FLL Diver:
(Quoting Casper in Amahl) Oh thank you , Thank You, THANK YOU!!!!!
Speigel Grove! Sat., May 8th (AM & PM dives)
- Thread starter MikeJacobs
- Start date
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(Quoting Casper in Amahl) Oh thank you , Thank You, THANK YOU!!!!!
OP
MikeJacobs
Guest
Sorry to hear, Oliver... lots of prayers and good thoughts your way.BIGSAGE136:
Oh well... at least it's calm on the Grove!reefman:
BIGSAGE136
Contributor
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One way or another I GOTTA get wet...Maybe American Dream or Splashdown..gotta
stay close though. Thanks for the thoughts.
stay close though. Thanks for the thoughts.
Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
BIGSAGE136:
Sorry to hear you won't be coming now. I hope everything works out and everyone is OK.
Marc
OP
MikeJacobs
Guest
The prior weekend scared everybody off so it was just Marvel, Matt, Marc and Mike (me)... anybody realize that we were all "M's" before?
First dive on the Grove - little or no current, 45' visibility or so, 80 degrees!!! We achieved our dive plan - to get photos at the screws - and a couple of us even did a bit of the well deck.
French Reef was the shallow morning dive and Matt had a touch of green from the swells (Matt, I told you to take the Bonine just before getting on the boat, not the DAY before). What a trooper, though... picture this: he's getting geared up, SPEWING over the side and then picks up where he left off to make the dive. No break at all... just spew-n-go!
After a rushed lunch at Senior Frejoles (which wasn't bad in spite of the curry in the beans), we were off again to the Dwain, which is amazing - first time for me. BIG turtle on deck (which I only saw the pictures of) and a BIG moray just swimming in the open almost the whole length before he entered to surprise some tech divers inside. Lots of life and visibility had to be 75' if not more. A school of 40# permit and lots of barracuda all over the stern.
We did Molassas Reef for the shallow 2nd and Matt was kind enough to chum while we were waiting for him in the water. He brought a school of Pompano up, and we saw firsthand what happens underwater when somebody barfs. Again, Matt did the spew-n-go and we had a blast stirring up photo-bait for a long, easy dive.
Exhausted from the dives and sun, we had dinner watching the sunset from Sundowner's and I slept all the way home (thanks Marvel for driving... neither Matt nor I could).
I'm still glowing from the experience. Thanks M's for a great day of diving & friendship!
First dive on the Grove - little or no current, 45' visibility or so, 80 degrees!!! We achieved our dive plan - to get photos at the screws - and a couple of us even did a bit of the well deck.
French Reef was the shallow morning dive and Matt had a touch of green from the swells (Matt, I told you to take the Bonine just before getting on the boat, not the DAY before). What a trooper, though... picture this: he's getting geared up, SPEWING over the side and then picks up where he left off to make the dive. No break at all... just spew-n-go!
After a rushed lunch at Senior Frejoles (which wasn't bad in spite of the curry in the beans), we were off again to the Dwain, which is amazing - first time for me. BIG turtle on deck (which I only saw the pictures of) and a BIG moray just swimming in the open almost the whole length before he entered to surprise some tech divers inside. Lots of life and visibility had to be 75' if not more. A school of 40# permit and lots of barracuda all over the stern.
We did Molassas Reef for the shallow 2nd and Matt was kind enough to chum while we were waiting for him in the water. He brought a school of Pompano up, and we saw firsthand what happens underwater when somebody barfs. Again, Matt did the spew-n-go and we had a blast stirring up photo-bait for a long, easy dive.
Exhausted from the dives and sun, we had dinner watching the sunset from Sundowner's and I slept all the way home (thanks Marvel for driving... neither Matt nor I could).
I'm still glowing from the experience. Thanks M's for a great day of diving & friendship!
Sounds great - I'll have to join you guys next time.
You didn't miss a thing on the beach at Hibiscus yesterday.
-Grier
You didn't miss a thing on the beach at Hibiscus yesterday.
-Grier
Right, only 6" vis and Grier loosing his flag; that's all 
Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
Mike's already posted his review, so I can only echo what he's said. What a great day.
