I went to Table Rock this weekend with a friend of mine from Midwest Scuba. We planned to do about 5 or 6 dives, and be back home by 5 or 6 on Sunday night. We left about 6 Friday night. Very interesting trip down there, but I am not going to go into details, lets just leave it at a stop at Jack in the box, and about 25 minute stop at a rest area.
Anyway, we got down to Table Rock Inn, and got a good nights sleep. We planned to getting up about 7, and being at the dam by 7:30, and in the water no later than 8. Well, he didnt get up when the alarm went off. I got up, settles up for the room since the office was closed by the time we got there. Luckily, they left the room open for us. Really great people there. Anyway, I am waiting for him to wake up, I drove down to the dam to see if any other crazy people would be there diving as well. I pulled in and there was just a single car there. I am guessing it was the security guy, I dont know. I walked down to the water, and checked things out, and headed back. I got back, and he was still sleeping, and I wanted to dive. So I woke him up, packed up the gear and headed down. I guess we finally got in the water around 10:30 or so. Our plan was to do a deep dive, no deeper that 125, and the dive itself was to be no longer than 40 minutes. Let me also say he was diving a dry suit, and I was in my semi-dry Atlan suit. Anybody that has ever dove with me knows that suit is a lot more semi, than it is dry. Anyway, last time I was at table rock, the vis was bad until about 45 or 50 foot, then it opened up pretty good. So we started our way down, 30 foot. 40 foot. 50 foot. finally got down to 80 foot, and I signaled to level off, because the vis was only about 5 foot at best. No reason to keep going deeper. So we finished the dive, but as we was approaching our safety stop, he had a little trouble with air getting in his feet. He is fairly new to dry suits, and I also think he was diving a bit light to begin with. He fought pretty hard at the safety stop, and wound up surfacing a little bit before me. Once we got out of the water, I checked my cell phone and there was a message from another dive freind of mine, Bill. He was suppose to cave dive this weekend, but got boiled out at Wayensville. He was on his way down to join us, and also had arranged a boat dive for the next day. He was about an hour out, so me and Chris decided we would go back, dry off and grab some lunch and wait for Bill. Once Bill got there, we decided we would try out this other place that he knew about. It was between two boat docks. The dive was pretty cool, going between some trees, 55 gallon barrels and a metal lawn chair. Also saw a catfish too. Vis was still pretty bad though, maybe 10 foot. We finished that dive, and decided to head out for dinner. This was about 6. I forgot the name of the place we went to, but the portions was HUGE. I ordered Country Fried Chicken, and that thing was about the size of Wyoming. I couldnt even finish it, and anybody that knows me, knows that is saying something.
Anyway, we get up on Sunday to go do the boat dive. Chris was feeling to good, so he decided not to push it. Bill and I headed down to the Marina where we met up with Slim. Seems like a real nice guy. We went out and dove a place called Poverty Point. We was suppose to go down, and I was going to be shown the enterance to a cave there, but I never saw it. But as black as it was down there, I didnt see much of anything. I pretty much just followed Bills light, and watched the wall. I think in better vis, that would have been a much better dive, but it was still pretty cool. We got back on the boat and decided that that was enough for one day. So we went back, had lunch and called it a weekend.
I know that was a lot of writing, and not much said about anything, but it was a pretty good weekend none the less. I learned a few things this weekend. One, I need to buy a dry suit. Two, if that fish mail box ever goes away, Bill wont ever find that dive site again. (Inside joke.) And three dont ever log in your log book "Table Rock Damn", and then show it to someone.
Anyway, we got down to Table Rock Inn, and got a good nights sleep. We planned to getting up about 7, and being at the dam by 7:30, and in the water no later than 8. Well, he didnt get up when the alarm went off. I got up, settles up for the room since the office was closed by the time we got there. Luckily, they left the room open for us. Really great people there. Anyway, I am waiting for him to wake up, I drove down to the dam to see if any other crazy people would be there diving as well. I pulled in and there was just a single car there. I am guessing it was the security guy, I dont know. I walked down to the water, and checked things out, and headed back. I got back, and he was still sleeping, and I wanted to dive. So I woke him up, packed up the gear and headed down. I guess we finally got in the water around 10:30 or so. Our plan was to do a deep dive, no deeper that 125, and the dive itself was to be no longer than 40 minutes. Let me also say he was diving a dry suit, and I was in my semi-dry Atlan suit. Anybody that has ever dove with me knows that suit is a lot more semi, than it is dry. Anyway, last time I was at table rock, the vis was bad until about 45 or 50 foot, then it opened up pretty good. So we started our way down, 30 foot. 40 foot. 50 foot. finally got down to 80 foot, and I signaled to level off, because the vis was only about 5 foot at best. No reason to keep going deeper. So we finished the dive, but as we was approaching our safety stop, he had a little trouble with air getting in his feet. He is fairly new to dry suits, and I also think he was diving a bit light to begin with. He fought pretty hard at the safety stop, and wound up surfacing a little bit before me. Once we got out of the water, I checked my cell phone and there was a message from another dive freind of mine, Bill. He was suppose to cave dive this weekend, but got boiled out at Wayensville. He was on his way down to join us, and also had arranged a boat dive for the next day. He was about an hour out, so me and Chris decided we would go back, dry off and grab some lunch and wait for Bill. Once Bill got there, we decided we would try out this other place that he knew about. It was between two boat docks. The dive was pretty cool, going between some trees, 55 gallon barrels and a metal lawn chair. Also saw a catfish too. Vis was still pretty bad though, maybe 10 foot. We finished that dive, and decided to head out for dinner. This was about 6. I forgot the name of the place we went to, but the portions was HUGE. I ordered Country Fried Chicken, and that thing was about the size of Wyoming. I couldnt even finish it, and anybody that knows me, knows that is saying something.
Anyway, we get up on Sunday to go do the boat dive. Chris was feeling to good, so he decided not to push it. Bill and I headed down to the Marina where we met up with Slim. Seems like a real nice guy. We went out and dove a place called Poverty Point. We was suppose to go down, and I was going to be shown the enterance to a cave there, but I never saw it. But as black as it was down there, I didnt see much of anything. I pretty much just followed Bills light, and watched the wall. I think in better vis, that would have been a much better dive, but it was still pretty cool. We got back on the boat and decided that that was enough for one day. So we went back, had lunch and called it a weekend.
I know that was a lot of writing, and not much said about anything, but it was a pretty good weekend none the less. I learned a few things this weekend. One, I need to buy a dry suit. Two, if that fish mail box ever goes away, Bill wont ever find that dive site again. (Inside joke.) And three dont ever log in your log book "Table Rock Damn", and then show it to someone.
