Leatherneck Diving

[Cacia]

I have been saying for the last two days that the viz would be bad, the weather would be bad, it was dangerous...and everytime they just looked at me and said "okay, that's fine". So I was really thrilled to catch a break this morning and see sunshine and light wind from the NW. Col Campbell (newly selected for General..congratulations!..) and LT. Col. Owen Lovejoy, JB and myself headed out to the Corsair at 0700 amidst whales breeching off Ko-ko head. We contemplated taking a detour to try and drop in near them for a snorkel, but the competitive urge to beat other boats to the mooring spurred us on.

The viz was surprisingly good out there, considering the chaos and wind of the past week. We estimated it was at least 100 ft, as we had no trouble making out the plane resting below at 107 ft. We dropped in to the whale song surround sound and it was really beautiful! Lots of resident goat fish were schooling over the plane and a huge morray eel was inside the cockpit. We snapped some photos and the men checked out the aircraft. Back on the surface, we found ale and lunch at the Kona Brewery. Jb was telling me about HALO jumps and the combat dive school which was very interesting...I never knew about the 30,ooo ft jumps with 02 and that Owen dives with rebreathers. (Maybe that's why my weather report didn't worry him)

Great dive...it was about time.

 

[Sasquatch]

What an awesome report! Great pix, too. Wish I was there. My last dive in 43 degree water offered 15' of good viz...

Semper Fi

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Great photos. Catherine. I saw some photos from Maui yesterday, yikes.

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

nice nice pictures. I can't wait to dive that site. It looks a little eerie in the shot from above. very cool.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

i realize that green is a minority attitude in Hawaii and respect for all life is a mostly fringe concept anywhere in the Western world but how about respectful attitudes for a historical wreck. If full size humans in dive gear continue to squeeze into the Corsair cockpit for gratuitous photos there will be much less of a cockpit for future divers to see. An inverted diver peering into a still mostly intact cockpit without making contact would show actual diving skill and etiquette.

I realize this post will ignite flames but my first dive on the Corsair was only 6 years ago and it was a more complete cockpit. If divers since then had treated it with respect it would still mostly be that more complete cockpit. If you dive like this you are selfish and if you defend this kind of diving you are selfish. Everybody does selfish things, the good ones regret it and try to be a better person next time.

 

[Peter Guy]

Catherine, this just makes me SICK!!!!! Great write up -- wonderful pics -- it was SO good to meet you.

OK -- NEXT time.

 

[airsix]

What an awesome report! Great pix, too. Wish I was there. My last dive in 43 degree water offered 15' of good viz...

Semper Fi

And one fish. Don't forget the one fish.

-Ben

 

[Cacia]

Everybody does selfish things, the good ones regret it and try to be a better person next time.

You are right, but I have bigger things to worry about. Basically. But the point is well taken. People pretty much climb into it all day long.

Peter, hope we get another chance, the weather gods were not with us this time. The day before you all came...and the day after.




Peter,

 

[TSandM]

Oh, those pictures HURT, catherine . . . Sob . . .

 

[mrjimboalaska]

great pic's C...........