First off the reason I am admiting this is because everyone one this forum has help me & by posting my sins I hope to help another diver think before he sinks.
I am an advanced open water diver with two years experience 24 dives. Most all of my dives have been in Michigan (cold & low vis). I have always been a very by the book diver until this dive. I had a condo offered to me in the Keys for a week through busniess and since it is starting to get cooler here in Michigan. I grabed up the offer to get in more diving in and took another couple with us. He assured me he was a experienced diver that did not keep a* log book & did not hold a advanced cert. But had a coin that said he had been deep before and the dive shop would let him go. Sure enough he found a charter to let him go. I am very comfrotable in the water and felt all would be OK if a promblem came up I or the DM would be able to handle it. I never dove in Florida before matter of fact I only dove in the ocean a few other times in Mexico.* Before we left I figured out there would not be a DM in the water with us matter of fact no other divers were with us on this dive. 10 min after leaving the dock* he figured out that his pressure hose did not fit his BC (opps) we turned around to rent a BC from the charter service. ( I knew he could oraly inflate but not on a deep dive. 1 at least for my common sence). Back off we went to the LSD-32. Durring my buddy check I noticed his snorkel was on the wrong side but it will work all is fine with him.* Hey no one to check me out! I made double sure all was fine.*Three foot waves and heavy current right in between hurricains Rita & Wilma. With any common sence I would of called off the dive. There is a lot of shallow reefs to check out. All was fine with the dive and the wreck is wonderful. I plan to go back to do many more dives on the Speigal. But next time I will be smarter. Many things could have gone wrong we were lucky!:11:
I am an advanced open water diver with two years experience 24 dives. Most all of my dives have been in Michigan (cold & low vis). I have always been a very by the book diver until this dive. I had a condo offered to me in the Keys for a week through busniess and since it is starting to get cooler here in Michigan. I grabed up the offer to get in more diving in and took another couple with us. He assured me he was a experienced diver that did not keep a* log book & did not hold a advanced cert. But had a coin that said he had been deep before and the dive shop would let him go. Sure enough he found a charter to let him go. I am very comfrotable in the water and felt all would be OK if a promblem came up I or the DM would be able to handle it. I never dove in Florida before matter of fact I only dove in the ocean a few other times in Mexico.* Before we left I figured out there would not be a DM in the water with us matter of fact no other divers were with us on this dive. 10 min after leaving the dock* he figured out that his pressure hose did not fit his BC (opps) we turned around to rent a BC from the charter service. ( I knew he could oraly inflate but not on a deep dive. 1 at least for my common sence). Back off we went to the LSD-32. Durring my buddy check I noticed his snorkel was on the wrong side but it will work all is fine with him.* Hey no one to check me out! I made double sure all was fine.*Three foot waves and heavy current right in between hurricains Rita & Wilma. With any common sence I would of called off the dive. There is a lot of shallow reefs to check out. All was fine with the dive and the wreck is wonderful. I plan to go back to do many more dives on the Speigal. But next time I will be smarter. Many things could have gone wrong we were lucky!:11:
