Here is my dive log from today's dive. Please note the use of the knife.
Dive Site: Clackamas River, High Rocks Dive # 04-05
Buddy: Solo Date: April 24, 2005
Entrance Time 12:40 PM Exit Time 1:19 PM Bottom Time: 39
Surface Int. N/A Altitude: ~500 ft Decom. Stops? N/A
Air Temp.: 61 F Water Temp: 49 F Visibility: 5 feet
Max. depth: 20 feet Ave. Depth 18 feet One Hour Check: Okay
Dive Plan:
Objectives: 1) observe aquatic life today, and compare it to last month. 2) Test my equipment (new scoop fins I had made, and the UDS-1). My original dive plan was to get into the water a bit upstream of where I went. The Clackamas County Fire Department was running a training exercise at High Rocks, in which they shot a rope across the river, tied it to a tree, brought other climbing gear and ropes and practiced getting people across the river. So I talked to the Fire Department personnel, then brought my equipment down to the water (scuba unit and weight belt). I went back to the van and suited up. My plan was to dive the deeper areas, work my way upstream and see what fish life was present at this time. Previous dives had shown little, so I was hopeful that, after over a month since the last dive (March 12th), I would find more fish and biological life. The river was pretty swift, so I wanted to stay in the deeper areas that were more protected from the current. I brought my dive flag and line down too, because there were a number of boats in the area (Fire Department and fishing boats).
Observations:
As I geared up at the water, I had a few equipment problems (see below). This was the first time this year I was diving the UDS-1, and I had reconfigured it with the Scubapro A.I.R. I regulator and two LP hoses going into that second stage. So my inflator hose was too short, and it took me a few tries to get the hose attached to the BC. I also had the octopus second stage on a long hose, and it did not wrap well around my body with the two LP hoses on the other second stage.
The water was moving quite fast; I dont know how fast (lifeguards are not there yet making measurements), but I would say the current was 5-6 knots. I went to the bottom, and had some initial problems with the scuba harness (see below), which I took care of on the bottom. The scuba was not secured, and the UDS-1 system slide upwards when I dove. I connected the straps, and continued.
I saw that there was quite a lot of life now visible. The sculpins were out on the bottom. Crayfish were numerous too. And I saw a number (probably about 10) of dead salmon carcasses in various stages of decay.
The current was such that I could not swim against it at all. I needed to get to the bottom, and find rocks to work around. It was like mountain climbing in a hurricane, as the current at times really ripped. I wanted to work my way upstream, then drift down and search for fish and other interesting items. The fire department had lost a strap, and if I could find it, I could save them having to replace it. But working against the current was hard, as I was also towing a divers down flag on a float, with about 25 feet of line out. This meant that I had to be aware of where that line was, and not get tangled in it. I also had a dive light on my left wrist, and attached to it was a thermometer. As I was going, I felt the tug which could only be monofilement line around my fin and the float line. I got my knife out and cut the line (which looked fairly hefty--40 lb. test line probably).
I surfaced after about twenty minutes of working upstream to see where I was, and noted that I was above where the fire department had their line across the river. I was almost to the head of this hole, and could make no further progress upstream (the channel narrowed, and the current was much swifter there). It has been raining the past few days, and the water was higher than during the March dives. I also looked at my float, and noted that I had lost the flag. It was on a fiberglass pole, which came in two parts. Apparently, when I pulled on the float, I pulled the flag into the water, and the current pulled the flag and upper pole off the float. That left me the lower pole, with the float and weight.
I dove again to the bottom, and began my drift downstream. I stopped at several rocks, and with my light shinned in the openings below them (these are huge rock, some as big as cars, with sculpted areas where fish could hide). I saw more dead salmon, which indicates to me that this run has had a number of fish in it (the Columbia River has a run that doesnt have many fish coming up right now for some reason). These are spawned out salmon, which die naturally after laying their eggs in the sand. Near the shore, but at about 18 feet depth, I found a very nice looking pocket knife. I picked it up, and put it in my BC pocket.
A little further down, I again went to the surface to see whether I was close to the fisherman who had set up downstream of my entry. I was already past him, and felt his fishing line around my leg. As I surfaced, I saw that the fisherman had come towards me. I rolled in a manner to free his line, and he dipped his pole below me to ensure the line was clear. I told him that I did not want to cut his line, and he seemed pleased with that.
I decided to go a bit further downstream to try finding both my dive flag and the yellow strap the Fire Department had lost. I got into the middle, and saw a live lamprey eel in a hole in the rock. I than saw another dead, spawned out eel, and another live one. These are brown in color, and different from the ones I had seen in the Umpqua River. I decided to grab this one. I was able to keep it in my grip, and the lamprey in turn grabbed my glove in its mouth. But as I started swimming toward shore, the rope I was holding for the float began doing odd things. I freed the lamprey, and went to the surface behind a large rock outcropping which shielded me from the current (this area had a vertical cliff that was scoured, and I could not swim against the current upstream). When I was able to stand in shallow water, it became apparent what had happened to my float. It as a float no more. The Styrofoam float had come off the pole, the weight then took it to the bottom, where it was hopelessly tangled in the rocks. I put my regulator in my mouth and tried once more to get to the float, but the current was too strong. I surfaced again, got to the shallows, pulled out my knife and cut the line with the line cutting tool on the knife.
It was a good dive, and I had made a lot of good observations. I had lost my dive flag/float, and gained a pocket knife (an Old Timer with a 3 inch blade). In the river, sometimes you exchange equipment.
Special Problems and Ideas:
1) The UDS-1 performed very well. I started out with 2800 psi, and surfaced with about 800 psi (without pulling the reserve). The two hose A.I.R. I has advantages, and is a really easy-breathing system when set up that way. I will have to go away from the long hose concept with this in place though, as that routing just doesnt work. The shorter, 36 hose would be better, and allow me to use the octopus pockets on my Para-Sea BC.
2) I dont think I will take a float with a divers flag for hand-carrying on my next dives. I lost this float completely. I think it is a better idea in these kinds of currents to simply dive as if boats are around, and surface next to a big rock in a protected area. The dive flag/float, even though streamlined, just did not work in this case.
3) Bringing the gear down first, then suiting up as Ive been doing the last few dives has worked out very well. I will continue to do that. I walked out (its about 1/4 mile walk) with my full gear, up a hill, and that was quite a workout. I think Ill drop off the tanks next time and come back for them.
4) The fins proved very good in this current. I have specially modified these fins into my scoop fin concept, and this is the best pair I have made.
5) The problem I had with the hip straps on the UDS-1 were that I had not connected them prior to the dive. I did that underwater, but put them over my weight belt to do it. That was a practical in-water solution, but that would also preclude me from directly dropping my weights--not good. I need to be extra-sure that I do this before I dive next dive. Because I was trying to manage the float line, I decided to do it this way as to take the weights off underwater would be to risk loosing the float (another reason for no float next time).
Equipment Used:
UDS-1 with A.I.R. I regulator (two hose configuration); long hose octopus; helmet with snorkel (no light); hand carried light and thermometer; full 6 mm wet suit with hood, boots and gloves; knife (which I used twice).
