grouchyturtle
Contributor
11 of us went out on the Outlaw Saturday, including 4 Wreck Valley rookies. Originally had 5 us, but one couldn't make it after some problems carrying his rig out to his car Friday night!!!
We all met at the boat about 6:15am, not knowing if we were even going out. Friday's forecast called for 7' seas, but when I checked around 5:00am it said 2-3 feet. The crew shows up and says were good to go, so we load up gear. After a few problems with the boat we finally head out maybe about 15 minutes behind schedule. It was cold and raining non-stop all the way out. The smart divers got right into their undergarments to warm up.
As we approached the site the skies finally cleared up a little and the rain stopped. We originally planned to dive on the Stolt, but there was a fishing boat anchored there already. Damn fishing boats, don't they know wrecks are for diving, not fishing! There was also a boat on the Algol, so we decided to dive the Coney Island.
Swells were about 3' on the wreck. One diver was out before we even got to the wreck. All the rookies except for one lost it before the first dive, which I almost didn't make. It seemed to take forever to gear up. I'd get one piece of gear on really quick, then have to sit down and stare at the horizon for a few minutes and convince myself to move on to the next step. I was in the last group to go in, there were 3 of us. Sylvester was helping get my sorry ass' gear to the platform. He carries my pony back, then turns to me and starts gagging in my face. At first I think he's busting on me, but then he leans over the rail and feeds the fishes. Wow and he was fine just 2 seconds ago!!! I call the dive at this point, and tell them to just go without me.
Then as he's about to go in I decide I'm doing it. So he says they'll wait for me on the line at 15'. As our second buddy (sorry, forgot his name) is jumping in, it hits me. BLAAAAAAAHHHH! Right over the other side of the boat. But hey, I feel a little better now, so I grab a quick drink, finish gearing up and I'm in. I get down to 15' pretty quick, but no one is there. I guess between taking too long and seeing me chum the seas, they figured I wasn't coming.
At this point I do something stupid. Yeah I know, I know, please don't flame me. I continue going down! I figure they can't be far ahead, plus I feel much better now, and my only other option is to go back up on the rocking boat that I was sick on just a few minutes ago. No thanks!
Vis is low as I'm descending, only about 5'. As I'm going down and Carl and John, the first team in, passes me on their way back up. Now I realize how dumb what I'm doing is and decide maybe I should go up, but just then, vis clears up that I can make out the other divers below me. I figure, I'll just latch onto Jay or Rob, who I can easily recognize with their doubles, about 30' from me, but just then Sylvester comes up on my left and gives me the ok. Just a minute later Adam gives all us rookies the thumbs up. Awwwww, but I just got here! But at least we were the last group in, so I stayed with Sylvester, let the others go up first, and at least got a few minutes of bottom time.
After a pretty long surface interval only half of us did the second dive. Seas were starting to pick up a little at that point, probably up to 5' on the way back in. I opted out of the second dive also. I really wanted to go in, especially after my first dive only being about 20 minutes, but at this point I felt really tired. I didn't really feel sick anymore, just weak and a little light headed if I stood up, probably from eating almost nothing all day. But the 2 cherries I ate, that Jay (the comedian) brought came right back up, so I really couldn't eat even if I wanted to.
It was about 44 degrees at 100', vis was about 50', no noticable current. No lobsters, but Wes came up with a few scallops, when he went down to free the anchor.
All in all it was a good day. Cherries were popped...cookies were tossed...and we all can't wait to get back out. Us rookies just need to get our sea legs now!!!
Surface shots are up. Hopefully Xjae will put his up soon. I think he got a few UW shots too.
We all met at the boat about 6:15am, not knowing if we were even going out. Friday's forecast called for 7' seas, but when I checked around 5:00am it said 2-3 feet. The crew shows up and says were good to go, so we load up gear. After a few problems with the boat we finally head out maybe about 15 minutes behind schedule. It was cold and raining non-stop all the way out. The smart divers got right into their undergarments to warm up.
As we approached the site the skies finally cleared up a little and the rain stopped. We originally planned to dive on the Stolt, but there was a fishing boat anchored there already. Damn fishing boats, don't they know wrecks are for diving, not fishing! There was also a boat on the Algol, so we decided to dive the Coney Island.
Swells were about 3' on the wreck. One diver was out before we even got to the wreck. All the rookies except for one lost it before the first dive, which I almost didn't make. It seemed to take forever to gear up. I'd get one piece of gear on really quick, then have to sit down and stare at the horizon for a few minutes and convince myself to move on to the next step. I was in the last group to go in, there were 3 of us. Sylvester was helping get my sorry ass' gear to the platform. He carries my pony back, then turns to me and starts gagging in my face. At first I think he's busting on me, but then he leans over the rail and feeds the fishes. Wow and he was fine just 2 seconds ago!!! I call the dive at this point, and tell them to just go without me.
Then as he's about to go in I decide I'm doing it. So he says they'll wait for me on the line at 15'. As our second buddy (sorry, forgot his name) is jumping in, it hits me. BLAAAAAAAHHHH! Right over the other side of the boat. But hey, I feel a little better now, so I grab a quick drink, finish gearing up and I'm in. I get down to 15' pretty quick, but no one is there. I guess between taking too long and seeing me chum the seas, they figured I wasn't coming.
At this point I do something stupid. Yeah I know, I know, please don't flame me. I continue going down! I figure they can't be far ahead, plus I feel much better now, and my only other option is to go back up on the rocking boat that I was sick on just a few minutes ago. No thanks!
Vis is low as I'm descending, only about 5'. As I'm going down and Carl and John, the first team in, passes me on their way back up. Now I realize how dumb what I'm doing is and decide maybe I should go up, but just then, vis clears up that I can make out the other divers below me. I figure, I'll just latch onto Jay or Rob, who I can easily recognize with their doubles, about 30' from me, but just then Sylvester comes up on my left and gives me the ok. Just a minute later Adam gives all us rookies the thumbs up. Awwwww, but I just got here! But at least we were the last group in, so I stayed with Sylvester, let the others go up first, and at least got a few minutes of bottom time.
After a pretty long surface interval only half of us did the second dive. Seas were starting to pick up a little at that point, probably up to 5' on the way back in. I opted out of the second dive also. I really wanted to go in, especially after my first dive only being about 20 minutes, but at this point I felt really tired. I didn't really feel sick anymore, just weak and a little light headed if I stood up, probably from eating almost nothing all day. But the 2 cherries I ate, that Jay (the comedian) brought came right back up, so I really couldn't eat even if I wanted to.
It was about 44 degrees at 100', vis was about 50', no noticable current. No lobsters, but Wes came up with a few scallops, when he went down to free the anchor.
All in all it was a good day. Cherries were popped...cookies were tossed...and we all can't wait to get back out. Us rookies just need to get our sea legs now!!!
Surface shots are up. Hopefully Xjae will put his up soon. I think he got a few UW shots too.
