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I am back on-island after a 3-year hiatus and many of my previous co-workers from the dive industry have been taking me out to some 'new' places that they've been checking out since I've been gone. Today we dove off a sailboat on a ledge that they've discovered. I was diving an aluminum 80 with an aluminum slung 40 pony filled with a 36 deco mix. I have been putting the aladin tec2g through its paces and am very impressed, I like it a great deal and am convinced that I made the right choice in upgrading from my grey old school 'aladin pro'. I am using it in computer mode and switching gases, not gauge mode.
Just for reference, my technical training is IANTD technical nitrox trained in Puerta Galera, Philippinnes during the time of John Bennett. While here in Hawaii I became a a PADI IDC Staff Instructor however I do not agree with all their philosophies and am currently in non-teaching status.
concerning my rig, I have not been diving doubles here in Hawaii, I have found that the single tank along with the pony has given me a nice extended range without too much encumbrance. I do however want to switch my double bladder OMS 100 pound lift wing for an Oxycheq Delta V signature series based on the reports I've seen on this forum.
I have an apex tx100 on my pony with atomic 2nd stage and my primary reg is a diverite RG1200. Steel OMS backplate and canister mounted phantom light.
the dive itself: a drift along the ledge with a float on my diverite explorer reel.
We descended quickly to 125 and it was a fabulous ride seeing the ledge materialize, visibility was spectacular today easily 100+feet. We descended to the wall and my reel was 'zinging' out rapidly, the current was quickly pulling the buoy away and I started becoming somewhat concerned about the length. Also it seemed to be sticking somewhat and I was required to assist the reel in its unwinding, I would like to lubricate this somehow if advisable.
As we descended a cave appeared on the right side, and several pillars with tunnels, I imagine formed by lava, this is pretty way far out from Makaha Caverns however it reminded me of it. Our working depth was 150. Inside the cave was a 60lb ulua. (giant travally, ronin aji in japanese). The geography was spectacular. I love gazing down at unreachable depths (for me) while soaring over walls at speed. In any case, the limiting factor in this dive was my reel, the length rapidly spooled out until it was nearing the end, I called the dive and we followed the current away over the wall into blue water, with a nice leisurely ascent, I dropped out of deco on the way up and had a long blue water cruise at 15 feet, watching a school of barracuda dart here and there.
I welcome comments on this post, especially about reels, I am interested in a larger (yet still compact) reel more suitable for blue water. Thank you!
Just for reference, my technical training is IANTD technical nitrox trained in Puerta Galera, Philippinnes during the time of John Bennett. While here in Hawaii I became a a PADI IDC Staff Instructor however I do not agree with all their philosophies and am currently in non-teaching status.
concerning my rig, I have not been diving doubles here in Hawaii, I have found that the single tank along with the pony has given me a nice extended range without too much encumbrance. I do however want to switch my double bladder OMS 100 pound lift wing for an Oxycheq Delta V signature series based on the reports I've seen on this forum.
I have an apex tx100 on my pony with atomic 2nd stage and my primary reg is a diverite RG1200. Steel OMS backplate and canister mounted phantom light.
the dive itself: a drift along the ledge with a float on my diverite explorer reel.
We descended quickly to 125 and it was a fabulous ride seeing the ledge materialize, visibility was spectacular today easily 100+feet. We descended to the wall and my reel was 'zinging' out rapidly, the current was quickly pulling the buoy away and I started becoming somewhat concerned about the length. Also it seemed to be sticking somewhat and I was required to assist the reel in its unwinding, I would like to lubricate this somehow if advisable.
As we descended a cave appeared on the right side, and several pillars with tunnels, I imagine formed by lava, this is pretty way far out from Makaha Caverns however it reminded me of it. Our working depth was 150. Inside the cave was a 60lb ulua. (giant travally, ronin aji in japanese). The geography was spectacular. I love gazing down at unreachable depths (for me) while soaring over walls at speed. In any case, the limiting factor in this dive was my reel, the length rapidly spooled out until it was nearing the end, I called the dive and we followed the current away over the wall into blue water, with a nice leisurely ascent, I dropped out of deco on the way up and had a long blue water cruise at 15 feet, watching a school of barracuda dart here and there.
I welcome comments on this post, especially about reels, I am interested in a larger (yet still compact) reel more suitable for blue water. Thank you!
