Dive this weekend? 11/2 or 11/3?

[DaveO]

Attention all masochists!

The weather forecast for Saturday calls for partly cloudy, 48 deg.; Sunday is expected to be sunny and 50.

Millbrook allows a fire, but for variation's sake we could plan an expedition to one of the PA quarries.

Speaking to SillyGrendel's post, we could do skills and drills. Anybody? Anybody? Beuller?

 

[sillygrendel]

We dive both Saturday and Sunday, and its in PA

 

[sillygrendel]

I'm heading up to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit friends, tie up some loose ends with my old job and see a Penguins game

This means next weekend I MUST get in the water.

Sorry,
Matt

 

[DaveO]

... 'cuz I don't think I can commit to both days this weekend. Have a good time in Pittsburgh~~

 

[O-ring]

I just finished packing for VA Beach, but I have my doubts that the weather will improve enough to make it out...oh well, such is life in the Northeast...

I was thinking that I probably won't dive if I get blown out...it is time to take a weekend off and I am diving next weekend out of Morehead City anyway...besides, I was thinking I need to have all my gear dry for Monday night's meeting.

 

[DaveO]

but forgot it. It's operated by NOAA and broadcast on shortwave from Manassas, and runs a continuous loop weather forecast- it covers then entire eastern seaboard. So you're on call, effectively, waiting on the edge of diving/ not diving? Hope it works out!

 

[O-ring]

Hoping to hear something before we head out. We plan to call the shop one last time before we leave...the forecast isn't too good...I mean, come on, what kind of forecast is 7-17'????

THIS AFTERNOON
N TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING W AND
INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT OVER THE W PORTION. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT.

TONIGHT
W TO NW WINDS INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS BUILDING
TO 8 TO 13 FT. HIGHEST WINDS AND SEAS NEAR GULF STREAM. WIDELY
SCATTERED SHOWERS.

SAT
NW WINDS DECREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 17 FT...
HIGHEST FAR E.

 

[DaveO]

Could you imagine staring up at a wave that's three times your own height?! Yow!

 

[O-ring]

We have been out in 6' seas in a 28' boat and that was a beating. Most of us had to wear our masks the whole ride back just so we could see to hold on. Ken was trying to sleep on the dive platform in the middle of the boat and we hit a big one that sent him 3' or so (he was horizontal on his back) off the platform and dropped him on the deck on top of a woman who was sleeping next to the dive platform. He dropped about 5-6' total. I think he agreed it was pretty funny once he finished waking up..

Problem is, most of the dive ops won't go out since they don't want to risk having a diver injured. I figure they know the conditions a lot better than I do and just take the blowouts in stride.

 

[DaveO]

We launched from Key Largo into what became 4 - 6 ft swells, so the ride out became a pukefest for everyone except the crew. The worst part of it all was a woman whose coping strategy was to incessantly repeat the "first hot meal these fish have had" joke, and vividly describe her breakfast in her nasal New Yawk accent. OK, OK, we heard it the first time, and it wasn't funny then either!

While moving the boat to the second dive site the DM told us the best place to be is in the water, but most of the divers ignored him and decided to forego the second dive. Since it was a fairly shallow reef dive we were under for an hour, which had to suck for those people: they were topside getting sicker and sicker, rolling and tossing in the boat. I'm sure that hour was one of the longest of their lives.

Lessons learned: listen to the DM, watch the horizon, and avoid "first time in 12 years" divers!