RAD Diver
Contributor
Will wanted me to go for a night dive on Friday, but I had some family commitments that wouldn't allow that so we set up a plan to dive on Sunday, the forecast was looking good so we wanted something a bit deeper than the Tiger, we settled on (well actually Andy (Drewski) wanted) the Luchenbach. I later learned that Andy had finally got his lighting system on his video camera. Of course the best laid plans.
Sunday morning we all meet up at the dock, with a go time set at 7:30, we were all set.
It was to be me, my wife Trina, Andy, Joe (owner of DQ) Mike Delbridge (who dove with us once before) & of course capt of the "FREEDOM" Will (Wil). We were waiting on Joe when we get the call he will not be joining us, he must have seen the updated forecast.
We were expecting 2 fters, well we had 2 fters alright, but they were in the inlet leading to the Bay, what was waiting for us out in the Ocean. Getting through the Cape Henry Shoals is always a treat & today would be no different.
We were getting pounded pretty good (I never waiver about our dive target) & about the time we hit the Tower I was wimpering "No Mas" lets hit the "Santore" (so that should tell you how bad it was), but it fell on deaf ears.
Shortly after that it did tend to drop down to a mere 3-4 ft, but they seemed to be further apart & I was glad to hear just 6 more miles. Finally we were there.
Now the crew from DQ who was on Capt Dave's "Pelican" on Saturday to dive the Morgan which is a stones throw from where we were at reported 40+ ft of vis so we were hoping for some of the same.
But it was not to be. Trina & I were 1st to suit up & jump with me doing the tie in. Now I was never a Boy Scout & never in any service so my knots are of legend, many never being seen before, but they hold.
We hit the bottom & the vis is 10, maybe 15ft. So bad I can't even tell where we are on the wreck. Andy was to follow us down & follow my line if I was to lay one, needless to say I did. I had to stop every 20ft or so as my line was a wreck, I can't remember the last time I used it, but I think it was on this same wreck & Andy after running his completely out used mine to run us to the stern, this is 1 huge wreck.
After 35 minutes we ran into Andy, he decided to stay close to the anchor & play with his new lighted video system. I checked to see if he was OK & let him know we were heading top side, he flashed OK & we ascended. Andy stayed for A few more minutes & he was right behind us.
At the Surface Will & Mike were getting ready, they had seen our bubbles on the line & knew we were close. They waited on the report & after hearing it, Will suggested we try something else after their dive, we all agreed. Will would un-tie after their dive.
This is when I notice Mike is diving a 5mm shorty, I got 56 degrees on the bottom & was wearing a drysuit, so was Trina & Andy, Will was in his 6.5 mares semi-dry.
The 1 other time Mike dove with us he had on a full 7mm & was so cold he didn't make a 2nd dive, but the water was 48 degrees back then.
I made the comment that this will be a short dive.
But I was wrong, they were on the bottom at least 30 minutes & Mike said it wasn't that bad while he was hunting, but it got a bit cool on the way up. There was a thermocline at 30ft & the water temp climbed to 68.
He came back with a Seabass, a Tautog & 1 Flounder, not too bad.
We decided the "Santore" would be our next dive on the way back in. After a bit of a ride in ever subsiding seas, now down to 2-3ft, Will got off the throttle, but when I looked around the Tower was in the wrong place, or the "Santore" had moved. I mentioned something to Mike & he asked Will what was up. Will & Andy were trying to pull 1 over on Mike, after telling him it was a debris field then dropping him on an in-tact Trawler, but I guess I blew that.
Once hooked Andy was ready 1st, after some growing pains with his lighting system he decided to leave it on the boat, it seemed like the camera batteries were dead anyway. They shouldn't have been so we will have to wait & see what Andy found upon opening his housing.
Trina & I followed pretty close behind him & found him tieing in on part of the rigging. Vis was under 10ft, but the wreck is not that big & easy to navigate so I went without a line. Hit the sand & did a tour of the bottom, looking in the many rust holes only to find 1 big Conger Eel, but there were plenty of very large Starfish all over it. After the 1st tour I went midship to the bow with Trina keeping on the rail & I could barely see her light, but I knew she could see mine so I went very slow. Lots of small Seabass & a few Togs, but really nothing that big. I checked inside where the wheelhouse used to be & normally holds the big Tog, but I didn't go in too far to really see if they were still there.
The top of the wheelhouse sits on the starboard side in the sand & there was a fairly large Flounder sitting way back in there, I checked every time by & it was always there, I would relay that to Mike & Will, probably be dinner tonight for someone.
We made 1 last loop about 15 ft from the wreck & there seemed to be a live bottom, once I looked a bit harder it was tiny baby Flounder, maybe 4inches long, I have never seen them this small & this many. Well 40 minutes of all this fun was all we could stand & I motioned for Trina to ascend, she agreed & I lead us to the line & we were out of here.
Andy was already on the boat getting out of his drysuit & Will & Mike were about ready to jump. It started to rain, I should have left my drysuit on, but I didn't & got all of our gear disassembled & packed away. Will & Mike stayed down a while & with bottom temps at 59, Mike is the man.
They came up with quite a few Flounder, it was raining pretty good by then & we got the boat ready to go. With all of us in the Cabin of "FREEDOM" Mike set the auto pilot for home. It seemed like the rain had stopped by the time we hit Taylors Landing Marina, but that didn't last. As soon as they lifted the boat out of the water the bottom dropped out. We had to flush the motors & do a quick scrub down of the hull & unload the gear so by the time we were done I was wetter than I got diving. I should have left my drysuit on.
