Palm Beach Dive Thread

[MrChen]

Well the comment was sort of tongue/on-cheek but I find it odd there's no accident report. Nothing but a page asking for money.

I found the guy's FB page. He's an avid diver and was he was posting about an upcoming trip with Palm Beach Scuba on August 31st.

Reputable professionals in the local community have donated to the GoFundMe. Someone got hurt, can you stop with the it didn't happen crap? Many people here have dove with Dan and are concerned about him.

Trust me, MANY incidents happen in SE Florida and Dandy Don has not posted anything.

 

[CosbySweater]

Yep, that's it! Brazilian Docks is what I remember Mike from Kyalami (PVD alumnus) telling me about.

I just called PVD to talk with them about the possibility of scheduling the boat for a long drift dive with twinset. I'm expecting a call back from Justin who schedules their technical dives. I'm diving Paradise Springs this weekend otherwise I'd be back with PVD to talk with Dean or Jason directly.

The two-three hour drift dive I mentioned above isn't really feasible without expanding beyond a plain vanilla AL80 twinset. I ran a hypothetical profile of 18m / 54ft with 36% backgas. I picked 18m because that's just deep enough to see everything even if the bottom drops to 24-28m. That gas and depth profile yields a few minutes shy of 90 minutes without a deco obligation with the AL80 twinset. Not very much a technical dive - really just an advanced drift dive but a super fun profile nonetheless! That's a pretty good stretch of sightseeing as long as the terrain is promising.

Beyond Brazilian docks is the Danny and beyond that is a site called Atlantis and the Spud Barge. It’s possible on a very strong current day to make it to the Danny from the Ana C. You’ll be swimming the whole time and it takes a bit of navigation once you get to Brazilian docks, buts it’s possible.

During one exceptionally heavy current day diving the Corridor, I managed to drift over the Danny during my safety stop. Doing a drift from the Ana C to the Spud Barge on doubles would be an amazing drift. You’d cover some serious distance!

 

[DiveFlag = Target]

@NothingClever
I believe I have seen tech trips for an extended range trip doing the corridor for a one dive 2 hour runtime. I think they had a shop book it but after that there was spots available for others. Unfortunately it was during the week so I couldnt go. If you get it booked I would love to do it if available.

 

[LI-er]

From my files. The area past the Danny wreck. The sketch is from a Dive Op. I added the text part based on my personal dive experience. The barge to the East is the better of the two, you can penetrate it from below. Or at least you could when I last dived it.

 

[CosbySweater]

From my files. The area past the Danny wreck. The sketch is from a Dive Op. I added the text part based on my personal dive experience. The barge to the East is the better of the two, you can penetrate it from below. Or at least you could when I last dived it.

The barge to the east is the “spud barge”. It’s def the better of the two. Good drawing. Looks pretty accurate to how I remember the site.

 

[LI-er]

The barge to the east is the “spud barge”. It’s def the better of the two. Good drawing. Looks pretty accurate to how I remember the site.

The drawing says spud barge.

 

[NothingClever]

@Pavao @DiveFlag = Target

Got an answer back from Justin at Pura Vida Divers (PVD).

PVD is more than happy to support the extended range drift profile as a technical dive but trying to combine it with a recreational trip isn't feasible.

The spread that would result from the technical divers moving on immediately from the recreational divers at the Ana Cecilia would make it too difficult for the Captain to shadow and support the technical divers. No drama from my perspective - Dean and Jason (retired Coastie) are superb skippers so that doesn't give me the least bit of heartburn (in fact, the opposite).

They need five divers to make it cost effective. I have three confirmed.

PVD asked that I forecast some dates well in advance so they can deconflict with their recreational scheduling.

I'm going to talk with my mates here in Tampa and come up with three dates in October that they can support. I'll post here to see if you guys can make any of those dates.

 

[FLSharkdiver]

Further news regarding the PBS incident.

View attachment 859879

What happened, bottom line, here?

 

[LI-er]

What happened, bottom line, here?

No information available on the incident the only information available seems to be what his daughter posts about his condition.

Updates on Dad: not much has changed. They are trying some decompression chamber treatments. There isn’t much risk and it might help so they are trying everything they can to help them. Keep praying. He is still sedated/intubated and in very critical shape. He is stable and getting all the treatment they have to offer. We are so hoping for a miracle.

 

[robp750]

Further news regarding the PBS incident.

View attachment 859879

I am absolutely devastated, your Dad was a good friend to me. I just donated to the GoFundMe page created by Allison.