Looking for critiques/comments on mapping project

[kidspot]

I finished my mapping project on Monday, and finalized (pending critiques) the map itself last night - Any suggestions, especially from those of you who have mapped sites before?

This is Kahekili "Old Airport Beach" just north of Lahaina, Maui

Aloha, Tim

Full size .gif image 524k http://www.kidspot.org/personal/scuba/maps/map-airportbeach.gif (right click and "save target as" then view - not viewable in internet explorer)

"small" .jpg 105k

 

[DiveMaven]

WOW, that's really impressive!! Okay, I've never done a map before, but I've seen a bunch of them at various dive shops, and I have to say that yours is by FAR more professional looking that anything I've ever seen!

Can I print this for my "Maui dive site library"?

 

[VBlueV]

good map!

just some minor points about the magnetic headings depicted...
1. headings are normally printed with 3-digits
(e.g. 005° and 015°... vice the single or double digits portrayed)

2. the practical resolution on my dive compass is 10°
(especially trying to read it and follow it underwater)
so, maybe consider rounding your headings? (e.g. 010° and 020&#176

3. finally, some of your headings are reciprocals,
at least in relation to the arrows shown
(e.g. 270° on the return should be 090°,
and 105° should be 285° [or 290° if you round])

cheers

 

[kidspot]

Sure DiveMe - It's the first of my new map collection on my website (just let me finish correcting it first lol)

Thanks VBlueV - that's the kind of thing I needed to know - I'll get right on those changes

I updated the images linked to above - I just realized what I did for the return heading too - I took the return heading while I was standing on shore - forgot to turn it around lol... the other ... let's just say I still have much to learn LOL

I left it at 005 degree headings, because I had initially rounded to 5 and only saved that data ... so I don't know if it should round up or down to the nearest 10. Next time I dive that site I'll verify though.

I really appreciate the comments V - anyone see others?

btw - funny thing, but the "small post" to the northwest of the map is only there because we had taken a wrong heading... lol I was trying to find the swim bouy. I'd blame it on "bad vis" (it was "only" 40 ft vis that day lol) but I'm sure I'd get taken to task by my west coast brethren who claim a good day is when they can see their fins (on their own feet) so I'll just chalk it up to "getting lost"

Aloha, Tim

 

[D_O_H]

Very nice map!

Just a minor nitpicky thing - if you plan to share with any anal-retentive types (like me) you might want to give it a once over for appropriate use of capital letters. In my book, you don't need to follow any specific set rules but you should at least be consistent (if you're going to capitalize Morray Eels, you should probably capitalize the Eagle Rays and the Cleaner Shrimp too). Ideally, you wouldn't capitalize the names of the animals (or north, south and lifeguard) unless they begin a sentence.

Whew, I feel much better now.

 

[kidspot]

Thanks D O H - mind rechecking that for me? (I'm not real particuLaR abouT thOse tHings as You caN telL)

Aloha, Tim

 

[D_O_H]

Thanks D O H - mind rechecking that for me? (I'm not real particuLaR abouT thOse tHings as You caN telL)

Aloha, Tim

I think you're all set. I didn't mind all the caps so much on the map itself (can't remember whether you changed that). It was more the narrative parts that were not pleasing to my inner a-type.

 

[Charlie99]

Nice map. I wish the various books on Maui dive sites had that level of detail.

My only suggestion is, now that you have drawn your map, to go back and run the legs again to check them. Mark H. did a map of Ulua last month for his DM with Maui Dreams. I got interested and did a bunch of direction and distance legs to do an outline around the reef. The first couple times I went to check stuff, I ended up making quite a few corrections.

You can check your accuracy everytime you have a closed path. For example, one can look at Corrugated Drum, Concrete Block, and Transmission triangle and see if following two legs gets you to the same point as going out the other leg. Run the numbers and you'll get a calculated top leg something around 140' at 010 rather than 200' at 005. Of course, the error might be in one or both of the other legs, but any closed course gives you a way to check the validity of the legs.

 

[kidspot]

Thanks Charlie - looks like I need to double check on my next dive and see where the errors are... At least that should be easy ... and fun since it just means more diving

We were using a 60ft line to make measurements, so I wonder if I lost track of one "lap" on the line somewhere... interestingly enough, when I plot it out by distance/heading I am off by 55ft... approx 1 line length (allowing for human error that is) I'll double check on my next dive there (nice to have an excuse to go diving eh?)

Aloha, Tim

 

[stevenq99]

looks good wish I would have had that map when I was there. Finding the sand channel is the key to that dive site