Shark River Inlet - 3/26/16

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Night dive - high tide was 10pm. Dive number 8 with my drysuit - I am getting better and still forgetting things. Like attaching my inflator hose - sheesh - giant stride off the bridge abutment and realized I had not attached the hose so a bit of a squeeze since I had to hit the exhaust valve to get down. Anyway popped up and attached the hose pretty quickly.

Started again - viz was about 2 feet maybe 3 next to the supports on the bridge.
28 minute dive - max depth was 19 feet - surface temp was about 50 but min temp was 43 degrees.

Not much to note - I was going to go around the bridge support but since I was solo and had not done it before I thought better of it. I started and every time I looked up I realized I was about to go under a wooden structure and I started to think this was not the time to see what was there. I would like to circle the supports but rounding the support the current seemed to pick up and I did not want to get caught in the channel and then out the inlet. I played around on the bottom and was working back and forth and a Lobster and I started playing the dance. He was a shorty and was out rummaging around. He did not like my interest in him and he showed his best defense - I ended up leaving him for another day when he gets bigger but it was tempting. Viz was relatively low due to the action all week long - but I wanted to dive and went anyway.

Next time I wait a bit for better viz...

 

[lowviz]

Solo night dive checklist while standing on that nice sweet safe concrete abutment under the bridge:

1) Three hard drags on each of your secondaries while you are watching your SPG, it better not move the slightest.
2) Puff your suit, puff your wing. (super quick shot of air) If your suit doesn't shift slightly, you forgot to zip it. If you forgot to connect either your wing or suit hose, it will be obvious.
3) Look down, FINS. They damn well better be on in current.
4) A light is nice too...

Keep well away from those wooden pilings at night, they are covered with spiderwire fishing line. Seriously, that and towing a flag can really max out one's patience.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Yeah - I agree with your approach mostly -

But I have found at night I cant really see the current movement. So I drop the flag in and watch it - but last night it was odd - wind was blowing the flag back to the mouth of the inlet. I knew the current was still coming in - so I wanted to hot drop down in case the current was ripping... Well I hit the bottom with a good squeeze and then I grabbed my loose inflator hose - the real question was could I have popped it on under water? Since the suit is new I did not want to flush salt water through the valve. Next time maybe but I was able to get around the abutment and get out of the current - went up and popped it on. So I guess after 8 dry suit dives I need to do that check list in my mind again... But putting in a puff would help on that checklist... Old dog - New tricks you know?

The wooden structure is really nice for tying off the flag - keeps it away from prying fingers... So I tied off and then started to explore - in 2 foot viz that makes it harder to find the flag but I put it towards the end where the joists cross and I was confident it would not slip off the beam. I knew I was not going beyond the bridge because there were a few fisherpeople (men and ladies) - go figure 10pm is not late enough to keep folks from enjoying the inlet...

Anyway - I like the drysuit but I need to remember my 30 + year mental wetsuit check list needs a refresh... lol

 

[lowviz]

Fun place to dive, just be careful. It is quite unforgiving at night and solo.

You've seen the two cheap strobes on my dive flag. I'll take one off the float and put it at my tie-in if I'm doing what you did. Remember that you aren't supposed to be in the channel, the person in the bridge house will call the CG if they see you there. You have to remain within 25' of the jetty.

 

[lowviz]

...//... So I guess after 8 dry suit dives I need to do that check list in my mind again... But putting in a puff would help on that checklist... ...//...

Mental Checklist:

Breathe1, Breathe2.
Puff1, Puff2.
Fin1, Fin2.

Stop, relax, look around, and play this in your head:
"Sometimes the lights all shining on me. Other times I can barely see."

Splash.


-just don't tell anybody about my checklist. It is most effective, but sounds stupid.