Newport diving/ Banded Rudder Fish/ found weights

[CT-Rich]

I haven’t been posting many videos this year. I have these two from the last couple of weeks. Both were at Green Bridge. Saw a schoolof Banded rudder fish while diving with my daughter. The second video was taken last Sunday. Conditions are getting progressively better, the presence of salps (the chains of little jellyfish looking critter*) are a good indication that visibility is going to explode.

My new camera seems to have exceeded the capacity of my laptop/editing software, so the top video was done with a freeware editor called Videopad, not as many nice features as Corel, but I was able to do something with the footage.

Last Sunday, we found some weights at Kings Beach. Describe them and we’ll get them back to you.

*Salps are not related to jellies, they are proto chordates, meaning they are related to creatures with backbones more than to other invertebrates. Being filter feeders, they will help Hoover up the phytoplankton and improve the late summer visibility

 

[Sam Miller III]

@CT-Rich
Watched both videos and enjoyed both of them The differences in water and marine life deo east coast to the west coast is remarkable--

Video # 1 there was a rogue - unattached lobster trap- it will continue fishing forever and forever - why not disable itr or better yet bring it to the surface ad toss in trash ?

Video #2 the chain appears to be somehow attached to possible an anchor ? Did you do any further investigating
A possible a rare Yachtsman kedge type anchor ? On the west coast they are becoming rare and valuable especially since they have not been prodced for many years and seldom used in the last 50 or so years by the boating community.

I have several I salvaged in years gone by which have now been relegated to yard art

Keep on posting your RI dive adventures I always get around to watching them.

Sam Miller, 111

 

[CT-Rich]

Thanks for the feed back Sam. The pot was not derelict as far as I could tell. It was freshly baited and the line I was following was part of a string. my guess is the lobstermen would pull up the pot take out his catch, re-bait it and toss it back in. I have found derelict pots that I have opened up. Derelict traps are usually broken up by the waves or simply disappear into the sand. You can see plenty of them in my other videos.

My guess on the anchor is that it was a mushroom anchor that was used as a mooring some years ago. From the size of the shank, I think the base is buried 1-2' into the sand. There was a large kedge anchor out there that I came across solo diving about five or six years ago, still standing upright in the sand. It was a good five across and real gem, but would require lift and gear than I have access to (the state of RI might also have some objections).

 

[Sam Miller III]

In 1960 Bob Reutherford, an LA Co UW instructor discovered a 7 or 8000 pound anchor off Abalone point off Catalina Island .( google Bob -- he was the father or UW signaling etc )

On July 4 1960 we lifted it off the bottom and sold it to a landing for $500.00. When the landing closed the donated it to the LA Maritime museum.

I recently visited the museum and the anchor -- I am the last surviving member of that salvage operation - memories!

Why don't you duplicate the salvaging of your anchor ? I suspect the effort can be underwritten by a local museum etc

Sam

 

[EdC]

Rich, we are thinking of going to FW or GB Sunday. I have one dive at Jamestown with 3ft viz this summer and that is the limit of my RI experience. My buddy has been to both FW and GB but doesn't have a preference. What is your recommendation? Also is high slack tide best?

 

[AfterDark]

Rich, we are thinking of going to FW or GB Sunday. I have one dive at Jamestown with 3ft viz this summer and that is the limit of my RI experience. My buddy has been to both FW and GB but doesn't have a preference. What is your recommendation? Also is high slack tide best?

I'm not Rich but I've been diving GB since 1969.
High slack best, North wind best SE no good, SW if light >5Kt not bad. The key to GB is the activity in the RI Sound. If there are <3' seas GB will most likely be "surgie" you'll swing back and forth with the swells and since it's not very deep and there is a lot of seaweed you'll find tons of it suspended above the bottom. But if you hit it right it's a beautiful dive, with lots of cool things to see. Safe diving.

 

[EdC]

Thanks @AfterDark