Dumaguete Trip report feb 24-26

[clgsamson]

Where was chip when you got "caught" in the washing machine at Coconut point? Chip, tell us your story....as well as "Debby's".

 

[Diver Dennis]

You did well to take the extra safety stop time. I wonder if the divers in the article panicked? I might leave the camera on the boat for the first dive...

 

[pakman]

be prepared but its a definite must. this is by far the most dangerous divesite i have ever been too. darn fantastic!!!

check this out:

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=28915

wow... scary article.. their computers had them at 100m!!! you might want to put this in the accidents section of SB.

 

[Spoon]

I've been in some big current like that a few times Spoon. Kind of a helpless feeling, huh? The good thing is that after it happens the first time you know how to handle it, psychologically at least.

actually i have experienced strong currents in the past but they are peanuts compared to coconut point. what i thought was strong is now weak anyway yes its a very helpless feeling. and i will defintely be prepared should i face similar situations in the future. this is the type of situation you learn from experience. nothing you read in books or learn in class can prepare you.

 

[Spoon]

Where was chip when you got "caught" in the washing machine at Coconut point? Chip, tell us your story....as well as "Debby's".

we got separated and he was apparently also struggling within the vicinity

You did well to take the extra safety stop time. I wonder if the divers in the article panicked? I might leave the camera on the boat for the first dive...

if you value your camera best leave it when you dive coco point mons cousin knows one of the divers and apparently the guy who died got spooked as they were struggling at 300ft, he said that the guy who died saw something that spooked him. hell at 300ft with full blown narc anything would spook me.

 

[Mike Veitch]

aren't currents fun!!!

Great report Spoon

 

[Spoon]

aren't currents fun!!!

Great report Spoon

they are fun if you are expecting it. the dm made it seem it was a walk in the park. had i known i would have had ample time to psyche myself out. felt like an astronaut fending of debris in an asteroid field and at the same time trying to escape a black hole.

i would do it again without hesitation at least il know what to expect

 

[Xizang]

Here is a bit of explanation on the wild currents that day

Cebu Port
Saturday 2006-02-25
Sunrise 6:00 AM CST, Sunset 5:54 PM CST
Moonrise 3:22 AM CST, Moonset 3:09 PM CST
Low Tide: 4:31 AM CST -0.2
High Tide: 8:56 PM CST 1.5

Tomorrow is a new moon.

 

[Spoon]

Here is a bit of explanation on the wild currents that day

Cebu Port
Saturday 2006-02-25
Sunrise 6:00 AM CST, Sunset 5:54 PM CST
Moonrise 3:22 AM CST, Moonset 3:09 PM CST
Low Tide: 4:31 AM CST -0.2
High Tide: 8:56 PM CST 1.5

Tomorrow is a new moon.

i dont quite now how to interpret the charts, some help?

 

[Xizang]

During a full moon and a new moon (and sometimes during days before and after that lunar period), changes in water height from low tide to high tide and back are usually more than a meter because the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun pull in one direction. Ever wonder why sometimes the water at the beach is so far off the usual shoreline and when high tide hits goes quite high? that is caused by a full moon or a new moon and during the months of june/july is further exagerated by the summer/winter solstice. Due to the more than usual amount of water moving from high to low or low to high, currents tend to be stronger and in the case of coconut point is exagerated because tanon straight flows from the north and hits the island at that spot. Last saturday water movement in Cebu port (roughly the same in apo island) was more than a meter and could have caused the strong currents.

On normal days, water movement during tide intervals would be less than a meter. Here is for this weekend

Saturday 2006-03-04
Sunrise 6:11 AM CST, Sunset 6:05 PM CST
Moonrise 9:14 AM CST, Moonset 10:18 PM CST
High Tide: 1:18 AM CST 0.7
Low Tide: 6:57 AM CST 0.2
High Tide: 1:12 PM CST 0.9
Low Tide: 8:20 PM CST -0.0

Sunday 2006-03-05
Sunrise 6:10 AM CST, Sunset 6:05 PM CST
Moonrise 10:01 AM CST, Moonset 11:17 PM CST
High Tide: 2:25 AM CST 0.5
Low Tide: 6:50 AM CST 0.2
High Tide: 1:44 PM CST 1.0
Low Tide: 9:49 PM CST -0.1

Don't bother with the moonrise and sunrise, just look at the high and low tide times and the amount of water movement. The best time to go out to dive would be an hour before high tide (at the high tide mark the water virtually stops or pauses as it prepares to pull back out).