Multiple deaths diving off NC coast May 10, 2020?

[Qminus]

Sorry, do you not pay any attention to where your line is tied into the wreck? There are 8 moorings on the Spiegel Grove, they are very easy to keep track of.

it's very difficult on the Liberty ship.. It's been dynamited, wire dragged by the Coast Guard, blown around by hurricanes, and rusted into nothing the last decade. Basically it's a 325 foot long pile of scrap metal, half buried in the sand, so it can be confusing. Most of out other wrecks are intact so it's pretty easy to follow the form of the ship. Not so on some of the older wrecks.

Unlike Florida, the State government doesn't provide those cool moorings for us. We have to hook into the wreck ourselves, so you might end up near the same place using the sonar but it's always a different place you hook up.
And unlike that 200 foot vis in Florida, some of our days are 15 foot and less. Instead of swimming around in the dark until an OOA, trying to figure out if this was the I-beam the anchor might be chained to, it's easier to just come up and look.

It's like that on the Suloide. The boilers are a reference point, but the rest is scattered all over the sand by the USCG dynamiting it. Sometimes I have to just surface and see the boat and shoot an azimuth and go back down and find the anchor line that way.

 

[scubadada]

I usually cheat by snapping a big arse strobe on the top of the chain when I get to the bottom. Then at least if I come up the wrong line I have plenty of time to work up a good story on my way up.

That's not such a bad idea on an unknown wreck, especially with limited visibility, difficult navigation. I've not done it but could, carry a good strobe with me on dives like this.

 

[O-ring]

That's not such a bad idea on an unknown wreck, especially with limited visibility, difficult navigation. I've not done it but could, carry a good strobe with me on dives like this.

I wish I could recommend the one I have, but it's like my third or fourth one of the same model and they don't seem to hold up well. I know they make some better LED ones now so maybe when this one stops working I'll pick one of those up. It's definitely comforting to see that light popping when you are floating near the top of the superstructure scratching your head, but it is only of limited use in poor visibility. You still need to get pretty close to see it. On really hard to navigate wrecks with poor visibility (the Marine Electric comes to mind) it's useless and I just run a reel.

 

[scubadada]

it's very difficult on the Liberty ship.. It's been dynamited, wire dragged by the Coast Guard, blown around by hurricanes, and rusted into nothing the last decade. Basically it's a 325 foot long pile of scrap metal, so it can be confusing. Most of out other wrecks are intact so it's pretty easy to follow the form of the ship. Not so on some of the older wrecks.

Unlike Florida, the State government doesn't provide those cool moorings for us. We have to hook into the wreck ourselves, so you might end up near the same place using the sonar but it's always a different place you hook up.
And unlike that 200 foot vis in Florida, some of our days are 15 foot and less.

It's like that on the Suloide. The boilers are a reference point, but the rest is scattered all over the sand by the USCG dynamiting it. Sometimes I have to just surface and see the boat and shoot an azimuth and go back down and find the anchor line that way.

Points well taken, but you overestimate our Florida visibility, I've had plenty of dives at your lower end

 

[Qminus]

Points well taken, but you overestimate our Florida visibility, I've had plenty of dives at your lower end

I've only been a couple times but I swear, I could see Cuba from the Conch Wall. LOL
I was very impressed with your clear blue water VS out green water usually full of particulates.

We do have days of awesome vis but it's inconsistent.

 

[scubadada]

I wish I could recommend the one I have, but it's like my third or fourth one of the same model and they don't seem to hold up well. I know they make some better LED ones now so maybe when this one stops working I'll pick one of those up. It's definitely comforting to see that light popping when you are floating near the top of the superstructure scratching your head, but it is only of limited use in poor visibility. You still need to get pretty close to see it. On really hard to navigate wrecks with poor visibility (the Marine Electric comes to mind) it's useless and I just run a reel.

I've had this for a few years, very reliable. I've used it on night dives for pick up. Have carried it on may dives without problem. TekTite LED 200 Strobe Light | Dive Gear Express®

 

[letterboy]

Points well taken, but you overestimate our Florida visibility, I've had plenty of dives at your lower end

have you ever been to bainbridge quarry or willow springs?

I did my training there - anything above 15 ft is awesome to me lol

 

[scubadada]

have you ever been to bainbridge quarry or willow springs?

I did my training there - anything above 15 ft is awesome to me lol

No, no quarries for me, ever. Have never been to Dutch Springs, intend on keeping it that way

 

[Qminus]

have you ever been to bainbridge quarry or willow springs?

I did my training there - anything above 15 ft is awesome to me lol

No. We did Pickle Reef, Conch Reef/Wall, Molasses Reef, Rainbow Reef and a few other places I don't know the names of. We were gonna do the Duane but the rain blew us out for two days. Did Horseshoe Lagoon on Big PIne Key as a shore dive and that was the worst vis I've ever seen. it was like 3 feet. Might have just been the time we were there. We were gonna do Blue Heron Bridge on the way home but were burned out after 10 days of diving and skipped it.

I messed up bad 30 years ago when I didn't move to Florida and become an instructor.

 

[letterboy]

No, no quarries for me, ever. Have never been to Dutch Springs, intend on keeping it that way

quarry dives are fun.