Titan Missile Silo Dive Trip Report

[TSandM]

You found one of the best restaurants in ML -- Lucky you! (It's not a culinary mecca.)

Surprisingly, there is some beautiful scenery not far from ML. As you drive down 17 toward Warden/Othello, there's a turnoff to the Columbia Basin National Wildlife Refuge, which is a beautiful area of broken land and ponds, with many birds and in spring, gorgeous wildflowers. You kind of have to know about it, though.

 

[DaleC]

Having reviewed the video I think I would dive it again. Knowing what shots work and which didn't would allow for a more thoughtful approach to recording the dives. For me it was "look at that" "look at that".
Mr Brown, I tip my hat to you sir.. and thank you for not snoring.

Here's my video: [video=youtube;9IsEB8ru2Jo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IsEB8ru2Jo&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Slamfire]

Mr Brown, I tip my hat to you sir..

For being capable of drinking inordinate amounts of milky asbestos juice? Thanks for the video, Dale.

Thinking a little more about it. I think the ideal dives would be to start in the side chambers of both launchers and do a complete traverse to the main launchers and exiting through where we entered to do our descent.

 

[TSandM]

Did you guys have to walk in with all your gear on? I thought I had read that the dive op towed the rigs in on a float. Walking through all those obstacles in gear would be a no-go for me.

 

[Slamfire]

There are two plastic kayaks for towing. One small, one larger. The larger one was literally shot and stabbed to near death (vandals?). It still floats and could be used, but it takes in water and has to be drained regularly. Our guide, Mr. XXX, used the little one to tow in his fins and a spare cylinder of 40% that he had available for anybody that might need it. I think there was still room in the little kayak for something else. However, this being an all male expedition, nobody dared request assistance, lest our manliness and muscles come into question (I had to climb in and out the vertical ladder with doubles on my back... grrrrr *flexing*). The large kayak was left in peace to suffer its wounds alone.

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All of the walking is done in water. There are lots of places where the water is deep enough to have your wing help support your tanks. There's also plenty of railings, pipes and other structures where you can sit and have it support your tanks. If you do it sidemounting, you can clip tanks on your lower rings and have the water bear the brunt of the weight. Besides, there is a tight underwater squeeze on the way to launcher tube 3 where sidemount is going to be comfortable. It's doable on backmount, but it is tight on singles and doubles.

 

[DaleC]

The walk was one reason I chose to dive my single 72's. Light and, as the guide had an aversion to deco, suitable for a straightforward down and up dive. With some pre planning one could ferry most of a dive kit in. I was worried about that kayak tipping though and spilling my gear down into the bowels of the complex somewhere. XXX was a very laid back but competent sort of guide and seemed like he would make things work.

On the way out of dive two I decided to see how far I could swim and made it all the way out, or, as I said at the time, until the water turned solid.

I will attest to Mr Brown being very manly. He ate a wild boar for lunch... or was it a bison?

 

[Slamfire]

It was Elk. I think M and K had the Boar and Bison.

 

[Chill Diver]

Great video Dale. I quite enjoyed the trip although I am not sure I would go again. I think it is the kind of dive everyone should do once.

For me, the hardest part was gearing up in 28 degree sunshine, then climbing down the ladder. I thought I was going to expire! My drysuit turned into a wetsuit before I set one foot in the water.

 

[DaleC]

Ah, Mr Green. The only diver I know who brings his personal sherpa to the divesite

Didn't Martin Lawrence put himself into a coma doing that rubber suit thing?