OK... what an awesome day for diving... seas were 3 to 4ft, wind moderate, air temp got up to 86 F, and water temp was 73F. Vis was from 35 to 60+ feet.
This was a 3 tank dive off of the Rampage, AND WHAT A GREAT CREW!!! Very laidback when it comes to interaction, and yet very, very responsive and awesomely professional when you needed it. They did great pre-dive briefings, (although headings would be nice as well) and they let YOU dive your individual profile. Minimal interference, which is what I like.
1st dive was to the Princess Anne... what a great dive. We almost missed her, but came up on her bow. It was impressive to see her stark lines so gloomy in the distant haze. It didn't look like much at first, until you were finally on her. The lace coral formations were plentiful and mostly intact. There were schools of fish, everywhere. There were also a few "swim throughs" that were relatively easy. I could have easily spent a few more dives on this wreck. 'Cuda abounded and we were "buzzed" by a group of dolphin. It was neat to see the propellers buried in the silt... you could see under her to the other side, and the vision was extraordinary. Max depth 98 ft on 34%EANx, and time was 36 minutes.
2nd dive was on the "Jolly Jake" and was way impressive with the amount of life. I have never seen so many fish in one spot. Literally thousands were in view at a time. There was a Loggerhead, that I mistook for a VW Bus parked on the bottom. A rather large Eagle ray and a truly massive Nurse shark... 8'+ in length. The nurse was resting on a ledge until I spotted it and signaled for the others to come and look. She was not happy to be the object of our collective attentions and she bolted. Max depth 85 ft on 32% EANx, and time was 33 mins. I had plenty of air, but was cold and heading into a deco obligation when I surfaced.
A super lunch was served... party platter sandwiches and fried chicken. More than enough and it was of GREAT quality.
Third dive was on "Yellow Tail Ledge" and was great but anticlimactic compared to the first two. However, there were lots of bugs and many of them of a good size. The one I managed to catch had eggs, so I let her go. Max depth 81 ft on air, and time was 29 mins.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend the Rampage ( WWW.TheRampage.com ) to any who want to dive the Palm Beach area.
This was a 3 tank dive off of the Rampage, AND WHAT A GREAT CREW!!! Very laidback when it comes to interaction, and yet very, very responsive and awesomely professional when you needed it. They did great pre-dive briefings, (although headings would be nice as well) and they let YOU dive your individual profile. Minimal interference, which is what I like.
1st dive was to the Princess Anne... what a great dive. We almost missed her, but came up on her bow. It was impressive to see her stark lines so gloomy in the distant haze. It didn't look like much at first, until you were finally on her. The lace coral formations were plentiful and mostly intact. There were schools of fish, everywhere. There were also a few "swim throughs" that were relatively easy. I could have easily spent a few more dives on this wreck. 'Cuda abounded and we were "buzzed" by a group of dolphin. It was neat to see the propellers buried in the silt... you could see under her to the other side, and the vision was extraordinary. Max depth 98 ft on 34%EANx, and time was 36 minutes.
2nd dive was on the "Jolly Jake" and was way impressive with the amount of life. I have never seen so many fish in one spot. Literally thousands were in view at a time. There was a Loggerhead, that I mistook for a VW Bus parked on the bottom. A rather large Eagle ray and a truly massive Nurse shark... 8'+ in length. The nurse was resting on a ledge until I spotted it and signaled for the others to come and look. She was not happy to be the object of our collective attentions and she bolted. Max depth 85 ft on 32% EANx, and time was 33 mins. I had plenty of air, but was cold and heading into a deco obligation when I surfaced.
A super lunch was served... party platter sandwiches and fried chicken. More than enough and it was of GREAT quality.
Third dive was on "Yellow Tail Ledge" and was great but anticlimactic compared to the first two. However, there were lots of bugs and many of them of a good size. The one I managed to catch had eggs, so I let her go. Max depth 81 ft on air, and time was 29 mins.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend the Rampage ( WWW.TheRampage.com ) to any who want to dive the Palm Beach area.
