorry for him... I think I heard someone choking a bit, trying to hold back their emotions. :wink: I was passing out the hankies.

Thanks for a wonderful weekend, fellow Swampers. Great diving, great friends. Summer is near!

It's bad enough that you had all those guys to yourself, but knowing that I'm not the only woman Thomas hares his long hose with is very disconcerting! I do want the details though even if it's not polite to suck and tell. :D

Thomas, is it true? Do you have something to tell?
 
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