But another great day of diving off our fine coast & after all this it was still better than diving a quarry.
Sunday morning we all meet up at the dock, with a go time set at 7:30, we were all set.
It was to be me, my wife Trina, Andy, Joe (owner of DQ) Mike Delbridge (who dove with us once before) & of course capt of the "FREEDOM" Will (Wil). We were waiting on Joe when we get the call he will not be joining us, he must have seen the updated forecast.
We were expecting 2 fters, well we had 2 fters alright, but they were in the inlet leading to the Bay, what was waiting for us out in the Ocean. Getting through the Cape Henry Shoals is always a treat & today would be no different.
We were getting pounded pretty good (I never waiver about our dive target) & about the time we hit the Tower I was wimpering "No Mas" lets hit the "Santore" (so that should tell you how bad it was), but it fell on deaf ears.
Shortly after that it did tend to drop down to a mere 3-4 ft, but they seemed to be further apart & I was glad to hear just 6 more miles. Finally we were there.
Now the crew from DQ who was on Capt Dave's "Pelican" on Saturday to dive the Morgan which is a stones throw from where we were at reported 40+ ft of vis so we were hoping for some of the same.
But it was not to be. Trina & I were 1st to suit up & jump with me doing the tie in. Now I was never a Boy Scout & never in any service so my knots are of legend, many never being seen before, but they hold.
We hit the bottom & the vis is 10, maybe 15ft. So bad I can't even tell where we are on the wreck. Andy was to follow us down & follow my line if I was to lay one, needless to say I did. I had to stop every 20ft or so as my line was a wreck, I can't remember the last time I used it, but I think it was on this same wreck & Andy after running his completely out used mine to run us to the stern, this is 1 huge wreck.
After 35 minutes we ran into Andy, he decided to stay close to the anchor & play with his new lighted video system. I checked to see if he was OK & let him know we were heading top side, he flashed OK & we ascended. Andy stayed for A few more minutes & he was right behind us.
At the Surface Will & Mike were getting ready, they had seen our bubbles on the line & knew we were close. They waited on the report & after hearing it, Will suggested we try something else after their dive, we all agreed. Will would un-tie after their dive.
This is when I notice Mike is diving a 5mm shorty, I got 56 degrees on the bottom & was wearing a drysuit, so was Trina & Andy, Will was in his 6.5 mares semi-dry.
The 1 other time Mike dove with us he had on a full 7mm & was so cold he didn't make a 2nd dive, but the water was 48 degrees back then.
I made the comment that this will be a short dive.
But I was wrong, they were on the bottom at least 30 minutes & Mike said it wasn't that bad while he was hunting, but it got a bit cool on the way up. There was a thermocline at 30ft & the water temp climbed to 68.
He came back with a Seabass, a Tautog & 1 Flounder, not too bad.
We decided the "Santore" would be our next dive on the way back in. After a bit of a ride in ever subsiding seas, now down to 2-3ft, Will got off the throttle, but when I looked around the Tower was in the wrong place, or the "Santore" had moved. I mentioned something to Mike & he asked Will what was up. Will & Andy were trying to pull 1 over on Mike, after telling him it was a debris field then dropping him on an in-tact Trawler, but I guess I blew that.
Once hooked Andy was ready 1st, after some growing pains with his lighting system he decided to leave it on the boat, it seemed like the camera batteries were dead anyway. They shouldn't have been so we will have to wait & see what Andy found upon opening his housing.
Trina & I followed pretty close behind him & found him tieing in on part of the rigging. Vis was under 10ft, but the wreck is not that big & easy to navigate so I went without a line. Hit the sand & did a tour of the bottom, looking in the many rust holes only to find 1 big Conger Eel, but there were plenty of very large Starfish all over it. After the 1st tour I went midship to the bow with Trina keeping on the rail & I could barely see her light, but I knew she could see mine so I went very slow. Lots of small Seabass & a few Togs, but really nothing that big. I checked inside where the wheelhouse used to be & normally holds the big Tog, but I didn't go in too far to really see if they were still there.
The top of the wheelhouse sits on the starboard side in the sand & there was a fairly large Flounder sitting way back in there, I checked every time by & it was always there, I would relay that to Mike & Will, probably be dinner tonight for someone.
We made 1 last loop about 15 ft from the wreck & there seemed to be a live bottom, once I looked a bit harder it was tiny baby Flounder, maybe 4inches long, I have never seen them this small & this many. Well 40 minutes of all this fun was all we could stand & I motioned for Trina to ascend, she agreed & I lead us to the line & we were out of here.
Andy was already on the boat getting out of his drysuit & Will & Mike were about ready to jump. It started to rain, I should have left my drysuit on, but I didn't & got all of our gear disassembled & packed away. Will & Mike stayed down a while & with bottom temps at 59, Mike is the man.
They came up with quite a few Flounder, it was raining pretty good by then & we got the boat ready to go. With all of us in the Cabin of "FREEDOM" Mike set the auto pilot for home. It seemed like the rain had stopped by the time we hit Taylors Landing Marina, but that didn't last. As soon as they lifted the boat out of the water the bottom dropped out. We had to flush the motors & do a quick scrub down of the hull & unload the gear so by the time we were done I was wetter than I got diving. I should have left my drysuit on.
But another great day of diving off our fine coast & after all this it was still better than diving a quarry.
