Just got back from a day diving with Diver Choice.
Once again, great stuff.
We took the 8:30 ferry over and the weather was looking decent. Ted picked us up of course and realized that we were a little over plan (11 divers, but who's counting).
Getting everyone setup & squared away didn't take very long despite the number of divers and off we went. After a quick vote and a chat about the expected conditions we decided to do the Cape Breton first (Snake island wall was another option, but we were in a wreck mood).
We managed to tie off in the middle of the Breton which was where we wanted to be (another dive boat arrived after we did so we got lucky there). There was a bit of current at the top as well as a slight chop, so we got sorted out hanging off the line and dropped down. Viz was very good (over 50 feet) and the current was non-existent once we got below the surface.
I was in a team of 3 with a regular buddy of mine and a 3rd. Our plan was to do a max of 100 with a 20 minute bottom time, depending of course on air etc, with a min. deco ascent (we were diving air as my buddy hasn't gotten around to doing nitrox, he learned to dive before it became available). We had a great dive on the wreck but it's easy to forget just how freaking large the Breton is. I'd like to be able to do 3 or 4 days on it, it's just so large.
After 15 minutes at 100 I was down to 1500 psi (and my computer doesn't seem to understand min. deco so it was starting to beep
) and we started a slow ascent.
We ended up having a large number of divers on the line ascending together. We had warned everyone that our group would be doing more stops everyone else passed by us with no issues with the exception of one diver who didn't realize that passing was ok
Dive one ended up being max 100 feet, avg 59 feet, run time 32 minutes, temp 44 degrees. Back with just over 800 psi.
Everyone was back on the boat with plenty of gas left and ready for a good lunch consisting of the ever fabulous chilly and all the hot chocolate you could drink YUM! The apple pie was just 'icing on the cake'. (There was a bunch of bottled water as well of course).
After a nice long SI we moved to the Saskatchewan.
It was my first time on the Saskatechewan and I must say that I prefer it. There is just so much more live on it than the Breton. Our dive plan was 80 for 20 min though I ended up blowing our profile as the forward guns were at 81 feet. Yet I managed to come back alive
Great dive. We took a different approach as our depth was more limited and cruised over the ship at a depth of 75 feet. A great way to take in the wreck given that the viz was wonderful. Seeing the divers below us at times and around us with the superstructure as a backdrop, was a really enjoyable perspective. Some large ling cod were on the deck (4+ feet). We toured the ship and found the guns at the front. Time of course ran out for us much too soon so we started working our way up the wreck until it was time to head up. Same stops as before, got a chance to make a jon line (sp?) out of the spool and practice using it as it was a bit choppy at our 10 foot stop. Good times all around.
Back on the boat (did I mention that Ted even puts your fins on and takes the off for you at the end of the dive? Live is easy when diving with Divers Choice! ). More hot chocolate and some chocolate chip cookies this time.
Dive 2 ended up being max 81 feet, avg. 52 feet, run time 32 minutes. Temp 44 degrees. Back with about 1200 psi.
Diving over in Nanaimo makes me realize that I need:
1) Doubles.
2) Deco training
3) Wreck penetration training.
Oh yeah and a canister light would be handy as well...
All in all a wonderful day, great company (most of the divers knew each other from previous trips and there was tons of laughing and joking on the boat ) and of course a great charter.
Got home at 7 pm and decided to do a quick writeup while everything was still fresh.
Hope some of you enjoy reading about the trip.
Bjorn
Once again, great stuff.
We took the 8:30 ferry over and the weather was looking decent. Ted picked us up of course and realized that we were a little over plan (11 divers, but who's counting).
Getting everyone setup & squared away didn't take very long despite the number of divers and off we went. After a quick vote and a chat about the expected conditions we decided to do the Cape Breton first (Snake island wall was another option, but we were in a wreck mood).
We managed to tie off in the middle of the Breton which was where we wanted to be (another dive boat arrived after we did so we got lucky there). There was a bit of current at the top as well as a slight chop, so we got sorted out hanging off the line and dropped down. Viz was very good (over 50 feet) and the current was non-existent once we got below the surface.
I was in a team of 3 with a regular buddy of mine and a 3rd. Our plan was to do a max of 100 with a 20 minute bottom time, depending of course on air etc, with a min. deco ascent (we were diving air as my buddy hasn't gotten around to doing nitrox, he learned to dive before it became available). We had a great dive on the wreck but it's easy to forget just how freaking large the Breton is. I'd like to be able to do 3 or 4 days on it, it's just so large.
After 15 minutes at 100 I was down to 1500 psi (and my computer doesn't seem to understand min. deco so it was starting to beep
) and we started a slow ascent. We ended up having a large number of divers on the line ascending together. We had warned everyone that our group would be doing more stops everyone else passed by us with no issues with the exception of one diver who didn't realize that passing was ok
Dive one ended up being max 100 feet, avg 59 feet, run time 32 minutes, temp 44 degrees. Back with just over 800 psi.
Everyone was back on the boat with plenty of gas left and ready for a good lunch consisting of the ever fabulous chilly and all the hot chocolate you could drink
YUM! The apple pie was just 'icing on the cake'. (There was a bunch of bottled water as well of course). After a nice long SI we moved to the Saskatchewan.
It was my first time on the Saskatechewan and I must say that I prefer it. There is just so much more live on it than the Breton. Our dive plan was 80 for 20 min though I ended up blowing our profile as the forward guns were at 81 feet. Yet I managed to come back alive
Great dive. We took a different approach as our depth was more limited and cruised over the ship at a depth of 75 feet. A great way to take in the wreck given that the viz was wonderful. Seeing the divers below us at times and around us with the superstructure as a backdrop, was a really enjoyable perspective. Some large ling cod were on the deck (4+ feet). We toured the ship and found the guns at the front. Time of course ran out for us much too soon so we started working our way up the wreck until it was time to head up. Same stops as before, got a chance to make a jon line (sp?) out of the spool and practice using it as it was a bit choppy at our 10 foot stop. Good times all around.
Back on the boat (did I mention that Ted even puts your fins on and takes the off for you at the end of the dive? Live is easy when diving with Divers Choice!
). More hot chocolate and some chocolate chip cookies this time. Dive 2 ended up being max 81 feet, avg. 52 feet, run time 32 minutes. Temp 44 degrees. Back with about 1200 psi.
Diving over in Nanaimo makes me realize that I need:
1) Doubles.
2) Deco training
3) Wreck penetration training.
Oh yeah and a canister light would be handy as well...
All in all a wonderful day, great company (most of the divers knew each other from previous trips and there was tons of laughing and joking on the boat
) and of course a great charter.Got home at 7 pm and decided to do a quick writeup while everything was still fresh.
Hope some of you enjoy reading about the trip.
Bjorn
