Tampico_ED
Contributor
Hi,
I went out with BGF to the Chester Polling...here is his report..
http://amazing-ocean.com/videos/ChesterPollingMaster2.mp4
Ed and I did have 2 great dives on the Poling. Was a very early start but we managed pretty well. I'll post a full report on SB with Ed's 25 mins of video as well but I'll run through the highlights.
On both of our dives we had a 3rd guy w/ a single sorta tagging along with us on the way down but we had let him know that we were both planning to duck inside the ship so he mostly stayed around the deck above the hatches that we dropped through. He was gone back up the line by the time we came out. On our 1st dive, Ed and I made our way from the mooring (port side rail about 30 ft from the break) towards the stern, then I dropped first into one of the hatches just ahead of the "stairway hatch" that is often shown on video. I poked around for a min or two then Ed started coming down in. I hope he caught a glimpse on the camera because as he was dropping in I zeroed in on lobsterzilla sitting on some pipes along the hull. It was pretty skiddish with my light but as soon as Ed's 50 watt hit him he ducked into hiding pretty quickly. I'll call him 30 lbs+ and 3' long when stretched out! Once we silted ourselves out of that compartment we popped back up to the deck, continued to the stern and did a sweep around then headed forward along the rail to the break. Spent another few minutes poking along the exposed bulkhead contemplating the best way to get through but decided to continue along the sand to starboard, then back up and to the line. I think our first run time was about 55 mins, no deco but we made a few short deep stops. temp ~50, vis 10-15, slight surface swell.
2nd dive started the same, though I swam down the stairway hatch and through into the same compartment we had been in before. Zilla was still there. Back out and into another hatch towards the stern. It opened up along the hull on both sides to what must have been crew walkways. I ducked into one of the side rooms and swam a little forward, then back to the hole as Ed dropped into the main compartment. Back out and swam to the break. Ed didn't bring his camera on #2, so of course we found a pretty big lump fish swimming around inside an open tube on the deck. I decided I was going to squeeze through the bulkhead into the compartment behind the break. Def fun penetrating when it's so open. Very reassuring for the first time. Ed stayed outside for support. Back around to starboard, signaled we were about to our turn pressure, then back up the line. We had about 10 mins of deco on the way up. Think Ed surfaced with about 300 lbs and I had about 600. Vis had improved to 15-20', still 50-52 deg, swell turned to near glass under sunshine and blue skies.
CAD runs a good operation. Think there were 14 divers, Ed and I only 2 of 3 with doubles. Couldn't find the wolffish that has been residing under the hull by the break. I'll definitely look forward to getting back on it again later this fall or maybe early spring.
I went out with BGF to the Chester Polling...here is his report..
http://amazing-ocean.com/videos/ChesterPollingMaster2.mp4
Ed and I did have 2 great dives on the Poling. Was a very early start but we managed pretty well. I'll post a full report on SB with Ed's 25 mins of video as well but I'll run through the highlights.
On both of our dives we had a 3rd guy w/ a single sorta tagging along with us on the way down but we had let him know that we were both planning to duck inside the ship so he mostly stayed around the deck above the hatches that we dropped through. He was gone back up the line by the time we came out. On our 1st dive, Ed and I made our way from the mooring (port side rail about 30 ft from the break) towards the stern, then I dropped first into one of the hatches just ahead of the "stairway hatch" that is often shown on video. I poked around for a min or two then Ed started coming down in. I hope he caught a glimpse on the camera because as he was dropping in I zeroed in on lobsterzilla sitting on some pipes along the hull. It was pretty skiddish with my light but as soon as Ed's 50 watt hit him he ducked into hiding pretty quickly. I'll call him 30 lbs+ and 3' long when stretched out! Once we silted ourselves out of that compartment we popped back up to the deck, continued to the stern and did a sweep around then headed forward along the rail to the break. Spent another few minutes poking along the exposed bulkhead contemplating the best way to get through but decided to continue along the sand to starboard, then back up and to the line. I think our first run time was about 55 mins, no deco but we made a few short deep stops. temp ~50, vis 10-15, slight surface swell.
2nd dive started the same, though I swam down the stairway hatch and through into the same compartment we had been in before. Zilla was still there. Back out and into another hatch towards the stern. It opened up along the hull on both sides to what must have been crew walkways. I ducked into one of the side rooms and swam a little forward, then back to the hole as Ed dropped into the main compartment. Back out and swam to the break. Ed didn't bring his camera on #2, so of course we found a pretty big lump fish swimming around inside an open tube on the deck. I decided I was going to squeeze through the bulkhead into the compartment behind the break. Def fun penetrating when it's so open. Very reassuring for the first time. Ed stayed outside for support. Back around to starboard, signaled we were about to our turn pressure, then back up the line. We had about 10 mins of deco on the way up. Think Ed surfaced with about 300 lbs and I had about 600. Vis had improved to 15-20', still 50-52 deg, swell turned to near glass under sunshine and blue skies.
CAD runs a good operation. Think there were 14 divers, Ed and I only 2 of 3 with doubles. Couldn't find the wolffish that has been residing under the hull by the break. I'll definitely look forward to getting back on it again later this fall or maybe early spring.
