The Boynton Dive Chronicles (new and improved)

[Angel Of Death 2008]

Yeah, my video didn't work out either.

 

[Tom Winters]

Amazing that you can smile like that through your ordeal and be so open about it - you must be one of those tough guys who can do the Silent World 10-dive deal in one shot. Some permethrin or lindane will hopefully clear up your affliction. You're going to have to use some 125° water on your diving suit to make sure you get them all.
Best of luck.

 

[fisheyeview]

I think I heard one of them saying, "so long and thanks for all the fish"

Where were the white mice?

 

[deepstops]

You're going to have to use some 125° water on your diving suit to make sure you get them all.
Best of luck.

I'd rather use a big syringe of diesel fuel and a string mop on a 4' pole, it makes the buggin' easy.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Hey! Today was a double whammy, unfortunately, my camera battery croaked after the first dive. AOD and Fisheye View were clicking away though on the first trip, and Cool Tech brought his camera on the second trip so maybe we can get them to take up the slack for me.

The morning was a wreck and a reef... The Capt. Tony and a Clubhouse hybrid. Water temps were 74 ish I think, I didn't look at my temp gauge. Seas were okay, 2-3 feet or so. The viz was about 50' on the wreck, maybe 45 on the east side of the reef, and about 30 or 35' on the western edge. There was a moderate north current.
I saw a nice sized permit when I tied off on the Tony.

It was a generally nice dive.

I didn't find anything unusual, but there was a fair amount of activity on the wreck. I often find that this is true when the water is a little cloudy.

An old friend, Rick Z, just forward of the super structure. I think that by the afternoon trip he had been talked into becoming a scubaboard member.

AOD, coming around the port side of the superstructure.

My battery pooped the bed after the first one, so no more pics from me, but I will offer a brief account of the rest of the dives.

On dive two of the morning, I had to search for missing equipment from the coral study, so we started on the outside, at round 80, and skipped across the fingers for about 27 minutes or so, then jumped up over to the Clubhouse Ledge. The finding mission was not successful. There was a medium sized queen triggerfish that swam along with us for ten or fifteen minutes, but no juice in the camera.

The afternoon trip was the Castor and Gulfstream reef. There was considerable anguish on this trip, until we hit the water on the Castor due to some fairly lengthy delays. Everyone was very kind to be so patient. I have a thing about leaving late. Anyway, after waiting for another boat to clear the wreck we went in. Just prior to splashing, Rick Z. told me that he had seen a goliath grouper with its head blown off laying down in one of the cargo deck manways a couple of weeks ago, and I was deeply, deeply saddened to confirm this report.

The current had flip flopped while we were turning the boat around, and was now very slight and to the south. The viz looked like it was gonna be awesome from the top, nice and blue, but when we got down there it was a bit disappointing, but still okay, maybe 50 or 55 feet. Hopefully Cool tech or Big Sage will share a couple of their shots from this one.

The last dive was Gulfstream Reef... the current was just barely trickling south. The sun was very low in the sky, and there was all kinds of activity going on down there. Again, I'm hopeful that someone will throw some pics up here. As for me... I pretty tuckered out, so I'm gonna wrap this up for now. Hopefully My battery will last for tomorrow's dives!

 

[Angel Of Death 2008]

 

[Angel Of Death 2008]

 

[Angel Of Death 2008]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3386294-post15.html

 

[scubafool]

Great re-introduction to boat diving, Kevin. I really didn't mind the delays, as I was hanging out with old friends and making new ones.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Thank you Kelly!

Here's the low down on today's dives.

It was a little bit bumpy up top, but a pretty day. Seas were 2-4'. The water cleaned up quite a bit from yesterday, viz was about 60' on both dives. We did Black Condo and then Gazebo. The current was trickling to the north on both. Water temps must have been 73-ish, I forgot to look again. I got to see more than I got to take pictures of, but I did manage to take the camera, fully charged batteries and all.

One of the surprises that I didn't get a shot of was a very large octopus that shot straight up about a foot in front of me, inked me and then jetted across the reef. He landed and froze, blending in to the surroundings perfectly, but I could still see him. In all the excitement I guess I hurried my approach a bit, and frightened him again. He gave me another shot of ink, and went into a hole. I stuck my lens and strobe in there for a Hail Mary shot, and got him, but it's crappy, out of focus and there's sand flying around all over the place. I also saw a loggerhead, but she was headed the same way we were, and we never did catch up to her.

Here's a few of the shots that came out okay from the dives today.

I love these little guys. Its a Shy Hamlet, he was poking around looking for something to eat, as was just about everything else on the reef this time of day.

There was a pair of Coronet Fish out and about.

This is pretty typical Black Condo.

This is from the last part of Gazebo, or Castle ledge. It is the end of the first amphitheater, a wall of red sponge.

There always seems to be plenty of Green Morays on Castle. This guy is about halfway through the second amphitheater, up in the rim.

Some Angelfish, a Blue Angelfish and then a Queen. There lots of these guys up on the north end of the reef, especially in Gazebo.