Roll call for Diving for Science training this weekend

[James R]

Anyone want to make plans for dinner Saturday night after we get done with class and start to thaw out?

Great idea. We can plan further expeditions to Balmorhea, Valhalla, Clipper, rigs, etc :cool2:

Count us in for dinner, though I think we should not plan too much past that until after class on Sat -- who knows what we'll be in the mood for by then.

 

[carrielsal]

Great idea. We can plan further expeditions to Balmorhea, Valhalla, Clipper, rigs, etc :cool2:

Count us in for dinner, though I think we should not plan too much past that until after class on Sat -- who knows what we'll be in the mood for by then.

You guys should come join us in Florida

 

[Texas Torpedo]

Never let jealousy get in the way of a certification or diving..

Do they teach OW classes in Spring Lake?

 

[James R]

Never let jealousy get in the way of a certification or diving..

Do they teach OW classes in Spring Lake?

what he said!

Yeah, there's a training area that's sectioned off. Wonderful place for classes.

 

[driftwood]

Thanks! Eric told me I'll need to lead a tour. I don't know my way around nearly as well as Mary.

Carrie

Hi Carrie,

Here are the basics for navigating Spring Lake on your Saturday tour. When you are in Deep Hole have the main spring on your left side and move west. You will get to Fault Line, the next big high pressure spring in Deep Hole. Look up and west and you should see the channel into Arch Site.

From Arch Site head in a northwesterly direction till you see the pilings for the dock. From there you will turn right and maintain around a 6 to 8' depth keeping the bank on your left side. When you see the second big patch of Arrow Root start looking to your right at about 2 o'clock and look for the "deeper blue" in Catfish.

The run from Catfish to Cream of Wheat is on a 50/230 bearing. At the head of Riverbed there is a big cypress log. Just past the log, up and to your left is the deep channel into Ossified Forrest. At the top of Ossified Forrest the deep channel is to your right. You will know that you are in the right place if you see a tree limb sticking out of the mud parrell to the bottom (hard to miss). You ALWAYS enter Ossified Forrest on your left side and exit on your right side. If you take the opposite route into/out of OF you get very shallow very fast and you are right where the boats transit.

Once you are over that hump you are in Little Riverbed/Cream of Wheat. From there you go to Diversion and you can enter the Training Area by either going around the old submarine theatre to the left of the pipe at Diversion or you can go under it to the right of the pipe.

Hope my directions make sense and have a great time.

 

[carrielsal]

Hi Carrie,

Here are the basics for navigating Spring Lake on your Saturday tour. When you are in Deep Hole have the main spring on your left side and move west. You will get to Fault Line, the next big high pressure spring in Deep Hole. Look up and west and you should see the channel into Arch Site.

From Arch Site head in a northwesterly direction till you see the pilings for the dock. From there you will turn right and maintain around a 6 to 8' depth keeping the bank on your left side. When you see the second big patch of Arrow Root start looking to your right at about 2 o'clock and look for the "deeper blue" in Catfish.

The run from Catfish to Cream of Wheat is on a 50/230 bearing. At the head of Riverbed there is a big cypress log. Just past the log, up and to your left is the deep channel into Ossified Forrest. At the top of Ossified Forrest the deep channel is to your right. You will know that you are in the right place if you see a tree limb sticking out of the mud parrell to the bottom (hard to miss). You ALWAYS enter Ossified Forrest on your left side and exit on your right side. If you take the opposite route into/out of OF you get very shallow very fast and you are right where the boats transit.

Once you are over that hump you are in Little Riverbed/Cream of Wheat. From there you go to Diversion and you can enter the Training Area by either going around the old submarine theatre to the left of the pipe at Diversion or you can go under it to the right of the pipe.

Hope my directions make sense and have a great time.

Thanks! Mary and I are going to go out early and make the circuit before class.

Carrie

 

[carrielsal]

Anyone want to make plans for dinner Saturday night after we get done with class and start to thaw out?

Mary and I are going to stay a while after class.

Carrie

 

[driftwood]

Thanks! Mary and I are going to go out early and make the circuit before class.

Carrie

Not a bad idea. It would not do for the dive leader to get lost. Not the half your students would notice though.

If it were me, I would take out the last group. What you will lose in vis you will make up by not having a group behind you making you rush. Also, the later you dive the more likely you are to see some night critters. At the top of the list is the fresh water prawn. Look in the high pressure springs at Deep Hole, look deep in them, and under the big boulders in Catfish. If you are very lucky you may see either a snapping turtle or eel. Be sure to keep a watch on the middle/upper portion of the water column. That is where the spotted gar like to hang.

Finally, on your Sunday morning dive, try to get Catfish Hotel. The west bank is a great critter hunt, there are enough springs to keep it interesting (and they help the vis), and you get two chances to see Riverbed, Ossified Forrest and Cream of Wheat. Do what you can to avoid getting stuck in Ossified Forrest. It is a hard place to hang and not screw up the vis (especially for new people). The positive being stuck there is that you can get a lot of practice learning the humps into/out of OF. Not a bad skill to have since it is the most dangerous spot in the lake for divers and boats.

 

[carrielsal]

Not a bad idea. It would not do for the dive leader to get lost. Not the half your students would notice though.

I have the feeling that if I got lost I would never hear the end of it.

Carrie

 

[driftwood]

Actually, getting lost is a very good teachable moment. Anyone who says they have never been lost in the middle of those weeds doesn't pee in their wetsuit. Besides, there are some pretty cool little holes that are not on the standard routes divers generally take.