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Buddy Diving

 

There is a reason that you are supposed to have a buddy when diving – a few scenarios for you to consider the next time you go diving with a buddy and don’t make an effort in diving WITH them;

 

You followed the line down with your buddy and then did the “ok” check to make sure your buddy cleared ok and then you swim the wall…

You are at 100’ diving a wall, enjoying the corals watching the fish. The visibility is ok for up-close viewing but not so great for seeing very far.  

Enjoying your diving? Is your buddy doing the same? You realize that you have not “seen” your dive buddy, you turn to see that you are alone!   Where’s your buddy?

What do “you” do?

 

Are you the type of diver that goes on, as you were, assuming that your buddy is out there somewhere doing just as you are? Are you the type of diver that goes back, looking for your buddy?

  

How often do you make contact with your dive partner? Do you know where your dive buddy is right now?(while you are underwater) Sure, it’s an easy answer if you are following the leader but if you are the leader, are you turning around, making visual contact every so often with the one who is behind you?

 

In recent weeks, there has been a spike in reports, some we have heard about, where a diver has gone missing. The dive party surfaces, the head count is done, and one diver is missing!  THAT IS TOO LATE…  by then the missing diver is already in serious trouble.

Would you want to be the one forgotten? Me either…

 

It doesn’t matter if you have been diving for a week or a decade… don’t assume anything when it comes to the safety of your dive buddy!

 

Be a good dive buddy, plan ahead, talk about where you want to go and who should take the lead or if you are diving side by side, set a system so that you are looking at your dive buddy from time to time. Please understand that the reason this should be done is because you could be the one who gets in trouble.

 

 A hose could blow, an “o” ring could fail, a valve could start leaking all your air out… if you are alone you do not have the back-up you should have.  

 

How about this; you are diving a favorite fishing hole, otherwise known as a good reef, your buddy is there just ahead and you are swimming close to the reef. All the sudden, you get hooked! An angler has hooked you! You are unable to free yourself and your dive buddy has no idea…    because there is no connection, no eye contact. You can imagine what happens next.  

 

Don’t let this happen to you and don’t let this happen to your dive buddy! Watch out for one another and always know where the other one is… save a life save a buddy! Dive safe!

DEN

"Divers Exchange Network"

This is a great cause and new to divers everywhere.
This will help divers like "Annie" to raise funds to help divers travel where they could not have traveled before with others divers helping divers.  Please Help Us to collect funds so that divers could come to the States and report on Diving conditions and see a bit of our country!
Yes this is for real
You all know Annie the Aussie, lovable, funny, always there to chat and share wonderful tales… she really wants to fly  over  and meet some of the people she has chatted with.
Once in the states she will have a place to stay and dive in local waters with many of the divers she has come to know. This would be our first exchanged diver.  Please chip in and help in this great cause!
Thank you

I am so happy that this little contest has come to an end...

The reason  -   Nope its not for the chance at a prize - like the commercial for Mastercard

A chance to win a prize - months of typing

A chance to learn more about diving - months of reading

A chance to have conversations, share memories, laughter and all the other giggles that I have had with all of you -

PRICELESS!   

I am hooked! Addicted! and forever grateful for all the new friends I have made and have still to make!

Thank you DiveArea God 

for making all this possible!   What a blast this has been    I can not wait to see what tomorrow holds

Ok, so it's raining and you cant go diving - what to do?

How many people atually know their gear - Do you check your reg?  do you know how to assemble and disassemble your gear?

How ofetn do you really take the gear, lay it out and go over all the o'rings and clasps, the little joints and such... cleaning out the particles that get in there and dont come out even when you are good about the after dive cleaning?

A hammerhead was reported to have been eaten and though it appears there was a struggle.... no body has been recovered.   It seems that a group of bystanders report that a turtle, a seal, a shark, and a mermaid were the attackers. Although the report seems to be invalid as another group calling themselves Sea Buddies state that they were in fact searching the reefs looking for the missing hammerhead - a spokesperson for the groups said, "He went missing without word so we held vigil calling out his name in hopes of helping him find his way back to the reef". When asked if conditions were harsh or the current that strong the group said in unison "NO" the waters were perfect". A member of the group was heard saying how stirred up the waters were after they combed the reef for hours. This reporter still is not sure what actually happened to the hammerhead but thinks that the evidence points to the hammerhead simply getting stuck in a swim through and being too embarrassed to admit it      

http://www.sharkwater.com/
(click on link)

 

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!!!