It was my first time doing the Spiegel Grove, and I tell you it won't be my last. Seas were a heavy in the morning, 3-4 feet. Thank goodness for Triptone. There was some surface current, but nothing on the wreck once we got down. I got the prerequisite pictures of the AA guns, as well as the posing by the giant props. I just hope Matt's prop shots turned out because mine aren't that great. .
Unfortunately I had equipment problems and my power inflator failed and started leaking air. I had to call the dive short and Marvel and I headed back up.
The next dive was out to Frenchman's Reef. The typical Keys reef - shallow, full of color and life. I got some great pictures. The seas were still pretty rough and Mike got whacked with the ladder getting out and lost his mask. But a quick dive back down recovered it off the reef in one piece.
On the way back in I decided it was such a great day I needed to to stay down for the afternoon dives as well. The surface interval was spent waiting for our food which was finally delivered to us literally as the boat was getting ready to depart. I ended up wolfing down my burrito and refried beans standing on the dock and wondering if it was going to stay down all afternoon. I had run out of Triptone, but Mike had a whole package of Bonine so all was well - for me anyway. At least the seas had laid down to about 2-3 feet in the afternoon.
This was also my first dive on the Duane, and it certainly won't be my last. Life all over the wreck, a huge eel that I missed getting a picture of, but I did get the turtle, as well as the squadrons of barracuda that patrol the wreck. I probably didn't traverse more than a third of the ship from the bow to the radar tower - there was just that much to see.
The last dive was out to an old favorite, the Winch Hole on Molasses Reef. For some reason we never did get to the winch, Matt and I were too busy taking pictures. A huge ray flew by, but it was too fast for us to get any decent pictures. I found a ton of small crabs and practiced my macro shots.
I left Mike, Marvel and Matt to their dinner at the Sundowner. I had to hurry home to get my Mother's Day shopping done. By 9:00pm I was wiped out and went to bed and slept until 9:30am the next morning.
I've got a bunch of pictures to post. Thanks guys for a great day of diving. I also heartily endorse Island Ventures for anyone heading down to dive. Capt. Brian, and DM's Justin and Kelly are all first rate.
I can't wait to do it again. Is next week OK?
Marc
It was my first time doing the Spiegel Grove, and I tell you it won't be my last. Seas were a heavy in the morning, 3-4 feet. Thank goodness for Triptone.
There was some surface current, but nothing on the wreck once we got down. I got the prerequisite pictures of the AA guns, as well as the posing by the giant props. I just hope Matt's prop shots turned out because mine aren't that great. . Unfortunately I had equipment problems and my power inflator failed and started leaking air. I had to call the dive short and Marvel and I headed back up.
The next dive was out to Frenchman's Reef. The typical Keys reef - shallow, full of color and life. I got some great pictures. The seas were still pretty rough and Mike got whacked with the ladder getting out and lost his mask. But a quick dive back down recovered it off the reef in one piece.
On the way back in I decided it was such a great day I needed to to stay down for the afternoon dives as well. The surface interval was spent waiting for our food which was finally delivered to us literally as the boat was getting ready to depart. I ended up wolfing down my burrito and refried beans standing on the dock and wondering if it was going to stay down all afternoon. I had run out of Triptone, but Mike had a whole package of Bonine so all was well - for me anyway.
At least the seas had laid down to about 2-3 feet in the afternoon.This was also my first dive on the Duane, and it certainly won't be my last. Life all over the wreck, a huge eel that I missed getting a picture of, but I did get the turtle, as well as the squadrons of barracuda that patrol the wreck. I probably didn't traverse more than a third of the ship from the bow to the radar tower - there was just that much to see.
The last dive was out to an old favorite, the Winch Hole on Molasses Reef. For some reason we never did get to the winch, Matt and I were too busy taking pictures. A huge ray flew by, but it was too fast for us to get any decent pictures. I found a ton of small crabs and practiced my macro shots.
I left Mike, Marvel and Matt to their dinner at the Sundowner. I had to hurry home to get my Mother's Day shopping done. By 9:00pm I was wiped out and went to bed and slept until 9:30am the next morning.
I've got a bunch of pictures to post. Thanks guys for a great day of diving. I also heartily endorse Island Ventures for anyone heading down to dive. Capt. Brian, and DM's Justin and Kelly are all first rate.
I can't wait to do it again. Is next week OK?
Marc
Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
Pictures from the reefs.
Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
Some pictures from the Duane.
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