BEST and WORST dive vacations

[erichK]

Unhurried but expert, laid back but expert, sounds like a recipe for life, almost! I am pleased to see a Canadian destination in here! The water is warmer on the East Coast, by the way!

How much warmer? About 1C or maybe even 2F, I suspect almtree:

 

[Nehallenia]

How much warmer? About 1C or maybe even 2F, I suspect almtree:

We'd have to compare averages, but we have a special situation here in Cape Breton: the Bras d'Or Lakes, which are really an inland sea. Quite a bit warmer than say the Atlantic off Shelburne County, on Nova Scotia's south shore. I seem to recall the waters along the Northumberland shore get quite warm in the summer as well, though it has been many, many years since I was swimming there.

 

[JeffG]

We'd have to compare averages, but we have a special situation here in Cape Breton: the Bras d'Or Lakes, which are really an inland sea. Quite a bit warmer than say the Atlantic off Shelburne County, on Nova Scotia's south shore. I seem to recall the waters along the Northumberland shore get quite warm in the summer as well, though it has been many, many years since I was swimming there.

Well...I just came back from Nanaimo BC (Which I would say was my best dive trip) and the water temps were in the high 40's F.

The trip was the best because 1/2 of the dives were on Wrecks. Nothing like penetrating an Old wreck.


Bad Trips????Hmmmmm, haven't been on one.

 

[RiverRat]

I've only been diving 2 years but my "best" trip was to G. Cayman not long after my AOW dives. I hooved on my first deep dive (I know, 120fsw was pushing it as a newbie) but as I tuned my rig and dropped some weight I was really starting to enjoy myself. When I hit true neutral buoyancy my diving became so much easier. Not as much of a chore like when I was first learning. I was lucky enough to pick up some pointers from some great divers while I was out there. Really helped me to get to where I wanted to be rather quickly. Toward the end of the week they took us to the North wall. I'll never forget the incredible rush when I swam out of the swim through and looked down about 6000' into blue/black. Truly a rush. I've been on some great trips after that but so far haven't topped that one.

I suppose my Hurricane trip to NC diving wrecks had some bad points. Actually got 2 great 1st wreck dive days out 4. Somehow we managed to get dives in between multiple Hurricanes. The U352 was another "rush" of sorts. On the last dive day we went out on a late afternoon run in a squall. Captain said he could get around it, and he did. But the ride out was rough. My tank hit the deck and bent my yoke. Lost half my air. Vis was down to about 10-15fsw but we did the dive. I should have bailed as I was quite a "wreck" on the beginning of the dive. I borrowed a reg and did the dive. After I got in though I mellowed right out. But the guy I was diving with was having problems with the vis. After we surfaced he said he felt really uncomfortable during the dive. I wish he would have thumbed it. Anyway he was not looking too comfortable at the surface on our swim back to the boat (we came up down from the line). I kept an eye on him and offered to tow him but he insisted he was ok. Chain smoking before diving is not a good idea. To make a long story short he complained of arm pain after the dive and I ended up taking him to the chamber. We're not sure if he was really bent but I think because of his health it sure didn't hurt.

 

[jedah]

Best trip:

Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Doc Mai and King Cruiser off Phuket...simply gorgeous UW scenery and fish life!

Worst trip:

Madeira Island.....really really REALLY cold w/o adequate protection and nothing to see after the first 20 arrow crabs....

J.

 

[gypsyjim]

Good dives, unremarkable dives and a few memorably dismal ones too. Lots of really great dives. Hope my best one is yet to come, and I'm sure my worst one probably is too!

 

[vjongene]

That's completely amazing! It's hard for me to even imagine the engine or motor that could turn those things. What was the depth of the propellers?

I quote Jim Ackroyd, the current Head Divemaster at Bikini:

The 32,720 ton battleship is at rest upside down in 57metres of water; her bridge is accessible at 45 metres, the hull and monstrous props at 32 metres. The Nagato was built by Kure Naval Dockyard, launched on Novemver 9, 1919, and completed on November 25, 1920. She was reconstructed in 1934 -1936, with torpedo bulges, increased elevation for main armament, aircraft crane, etc. After this refit, Nagato had 10 Kampon boilers, driving 4 sets of Kampon turbines developing 82,300 shaft horsepower (shp) for a speed of 25 knots. Her fuel bunkerage was now 5,650 tons of oil, giving her a radius of 8,650 nautical miles at 16 knots. Her new dimensions were 725' 9" long at the waterline, 113' 6" beam, 32' 2" draught. Her normal displacement was 39,130 tons, 42,850 tons at full load. She carried a crew of 1,368. In June 1944 she was known to be fitted with radar.

By October 1944 her armament consisted of 8 x 16"/45, 18 x 5.5"/50 [guns that were later removed], 8 x 5"/40, and 98 x 25mm AA guns. Her displacement had by now increased to 43,581 tons full load, and as a result her maximum speed was 24.98 knots. By the end of the war she had had her main mast and funnel removed for camouflage purposes, as she was holed up in Sagami Bay near Yokosuka.

Fuel and ammunition loads during both ABLE and BAKER tests were, respectively, 15% and 10% of capacity. She is upside down in the water and an incredible dive with her four massive screws appearing like an underwater Stonehenge. 708 feet long.