Dive Report: Cape Ann Charters Three Tank Dive
7/25/03
I was stuck I had a perfectly good Friday off work and not one dive buddy to be found. At the last minute on Thursday I decided to give Cape Ann Divers a call and see what they could do for me. Mary informed me that for $90.00 they had an all day three tank dive leaving out at 8:00 AM on Friday. The max for this trip being 14, they still had 3 spots open. I booked it. I was told to be at the store by 7:00 to sign waivers and pay up.
Check-in went smoothly and by 7:30 I was loading my gear onto the Cape Ann Divers II.
During the boarding stage I met another solo diver named Dave. He just happened to live one town over from me and aside from me was the only other diver on board with a lobster license. We agreed to hook up as buddies.
With all aboard, 11 divers in all, Captain Steve, and his mate Jonnatha (sp?) explained the workings and logistics of this boat dive. A short time later we were off to our first dive site.
Race Rock
Race Rock was a nice beginning dive with depths ranging from 24 to 50 feet. It is mostly a rocky granite reef with great vis of at least 30 and a low temp reading of 47°. Buddy Dave and I spent our 54 minutes on the bottom checking out the views and collecting a few bugs before returning to the boat. This boat has a nice system for re-boarding. You just climb up the ladder, fins still on and weights still in. Once you get to standing on the dive platform, Jonnatha removes your fins for you and takes your hand held gear and bug bag. Then you can sit at a bench and easily get out of your BC. All the while, Jonnatha is double-checking each and every lobster brought on board. If its not up to snuff back it goes. With all back on board, Steve did a head count and a roll call. On the way to our next dive site, Jonnatha appeared from below deck with a big plate of food. Cookies, cheeses, fruit, chocolates. She passed it all around and there was plenty for all. I thought that was kind of a nice touch.
Our next Stop was Gap Head. Another rock reef with 25 to 30 feet of vis. We dropped down in 40 and swam down to an area 50. Lots of bugs were found here and a few assorted fishes spotted. I had difficulties on this dive. Even though the day was warm, somehow I caught a chill between dives 1 and 2. I froze my cookies off and was starting to shiver 10 minutes into the dive. I sucked my air down very quickly on this dive. I dont know if it was the shivering that did it. Or if subconsciously I knew that the sooner I hit 600, the sooner I would give Buddy Dave the up thumb. After 31 minutes we were up and heading back to the boat.
At 12:00 we pulled into Rockport center for lunch on our own and told to be back by 1:30 for dive three. After a few bites to eat I found a park bench in the hot sun to lay out on and try to raise up my core temperature. I had decided that if I could not warm up to where I felt comfortable, Id abort that third dive. By the time 1:30 came around I felt fine and was ready to dive again. It was onto our final dive site, The Salvages.
We anchored off of Big Salvage in 38 of water. Captain Steve told us the highlights of the site, which included a scattered shipwreck along the rocks. Once again, the vis was tremendous. The wreck, even though scattered had many large and jagged pieces to swim through and added to the beautiful canyons and landscape of this place. Buddy Dave was busy looking under rocks and I was just meandering along when out of the corner of my vision I saw a BIG white streak go by. I turned around just in time to catch the tail end of a seal.
I sat there motionless. Waiting. In less than a minute the seal came back up the canyon. But this time I saw him glance back at me on his pass by. I swam down to signal to Buddy Dave about a seal in the area but he wasnt interested really. I went back to the canyon, still only 20 from my buddy and within view of one another. The seal came back. But this time he stopped, and stayed. He was maybe 5 long, white with black spots, huge brown eyes. He reminded me of my dog. There we were, 5 from one another, motionless. I think he was as interested in me as I was of him. I slowly sank and settled down on a rock. The seal maneuvered over behind another grassy covered rock and peered over it. It was almost like he was playing hide and seek. He swam off briefly, returning twice more to swim around me closer.
Forty minutes had passed and Buddy Dave came over with his bag of bugs to show me he was getting low. Ok, time to go. Just then Dave tapped me on the shoulder with his tickle stick and pointed behind me. My new friend was back. I was turned over in kind of a sitting position in suspension. The seal just inches away from me. I wanted to pet this guy in the worst way but didnt for fear of spooking it. Just then the seal leaned over and took just a little bite a nibble from my fin. As you can well imagine, this was the icing on the cake. Time to head up.
Back on board Captain Steve took us on a leisurely tour of the Cape Ann coastline on the ride back in. It was warm and calm. Everyone was quiet. Buddy Dave wound up with a cooler full of lobsters. I let him keep any lobsters that I bagged as well. As far as I was concerned, the memory of that encounter with my seal friend was all I wanted to keep.
We docked at 4:45. I traded info with Dave for possible future dives and off we went.
