MakoSince70
Contributor
Captain Doug shouted from the fly bridge, The current is ripping! The only way you can accomplish this dive is with a hot drop!
We have three new advance students on board with hopes of accomplishing a deep dive on the Duane. I turn to them and ask if they are up for it. All grin letting me know that it is time to gear up.
Captain Doug drops us on the stern ball of the Duanne. We grasp the down line and begin our descent. We are horizontal on the line. Four human flags at 30 ft. As we approach 70 ft I notice a slacking of the current. 10 ft off the deck I chance it and release the line. I kick to the deck and exaggerate grabbing some incrusted metal as I settle onto the deck. The following divers get the idea and grab on. An all round OK and we are good to go. Neutral and 3 ft off the deck we start a drift down the starboard deck. Barracuda and large tropicals are everywhere. We proceed down the starboard side pausing to look through the dark passage ways. Just prior to the smoke stack we cross over the wrecks top to the port side. Pausing, we gaze up at the barracuda in rows like logs in the radar mast tower. Continuing our drift along the port side we reach the pilot house. All divers are doing great so to I slide into the pilot house and drift out the starboard hatch. Looking through the windows I watch each diver glide through the compartment, exit and once again grab some metal to halt our drift. As each exits the hatch I get a good look at their eyeballs popping out. :11: Just a few ft away is a 9 ft spotted eagle ray gently flapping against the current but intentionally making no headway.
What a site as we each glide out the hatch and come eye to eye with this graceful creature.
As requested, one diver signals when their gas supply is at 1500. Time to drift to the bow line. I give the three divers the watch me sign and launch into a drift to the bow. The divers follow. Each snags the up line attached to the bow and we begin our ascent.
Drift dive on a wreck. What a great way to dive the Duane for these divers first visit. Thanks to Capt. Doug at Rainbow Reef.