  Dear Friends,

  As most of you know, I am a strong advocate of ocean conservation. I have had a fascination with the ocean since I was very young, and a special love for sharks. I too was raised in the Jaws error when a movie scared people out of the water for several summers. If you asked me then, I would have told you that you were nuts if you suggested diving in the ocean with sharks. I remember being asked by a friend if I wanted to take dive lessons while I was in the military, and out of fear of sharks I said no.

 

    In time my fascination for the ocean got the better of me and I reluctantly began diving. If I only knew then what I know now I would have started diving long ago. I have sent out photos (see attachment) to some of you who thought I was nuts, or just stupid to be in the water with sharks. I still have that little voice in the back of my head that tells me to watch out for the sharks. That little voice has been from years of conditioning that sharks are evil man eaters. I have come to learn that nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact it's the sharks that have to watch out for people. I feel very comfortable being in the water with sharks now and look forward to seeing them.

 

    Over 100,000,000 (that's one hundred million in case I didn't get the zero's right) sharks are killed each year in commercial fisheries including long lines and pirate boats. Most of these sharks have their fins cut off for shark fin soup, a delicacy in Asian countries. The rest of the shark is thrown back in the ocean dead or dying with no hope of survival. This practice has been going on for years and has brought shark populations to critical levels. About 90% of all pelagic sharks are now gone and are in serious need of conservation measures. Sharks are very important to the ocean ecosystem and their loss has a ripple effect throughout the oceans.

 

    Last night, Gail and I went to a sneak preview of the move Sharkwater, which was a documentary about the plight of sharks due to years of overfishing. I am asking you to go and see the movie Sharkwater which will be in theaters starting September 26th. Better yet, take your children or other young and impressionable minds so that they may learn to appreciate and conserve these wonderful animals and not grow up fearing them like I, and so many of my friends and family were. If nothing else, please check out the movie trailer http://www.sharkwater.com/  and find out how you can help the oceans and sharks. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your children.

 

Best fishes,

 

Bob Smyth

Advocate for wild, healthy oceans

 

 

SAVE THE SHARKS!

we all have moments   but these moments should be looked at as forks in the road... no one is racing with you... its just you... so take your time and choose wisely 

Breathe and know that you are loved by someone in the world...  You are special    and you DO matter

then step forward to the fork and choose the RIGHT path     when you are ready

"  Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Forget about those who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

 If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy,

they just promised it would most likely be worth it."

Wreck Features

The Benwood was originally powered by a 342 hp triple expansion steam engine which pushed her along at 9.5 knots (Berg and Berg 1991:97; Scott 1994:33). While the engine, boilers, drive shaft and propeller are missing, the propulsion system can still be visualized from the engine mount and pillow blocks that held it in place (see Appendix B). The engine was situated on a rectangular plate measuring 12' 8" (l) by 6' 3" (w) by 2' 8" (h) (Nuttal 1994). Large bronze bolts with threads still intact are evidence to the dismantling and removal of the engine from its resting place.

Thrust was conveyed from the engine to the propeller along a drive shaft. It was supported by four lead-lined pillow blocks. These are spaced approximately 21'-22' apart which allows the propulsion system to be easily reconfigured (see Appendix B, Nuttal, 1994).

The Benwood's hull structure is mostly intact up to the level of the first deck (see Appendix B). Only a small midships section has had these deck plates removed, exposing the lower frames and keels on. Large steel knees join the deck plate to the outer hull and sides of the vessel. These are massive reinforced triangles of steel which outline the curve of the hull. Thus, they tend to be elongated triangles in the midships region where the hull bows out, and more equal-sided in the bow where the hull rises sharply. The result is that the ship's hull shape can be seen from these knees even though the hull plates themselves are mostly torn free.

The primary deck has been punctured in many places forming a network of "nooks and crannies." These provide important fish habitat but are not large enough to allow diver entry. Several holes enable divers to peer into the cargo hold where ore was carried for many years.

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