Triangle Wrecks 20 August 2005

[DennisW]

Skip,

We definately will try it again. Maybe try the Triangle Wrecks first since they aren't too far out for us old farts.

 

[DrSteve]

As I lay on the sand, half in and half out of the surf I noticed two young ladies looking down on me. "Are you OK"?

"Why of course, but could you get my fins?" (which were floating out to sea). How gracious they were as they actually had to go out to retrieve them. I was well beyond pride at that point and had absolutely no inhibition about letting them carry my tank, BC and accouterments to the shore line. I did have to stop myself from asking them to carry me.

Let's try it again!!!

Skip, interesting report, but you left out a very important piece of information...where they cute?

I'm up for doing it again.

 

[jgarysmith]

The Huron was a neat dive to say I finally dove. It is neat to be able to dive and see a piece of Civil War history. Yes, the currents might have picked up after Don, Larry and myself got to the buoy, but that is the Outer Banks. That is why there are so many wrecks there and it is called The Graveyard of the Atlantic. Conditions can literaly change in minutes. The vis was anywhere to 1 to 4 feet. I almost was ready to call the dive after submerging, but we swam out, we might as well stay. It is a good thing we did. The wreck is contiginous from the bow to the stern.The bow actuallyjust up from the sand a good 8 to 10 feet. You can actually follow the wreck all the way around the sides to the prop and back. In between Larry and explored several areas and collected some nice conch shells and other small items. My computer showed 80 degrees water temp. The swim out was a long 200 yards and closer to the buoys there did seem to be a southerly current picking up as Don and I got to the buoy. We got there just it time because it really picked up as Larry was reaching it. Unfortunatly it seems the other guys, Skip, Steve, and Dennis got the worst of it.I did not realize you guys had so much trouble until I read your posts. I was sorry to hear it becuase we did have a good dive out there. I am just glad I beat the current. Beach diving does have it's challenges.

Now, all that said, I prefer the Triangle Wrecks over the Huron any day. It is closer to shore,and there is much more relief on the wrecks. There also seems to be more animal life there. I have dove the Triangle Wrecks about 8 times and I am sorry Larry and I did not dive them after the Huron. The conditions Steve had where similar to the dives I had last year when I took my picture that are posted. If we had gotten an earlier start at the Huron maybe we would have. I just felt that the vis would be the same and if we left then, we could get back to Newport News by 3 and stay in the good graces of my wife. We had her father"s birthday party to attend and I promised I would not be gone all day. I wish I had stayed. I think the Triangle Wrecks are awesome when you get those types of conditions. It would have been worth getting in trouble for. Steve, I am jeolus, but I am glad you had a good dive.

Dennis don't rent any more crappy equipment. I"ll let you dorrow my extra stuff and you won't even have to pay rental fees.

I enjoyed meeting everyone, let's try it again. Let's got to the Triangle Wrecks this time.

Gary

 

[DennisW]

Gary,

By the time I do another dive, I'll have my own equipment. Thanks for the offer. The BC I just bought is an old Scubapro, but it is newer than the one I normally use. I will be very familiar with it except for the fact that it only has one pocket. I need to figure out something to correct that. I have to get a regulator setup yet, but I have a Sherwood Magnum 2nd stage that is servicable, and I intend to use an Air 2 for my octo. The Sherwood Brut 1st stage I have has the crimped piston seat and when that is done, I think the reg is done. I don't think I can get a replacement piston for that reg. I am checking into that now.

I actually have some much older equipment that was given to me and the one that works best is a very old Aqualung Calypso set up. The 1st stage has one HP port and one LP port. That's it. That reg goes on the book shelf as decoration.

 

[jgarysmith]

Anybody for the Triangle Wrecks next Sat. morning?

 

[DrSteve]

Anybody for the Triangle Wrecks next Sat. morning?

I don't think I can manage diving 3 weekends in a row. If I do, it'll be a last minute thing.

 

[jgarysmith]

Come on Steve, we meet at 8 do the dive and you will be home by 1.

 

[Don Burke]

Anybody for the Triangle Wrecks next Sat. morning?

I suspect SWMBO has other ideas, but I will let you know.

The following Saturday, September third, has definite possibilities.

 

[LindaBluedolphin]

Or, the dive that wasn't.

Skip Chappell and I left Williamsburg this morning at just after 5am to meet several people in Nags Head to dive The Huron. Skip and I got there early and decided to have breakfast. After breakfast, we went to the dive site and waited. As we waited the current built and the breakers got higher.

Everyone finally arrived and we suited up. I had my 7mm suit and I was hot. I was hoping the water would cool me off. We went out to the beach and entered the water. Don Burke from Chesapeake was already way past the breakers and heading for the wreck. The two young guys, Gary and his buddy (sorry, I can't remember your name) were right behind him and then it was Skip and me. We got out past the breakers, but by then we were exhausted and the current was taking us South. My tank had come loose and since I wasn't familiar with this BC (a rental) I didn't figure out that it was lose for a bit. Anyway, by the time I figured it out, I decided to call the dive. By this time, Steve was there and helped me get in through the breakers with my tank hanging. Then Steve went out to continue the dive with Skip. Steve's tank came loose and he had to come in to get it back on his BC. He got rolled around a bit in the sand and both his primary and octo began to free flow. Steve got the sand out of them and finally got back in the water and headed out. While this was going on, Skip was pushed pretty far South by the current. I thought he had gotten to the wreck, but he was so far down the beach, I didn't see him. The current had increased a lot by this time. Skip called his dive and came in while I was taking my gear to the showers and cleaning it up. I went back out to see where everyone was and Skip yelled for me. He was waiting under someone's canopy and resting. So, I helped Skip back up to the parking lot where the shower was.

The other guys were able to dive, but the viz was around 2 ft and they were exhausted and decided to not go to the Triangle Wrecks. Steve showed us where the Triangle Wrecks were and he stayed a while, we drove home. Steve may have dived the Triangle Wrecks. Maybe he'll post a trip report on the other board.

Lessons Learned:

1) Next time, go early and get in the water before things pick up. I think we could have made the dive earlier. Maybe not, because we are both worn out old men. But I think we could have.

2) We should have dropped to the bottom after we got past the breakers. The current would not have been so bad on the bottom. But with very low viz, we would have been popping up every once in a while to find the buoys for the wreck.

3) Make sure I am satisfied with the way the tank is attached to the BC. The BC was a rental and I was unfamiliar with the strap.

It was a beautiful day and I got wet, I didn't dive, but I got wet.

And people get all judgemental of me when I simply say I don't shore dive...enough said....glad you got out though.

 

[DrSteve]

Come on Steve, we meet at 8 do the dive and you will be home by 1.

Yeah but....that means being on the road by 6am and you know what my time keeping is like. Followed by sleeping Saturday afternoon to make up for such a loss of ahem beauty sleep.

The third is a strong possibility...Dennis and I also talked of doing a VA Beach boat dive (possibly the tower) on the 17th.