This charter was fun, safe, and professionally run. Steve and Jonnatha were everything you would want in a crew, very knowledgeable, helpful, and never imposing. The boat was clean and uncluttered. I felt the trip was well worth the money, and I would recommend it highly.........Al
7/25/03
I was stuck I had a perfectly good Friday off work and not one dive buddy to be found. At the last minute on Thursday I decided to give Cape Ann Divers a call and see what they could do for me. Mary informed me that for $90.00 they had an all day three tank dive leaving out at 8:00 AM on Friday. The max for this trip being 14, they still had 3 spots open. I booked it. I was told to be at the store by 7:00 to sign waivers and pay up.
Check-in went smoothly and by 7:30 I was loading my gear onto the Cape Ann Divers II.
During the boarding stage I met another solo diver named Dave. He just happened to live one town over from me and aside from me was the only other diver on board with a lobster license. We agreed to hook up as buddies.
With all aboard, 11 divers in all, Captain Steve, and his mate Jonnatha (sp?) explained the workings and logistics of this boat dive. A short time later we were off to our first dive site.
Race Rock
Race Rock was a nice beginning dive with depths ranging from 24 to 50 feet. It is mostly a rocky granite reef with great vis of at least 30 and a low temp reading of 47°. Buddy Dave and I spent our 54 minutes on the bottom checking out the views and collecting a few bugs before returning to the boat. This boat has a nice system for re-boarding. You just climb up the ladder, fins still on and weights still in. Once you get to standing on the dive platform, Jonnatha removes your fins for you and takes your hand held gear and bug bag. Then you can sit at a bench and easily get out of your BC. All the while, Jonnatha is double-checking each and every lobster brought on board. If its not up to snuff back it goes. With all back on board, Steve did a head count and a roll call. On the way to our next dive site, Jonnatha appeared from below deck with a big plate of food. Cookies, cheeses, fruit, chocolates. She passed it all around and there was plenty for all. I thought that was kind of a nice touch.
Our next Stop was Gap Head. Another rock reef with 25 to 30 feet of vis. We dropped down in 40 and swam down to an area 50. Lots of bugs were found here and a few assorted fishes spotted. I had difficulties on this dive. Even though the day was warm, somehow I caught a chill between dives 1 and 2. I froze my cookies off and was starting to shiver 10 minutes into the dive. I sucked my air down very quickly on this dive. I dont know if it was the shivering that did it. Or if subconsciously I knew that the sooner I hit 600, the sooner I would give Buddy Dave the up thumb. After 31 minutes we were up and heading back to the boat.
At 12:00 we pulled into Rockport center for lunch on our own and told to be back by 1:30 for dive three. After a few bites to eat I found a park bench in the hot sun to lay out on and try to raise up my core temperature. I had decided that if I could not warm up to where I felt comfortable, Id abort that third dive. By the time 1:30 came around I felt fine and was ready to dive again. It was onto our final dive site, The Salvages.
We anchored off of Big Salvage in 38 of water. Captain Steve told us the highlights of the site, which included a scattered shipwreck along the rocks. Once again, the vis was tremendous. The wreck, even though scattered had many large and jagged pieces to swim through and added to the beautiful canyons and landscape of this place. Buddy Dave was busy looking under rocks and I was just meandering along when out of the corner of my vision I saw a BIG white streak go by. I turned around just in time to catch the tail end of a seal.
I sat there motionless. Waiting. In less than a minute the seal came back up the canyon. But this time I saw him glance back at me on his pass by. I swam down to signal to Buddy Dave about a seal in the area but he wasnt interested really. I went back to the canyon, still only 20 from my buddy and within view of one another. The seal came back. But this time he stopped, and stayed. He was maybe 5 long, white with black spots, huge brown eyes. He reminded me of my dog. There we were, 5 from one another, motionless. I think he was as interested in me as I was of him. I slowly sank and settled down on a rock. The seal maneuvered over behind another grassy covered rock and peered over it. It was almost like he was playing hide and seek. He swam off briefly, returning twice more to swim around me closer.
Forty minutes had passed and Buddy Dave came over with his bag of bugs to show me he was getting low. Ok, time to go. Just then Dave tapped me on the shoulder with his tickle stick and pointed behind me. My new friend was back. I was turned over in kind of a sitting position in suspension. The seal just inches away from me. I wanted to pet this guy in the worst way but didnt for fear of spooking it. Just then the seal leaned over and took just a little bite a nibble from my fin. As you can well imagine, this was the icing on the cake. Time to head up.
Back on board Captain Steve took us on a leisurely tour of the Cape Ann coastline on the ride back in. It was warm and calm. Everyone was quiet. Buddy Dave wound up with a cooler full of lobsters. I let him keep any lobsters that I bagged as well. As far as I was concerned, the memory of that encounter with my seal friend was all I wanted to keep.
We docked at 4:45. I traded info with Dave for possible future dives and off we went.
This charter was fun, safe, and professionally run. Steve and Jonnatha were everything you would want in a crew, very knowledgeable, helpful, and never imposing. The boat was clean and uncluttered. I felt the trip was well worth the money, and I would recommend it highly.........Al
