Gilboa Aug 17-19

[trucker girl]

So... back to the serious side. What are Mike's requirements for deep side diving? It's been several years since I did my deep dive for AOW there. If I recall, he requires alternate tanks? Just one per group? Or what? I looked on the website and it doesn't really say.

Any word on bottom temps? I didn't get to the tubes on Monday to check the temp there.

What's the plan for the Sat. am deep dive as far as depths?

 

[Jchoby]

So... back to the serious side. What are Mike's requirements for deep side diving? It's been several years since I did my deep dive for AOW there. If I recall, he requires alternate tanks? Just one per group? Or what? I looked on the website and it doesn't really say.

Any word on bottom temps? I didn't get to the tubes on Monday to check the temp there.

What's the plan for the Sat. am deep dive as far as depths?

How deep do you want to go? He may limit your dive plan depending on your equipment config, certs, and number of dives..

Temp is still in the low 40's...well that's what my computer is showing.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I was refering more to the palm greasing as cutting into my gig

Hey baby, we pay more for the Hilton than the Roadway and you ARE the Hilton
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Ber Rabbit]

So... back to the serious side. What are Mike's requirements for deep side diving? It's been several years since I did my deep dive for AOW there. If I recall, he requires alternate tanks? Just one per group? Or what? I looked on the website and it doesn't really say.

Any word on bottom temps? I didn't get to the tubes on Monday to check the temp there.

What's the plan for the Sat. am deep dive as far as depths?

Last time I went he strongly suggested alternate tanks or H-valve. I sling an AL80 and so does NotsoKen. Steve_Dives says he has a new 40 but I don't know if he's dove with it yet but we're hoping to do a dusk/night dive Friday to rectify that I can put all of us on one deep plan and check "under instructor supervision".

For anyone who is interested in the basic plan:
We'll look at our air consumption and check our rock bottom pressure. I'm tentatively planning on 100 ft depth with a turn of 1600-1800psi. We'll descend on the deep platform using the lines to simulate going down a buoy/anchor line. Buddy pairs will descend together at the same speed and facing one another.

We will stop at the platform at 70 feet and do another buddy check and make sure everyone is comfortable, if you're NOT comfortable then you need to adjust your plan or abort the dive. We will continue our descent to 100 feet, you can either follow the lines down or free descend but stay with your buddy. I usually move closer to the wall and make a free descent, the wall is only a few feet away so it's not like you have no reference. Watch your depth while we head north toward the far wall, there's some topography near the walls and it can cause a bit of narcosis confusion. We will go to the far wall then I would like to pause and compare computers to see how close to deco everyone is. I like a baseline idea of what the computers are telling us. Next we'll ascend to about 75 feet and head back toward the platform. If nobody has hit the rock bottom pressure we will continue past the platform to the south wall, follow it for a short distance then turn back to the platform to ascend on the lines. We will stop at half our max depth (50 feet) for 1 minute then a minimum of 3 min at 15 feet.

Divers are more than welcome to file their own plans and do their own dive. Those who decide to go in the group; if you are freezing or feeling narced or whatever and want to get shallower, by all means do so but let someone in the group know your buddy pair is leaving and stay where I can easily look up to see you if you aren't aborting the dive. The max run time for this dive surface to surface is usually 25 min.
Ber

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Last time I went he strongly suggested alternate tanks or H-valve. I sling an AL80 and so does NotsoKen. Steve_Dives says he has a new 40 but I don't know if he's dove with it yet but we're hoping to do a dusk/night dive Friday to rectify that I can put all of us on one deep plan and check "under instructor supervision".

For anyone who is interested in the basic plan:
We'll look at our air consumption and check our rock bottom pressure. I'm tentatively planning on 100 ft depth with a turn of 1600-1800psi. We'll descend on the deep platform using the lines to simulate going down a buoy/anchor line. Buddy pairs will descend together at the same speed and facing one another.

We will stop at the platform at 70 feet and do another buddy check and make sure everyone is comfortable, if you're NOT comfortable then you need to adjust your plan or abort the dive. We will continue our descent to 100 feet, you can either follow the lines down or free descend but stay with your buddy. I usually move closer to the wall and make a free descent, the wall is only a few feet away so it's not like you have no reference. Watch your depth while we head north toward the far wall, there's some topography near the walls and it can cause a bit of narcosis confusion. We will go to the far wall then I would like to pause and compare computers to see how close to deco everyone is. I like a baseline idea of what the computers are telling us. Next we'll ascend to about 75 feet and head back toward the platform. If nobody has hit the rock bottom pressure we will continue past the platform to the south wall, follow it for a short distance then turn back to the platform to ascend on the lines. We will stop at half our max depth (50 feet) for 1 minute then a minimum of 3 min at 15 feet.

