Today was the first of two training days.
The plan was to go play, oops train, in the pool for half a day doing basic stuff then go do a job, oops train, at a friends dock across the lake. Then go a couple of hundred yards away for some buoyancy control over a wide variety of depths. Besides, that area is full of silver coins and antiques. Ya never know when those skills will come in handy. ;^)
The pool fell through so we headed for the boathouse. We get to the boathouse and it’s Holy Poo Batman. It’s sitting on the bottom and the doors are jammed shut. The boats are still floating but their house is hard aground.
So now to “Plan B” even though we didn’t have a “Plan B”.
We head for Higgins point, which we can drive to. It can get rather deep real close to shore and we get surprises like stolen newspaper boxes, guns, cars and other BS.
The Salmon are just finishing up their spawn so the bank is littered with both males and females. Some are clinging to life but the others have completed their lifecycle.
I teamed up with our Marine Division Sgt. who is also the team leader. He is fresh out of school and hasn't’ been wet in a couple of months.
Now add totally new equipment, a dry suit and water half the temp of what he trained in. It makes for an interesting dive.
The plan was to walk into the water (we’re not quite able to walk on it yet). Then work on the dry suit properties at the end of the boat ramp, which is <10’ deep.
He took to it like a pro. I haven’t ever been with someone who caught on so quickly. Within 5 minutes he could hover horizontally and move himself up and down at will.
So a little at a time we go deeper. Just to 42’ is all, but I stop and so does he. I put my mask just inches from a rock and hold that position. To my surprise he was able to hold himself with in inches of a target with very little up and down movement.
He used better than three times the air I did but he’s new and that will improve in time. I was just super impressed with what he had just accomplished.
Lunch
Back at the Marine Building we did some Rescue Alive training. Then we had a recently retired Navy Master Diver teach Nero exams, DCS and some other diving physics. We ended the day toasty warm and with more knowledge.
It made me feel good when he said he was impressed with the team. He commented on our safety and said our record proves it. That is something we are all proud of. Over 40 years accident free from any lost time accidents. I couldn't be prouder of them.
Tomorrow AM will start another training day.
“Plan A”, again no “Plan B” is at hand, will be dealing with ice. Most of the crew will be working with the rescue alive on surface rescue.
Four of us are going to do an ice dive to try and retrieve an item from a drowning victim earlier in the year. It’s a small item in lots of rocks in very poor vis. At least we can give it a shot.
More later.
Oh yea, for you southern type WWW's, the air temp was in the low 20's, we didn't have much snow to trek through, the ice was sticky and the water was still liquid.
Gary D.
The plan was to go play, oops train, in the pool for half a day doing basic stuff then go do a job, oops train, at a friends dock across the lake. Then go a couple of hundred yards away for some buoyancy control over a wide variety of depths. Besides, that area is full of silver coins and antiques. Ya never know when those skills will come in handy. ;^)
The pool fell through so we headed for the boathouse. We get to the boathouse and it’s Holy Poo Batman. It’s sitting on the bottom and the doors are jammed shut. The boats are still floating but their house is hard aground.
So now to “Plan B” even though we didn’t have a “Plan B”.
We head for Higgins point, which we can drive to. It can get rather deep real close to shore and we get surprises like stolen newspaper boxes, guns, cars and other BS.
The Salmon are just finishing up their spawn so the bank is littered with both males and females. Some are clinging to life but the others have completed their lifecycle.
I teamed up with our Marine Division Sgt. who is also the team leader. He is fresh out of school and hasn't’ been wet in a couple of months.
Now add totally new equipment, a dry suit and water half the temp of what he trained in. It makes for an interesting dive.
The plan was to walk into the water (we’re not quite able to walk on it yet). Then work on the dry suit properties at the end of the boat ramp, which is <10’ deep.
He took to it like a pro. I haven’t ever been with someone who caught on so quickly. Within 5 minutes he could hover horizontally and move himself up and down at will.
So a little at a time we go deeper. Just to 42’ is all, but I stop and so does he. I put my mask just inches from a rock and hold that position. To my surprise he was able to hold himself with in inches of a target with very little up and down movement.
He used better than three times the air I did but he’s new and that will improve in time. I was just super impressed with what he had just accomplished.
Lunch
Back at the Marine Building we did some Rescue Alive training. Then we had a recently retired Navy Master Diver teach Nero exams, DCS and some other diving physics. We ended the day toasty warm and with more knowledge.
It made me feel good when he said he was impressed with the team. He commented on our safety and said our record proves it. That is something we are all proud of. Over 40 years accident free from any lost time accidents. I couldn't be prouder of them.
Tomorrow AM will start another training day.
“Plan A”, again no “Plan B” is at hand, will be dealing with ice. Most of the crew will be working with the rescue alive on surface rescue.
Four of us are going to do an ice dive to try and retrieve an item from a drowning victim earlier in the year. It’s a small item in lots of rocks in very poor vis. At least we can give it a shot.
More later.
Oh yea, for you southern type WWW's, the air temp was in the low 20's, we didn't have much snow to trek through, the ice was sticky and the water was still liquid.
Gary D.
