I'll just put it into one big post.
Michelle and I made an attempt at finding the Whiskey Wreck on Monday. We left Ft. Morgan with slick calm and little breeze only to get to Gulf Shores to a stiff breeze and sizeable waves. We tried it anyway (probably a bad idea) and missed the wreck. Strong surge on the bottom and vis was pbbbbtttt.
Wednesday we were playing in the surf and my 8 y/o daughter asks me to go get her snorkel mask. I ask her if I go get it, I'm going to get mine and her lifejacket and teach her how to snorkel. She agreed. Two weeks ago she had flat refused.
She had a BLAST. We didn't do any real skills. Just breathing, kicking, and looking at the fish in the surf. She was a little frustrated that she couldn't do surface dives, but she couldn't work up enough lung pressure to do an effective blast clear either. I wouldn't take off her life jacket. Mommy showed up and they took off without me. One big step, one big hurdle, now we get to build on it.
Thursday was the day I picked to make a dive trip. It just happened to coincide with Downunder's Oriskany trip so I took the jump. We had plenty of people sign up and the weather cooperated. It was pretty slick running out and we ended up with 4 dive boats on it at the same time.
No surface current, but a current at 20 feet. There was a snot layer at about 30 with a thermal. Bottom temps were in the 68-72 degree range depending on whose computer you wanted to believe. It was chilly in a 3mm for me. Two dives. There is a good sized octopus which has made a home in a pipe near the top of the wreck on the port side. Saw two trumpet fish, one over 20". Lots of bristle worms, sea urchins, and a variety of snapper, grouper, and amber jack. Overall it was two really good dives and a great wreck. Definitely wanted to stay down longer and go deeper. Vis was only in the 40 foot range. I didn't take the camera down.
I almost forgot, there was a group who saw a bull shark on the first dive. I didn't see it. I did hear that shark sightings on this wreck are almost non-existant.
TwoBit
Michelle and I made an attempt at finding the Whiskey Wreck on Monday. We left Ft. Morgan with slick calm and little breeze only to get to Gulf Shores to a stiff breeze and sizeable waves. We tried it anyway (probably a bad idea) and missed the wreck. Strong surge on the bottom and vis was pbbbbtttt.
Wednesday we were playing in the surf and my 8 y/o daughter asks me to go get her snorkel mask. I ask her if I go get it, I'm going to get mine and her lifejacket and teach her how to snorkel. She agreed. Two weeks ago she had flat refused.
She had a BLAST. We didn't do any real skills. Just breathing, kicking, and looking at the fish in the surf. She was a little frustrated that she couldn't do surface dives, but she couldn't work up enough lung pressure to do an effective blast clear either. I wouldn't take off her life jacket. Mommy showed up and they took off without me. One big step, one big hurdle, now we get to build on it.
Thursday was the day I picked to make a dive trip. It just happened to coincide with Downunder's Oriskany trip so I took the jump. We had plenty of people sign up and the weather cooperated. It was pretty slick running out and we ended up with 4 dive boats on it at the same time.
No surface current, but a current at 20 feet. There was a snot layer at about 30 with a thermal. Bottom temps were in the 68-72 degree range depending on whose computer you wanted to believe. It was chilly in a 3mm for me. Two dives. There is a good sized octopus which has made a home in a pipe near the top of the wreck on the port side. Saw two trumpet fish, one over 20". Lots of bristle worms, sea urchins, and a variety of snapper, grouper, and amber jack. Overall it was two really good dives and a great wreck. Definitely wanted to stay down longer and go deeper. Vis was only in the 40 foot range. I didn't take the camera down.
I almost forgot, there was a group who saw a bull shark on the first dive. I didn't see it. I did hear that shark sightings on this wreck are almost non-existant.
TwoBit