Divers are more than welcome to file their own plans and do their own dive. Those who decide to go in the group; if you are freezing or feeling narced or whatever and want to get shallower, by all means do so but let someone in the group know your buddy pair is leaving and stay where I can easily look up to see you if you aren't aborting the dive. The max run time for this dive surface to surface is usually 25 min.
Ber

It's not surprising at all, but I think you've layed out an AWESOME plan for your team. I also really like the way you're all getting together to do a practice dive in preparation for Toby. Way to go!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

So... back to the serious side. What are Mike's requirements for deep side diving? It's been several years since I did my deep dive for AOW there. If I recall, he requires alternate tanks? Just one per group? Or what? I looked on the website and it doesn't really say.

Any word on bottom temps? I didn't get to the tubes on Monday to check the temp there.

What's the plan for the Sat. am deep dive as far as depths?

The last time I dove the deep side at Gilboa was early June and at that time Mike was requiring an alternate air source for each diver, not just one per team. Not sure if those are still his expectations, but they were with us back in June.

The temps on the deep side NEVER get above the low 40s. That's one of the things that makes it such a great prep dive for the Lakes, along with the depth of course. You should always expect to experience water in the low 40s when at depth on the Great Lakes. There are times you'll be lucky and get temps in the upper 40s or even low 50s, but you should always prepare for low 40s when diving below 60' or so.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

It's not surprising at all, but I think you've layed out an AWESOME plan for your team. I also really like the way you're all getting together to do a practice dive in preparation for Toby. Way to go!

Thank you That's the pattern I like to do with my advanced class but the head of the scuba program has limited our class depth to 70 feet due to the recent incidents and the fact that our university regs are not sealed.

I'm just continuing the tradition of practice dives before trips although I'm sorry to admit I've probably dropped the bar on the safety level a bit. Years ago my husband said they would plan a dive similar to their intended trip profile, a DM and one set of geared-up divers would wait on the surface to serve as rescue divers. You told the DM you were descending and they marked your start time; if you told them your plan was 25 minutes and you weren't on your safety stop at the 26 minute mark they dropped the rescue divers for a search. That was the system I "grew up" in and the focus was on safety; plan your dive, dive your plan and you got your butt chewed for failure to do so.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[trucker girl]

Last time I went he strongly suggested alternate tanks or H-valve. I sling an AL80 and so does NotsoKen. Steve_Dives says he has a new 40 but I don't know if he's dove with it yet but we're hoping to do a dusk/night dive Friday to rectify that I can put all of us on one deep plan and check "under instructor supervision".

If you're my instructor, will Mike pass on requiring an alternate air source for each student? I have a 2.7 cu ft Spare Air but I kinda doubt that will count. I just made a call up there- the girl on the phone didn't know if he required a pony bottle. She said he likes it. But didn't say he requires it. And he wasn't there. Waiting for a call later. I can get one- I'm going to Dive Guy Scuba today and I'm sure he'll rent me his and show me how to sling it and all that. I'd rather not, though

We will stop at the platform at 70 feet and do another buddy check and make sure everyone is comfortable, if you're NOT comfortable then you need to adjust your plan or abort the dive. We will continue our descent to 100 feet

Not much difference in temp from 70- 100 I would assume?

May 18th at the helicopter sinking my buddy's computer showed 48 degrees. I lasted 25 minutes okay- and I have a new hooded vest and socks now (which I've dived/dove with 4 times now).

Please tell me Divin'Hoosier is not right about the temps- at least as far as Tobermory is concerned. Y'all have had me under the impression that it will be 50-65 depending on the dive. I'm not planning on doing the Arabia. I'll either skip that and do the second dive or... Scratchmyback and her SO may be coming up for shore dives on Friday.

 

[trucker girl]

BTW, I'll get a serious kick out of slingin' my 2.7 cu ft Spare Air if Mike says that'll do... I wonder if it will free flow.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Please tell me Divin'Hoosier is not right about the temps- at least as far as Tobermory is concerned. Y'all have had me under the impression that it will be 50-65 depending on the dive. I'm not planning on doing the Arabia. I'll either skip that and do the second dive or... Scratchmyback and her SO may be coming up for shore dives on Friday.

It all depends upon the wrecks you're going. Ber's been there bunches so you can trust her on the temps. I've never been to Toby so I'm speaking from experience during my other Great Lakes dives. As long as the wrecks you're doing are shallower than 70-80' or so, you'll probably find 50-60. Below that and I'd bet you'll see 40s. The three dives I did last weekend on Lake Huron out of Port Sanilac were 47 F at 77', 46 F at 85' and 51 F at 71'.