Virginia Beach Diving?

[Wil]

Dave,

S&S is great, I used them to make my boarding ladder, ladder mount, and my light mast. I was planning on installing a right hand hold a bit taller than yours and install a left hand grab as well. The current hand holds coming up the ladder are fine but it sure would be better being a little higher. When I install a raft canister later in the year I'll have Mike fabricate the craddle for it as well.

 

[Drewski]

Hey Wil:

OK, here's my latest test clip from FCP through Compressor for posting on Vimeo. I'm shooting with my older VX-2000 with camera settings of roughly a shutter of 60, F stop 9.6, MWB using white board and 15 W single HID video light. I use manual focus on the superwide lens by zooming in just a touch, auto focusing on something close (like a fin) then switching off auto focus. Pull back and everything in the superwide will now be in focus as long as you don't zoom.

The video is processed through FCP using the color correction 3-way filter with a slight upward red shift on the whites, a gamma correction filter set at .9 and the de-interlace filter dropped in set on top first. I then export to Compressor and use the Apple H-264 SD Codec with a 10 pixel trim left frame for a final image size of 710 x 480. Here it is:

[vimeo]9902221[/vimeo]

BTW, Bobby's the model. I'd rather be shooting his wife, she looks a LOT better in doubles, LOL...

100 FT of viz in VA Beach!

Enjoy!

Andy

 

[Wil]

Andy,

I'm still working on the Final Cut Pro (FCP) learning curve. Have lots of tape just waiting to be used on our next outing offshore. While I don't fully understand the FCP, I completely get the Bobby modeling part and his lovely bride. Sorry Bobby, you aren't going to be on the cover of Dive Training magazine.

Will

 

[TNTdive]

Andy,

The clarity and definition of the video is great. Looked like Dive Quarter's pool, spent a good amount of time there.

And I thought that I had some toys, my hats off to you gentlemen.

Ted

 

[RAD Diver]

I completely get the Bobby modeling part and his lovely bride. Sorry Bobby, you aren't going to be on the cover of Dive Training magazine.

Will

Hey there, how often do I get to be diving steel doubles (even though they were Trina's lp 85s) with a 3mm wetsuit. LOL

You should have seen the shot when I was also carrying 2 40s & an 80. Got to love that wing with all of 50lbs of lift.

Don't worry Will I know I have a spot on "FREEDOM".

 

[Wil]

Bobby,

I'll be mounting a hoisting davit on the stern to haul you back aboard if you get anymore tanks strapped to your harness...

I'm bringing my video camera on our future trips to document your many diving configurations. Oh, and also to film the wrecks.

 

[RAD Diver]

Now that's funny.

If I can't get myself back in the boat I will start scaling back. But until then...

 

[TNTdive]

I heard that you need a special anchor (made of rebar) for you boat when diving around here. The reason made since, but was interested in asking here and also is there other specialty gear that I will need for the boat. Again trying to prevent learning the hard way. And who/where is the best marine shop in the local area?

Thanks,
Ted

 

[jrmiah]

When using a wreck hook (rebar hook) or a regular anchor, make sure you send someone down first to secure it to the wreck itself with line or a chain and never leave the boat unattended. You could also try a shot line, that’s what we use in OC, we drop the weighted shot on top of the wreck and send a guy down to secure it, then we tie the boat up to the surface float on the other end of the shot line.

 

[Wil]

Ted,

I use an aluminum grapnel on my boat. I think it's called a "Mighty Mite" anchor and sells at West Marine but you can probably get it online. The nice thing about it is once you release from the wreck if it catches on anything you can secure it to a cleat and pull it free. The grapnel tynes are designed to bend and release its hold. Once back on the boat I use a small piece of metal tube to reshape it. I've used the 12lbs grapnel and the 16lbs version. Both hold fine on my boat (Parker 28) in all weather I've encountered. I also use 15ft of stainless chain and splice it into the anchor rode.

Another suggestion on whatever system you decide on is to mark your anchor rode. I mark every 25ft starting at 75ft and going all the way to 200ft. Small 25ft distance are measured with a small green band and larger 100ft increments have a longer red band. You can see a photo of how I mark it on my photo album under boat equipment/rigging. I use the Sta Brite whipping liquid, paint doesn't hold up. Marking your rode like this also allows you a ready indication of how much rode you have out. I also do it so that Bobby (Rad Diver) doesn't gripe about long swims down the line (not really) when he's got 12 tanks strapped to his harness.

As for marine supply stores, I generally go online for shopping. Try Defender.com or Hamiltonmarine.com both carry just about everything you'll need and have great customer service, shipping, and no taxes. For electronics I use Ultimatepassage.com. You can use one of our local West Marine stores and pay the price. If you must order from them, have them ship to their store and pick it up - it costs you nothing in shipping. Then there are the local Marine sales/service places, just don't do it!

Safe Diving,
Wil