While getting our gear ready for a trimix dive at Whytecliff Park, BC we could not find my buddys 6cf argon bottle. It was nowhere to be found in the shop, the boat or the truck so we borrowed one for the trip.
Later, thinking about it we remembered that the last time we had seen it was several days ago on a wreck dive in Puget Sound. We were diving out of the Whaler and had taken our rigs off in the water after the dive and let them hang on tag lines. Neither of us remembers the argon bottle being on the rig when we pulled it aboard.
Aye Carumba!
To make matters worse we hadnt been able to find the wreck that day since the viz was so poor, the currents running counter at different depths and the anchor landing somewhere other that the intended target. Basically we had no idea how big an area to search or if it was even there at all.
Sunday (after Church) we went back out to search for the needle in the haystack with my son and a friend to live boat us. As we approached the general area I saw that it was swarming with ling cod fishermen and anchored right in the middle was a dive boat with four divers aboard. A few moments later a charter dive boat carrying a load of divers arrived.
Aye Carumba again!!
We geared up and I had my son move us away from the other boats and we just dropped in without reference of down line and headed for the bottom. I flipped the switch on my HID and it was a no go. I got out my backup and it decided to quit as well. Fortunately my buddys 18w HID put out enough side lighting that I could see the bottom before I touched it barely I was within inches when I stopped.
(Right now we are having a major plankton/algae bloom that is blocking light and seriously curtailing visibility.)
So at 70 in <10 viz with no light and so dark that I could only make out the bottom when I was right on it we began to swim aimlessly looking for the needle in the haystack. The only time I could see was when my buddys 18w HID illuminated something.
10 minutes into the dive while the 18w HID was 5 feet away and pointing the other direction I found the argon bottle. It was sitting right there on the opposite side of me from where my buddy was looking . in other words not even in the side light.
Several people at our Church knew we were going out to find the argon bottle that may or may not have been lost somewhere off the end of Whidbey Island and had prayed that morning that we would find it. On the way to the boat launch I had prayed that we would find it. God has helped me many times find the needle in the haystack (I could write a book) so I was surprised that it took ten minutes!
Soon after finding the argon bottle we found the wreck and spent the rest of the dive peacefully drifting back and forth across it with the current.
After we surfaced I found out why it took ten minutes to find the argon bottle my buddy had just prayed minutes before that we would find it. I figure God knew I was used to answered prayer and wanted my buddy to be the one to get the answer. I also figure that is why I had my HID battery installed wrong so that it wasnt plugged in when I put the lid on.
No light/no viz accentuated that this was an answer to prayer.
Later, thinking about it we remembered that the last time we had seen it was several days ago on a wreck dive in Puget Sound. We were diving out of the Whaler and had taken our rigs off in the water after the dive and let them hang on tag lines. Neither of us remembers the argon bottle being on the rig when we pulled it aboard.
Aye Carumba!
To make matters worse we hadnt been able to find the wreck that day since the viz was so poor, the currents running counter at different depths and the anchor landing somewhere other that the intended target. Basically we had no idea how big an area to search or if it was even there at all.
Sunday (after Church) we went back out to search for the needle in the haystack with my son and a friend to live boat us. As we approached the general area I saw that it was swarming with ling cod fishermen and anchored right in the middle was a dive boat with four divers aboard. A few moments later a charter dive boat carrying a load of divers arrived.
Aye Carumba again!!
We geared up and I had my son move us away from the other boats and we just dropped in without reference of down line and headed for the bottom. I flipped the switch on my HID and it was a no go. I got out my backup and it decided to quit as well. Fortunately my buddys 18w HID put out enough side lighting that I could see the bottom before I touched it barely I was within inches when I stopped.
(Right now we are having a major plankton/algae bloom that is blocking light and seriously curtailing visibility.)
So at 70 in <10 viz with no light and so dark that I could only make out the bottom when I was right on it we began to swim aimlessly looking for the needle in the haystack. The only time I could see was when my buddys 18w HID illuminated something.
10 minutes into the dive while the 18w HID was 5 feet away and pointing the other direction I found the argon bottle. It was sitting right there on the opposite side of me from where my buddy was looking . in other words not even in the side light.
Several people at our Church knew we were going out to find the argon bottle that may or may not have been lost somewhere off the end of Whidbey Island and had prayed that morning that we would find it. On the way to the boat launch I had prayed that we would find it. God has helped me many times find the needle in the haystack (I could write a book) so I was surprised that it took ten minutes!
Soon after finding the argon bottle we found the wreck and spent the rest of the dive peacefully drifting back and forth across it with the current.
After we surfaced I found out why it took ten minutes to find the argon bottle my buddy had just prayed minutes before that we would find it. I figure God knew I was used to answered prayer and wanted my buddy to be the one to get the answer. I also figure that is why I had my HID battery installed wrong so that it wasnt plugged in when I put the lid on.
No light/no viz accentuated that this was an answer to prayer.
