Back Online
posted by michael @ 4:41pm, Monday 7 December 2009.
It's Monday and we just recieved access to the internet this morning. That was four dives ago :). I'm not sure where to start, so I'll start with the plane ride, it was uneventful, getting through customs was uneventful, then I waited on my gear. I waited, and waited and waited, until there were only four bags left and the bag claim thing stopped. My heart sunk and I got pissed. Then I happened to see my handwriting. I didn't recogonize the bag becuase I barrowed it. Sheww. Getting the rental truck was uneventful though it took an hour and a half to service 3 people in front of me. I partnered up with a fellow from Alabama, Michael Word. He's good guy. We found the apartmnt just fine and headed out for dinner and some drinks.
Sunday we met the rest of the group including Lauren. We did out 15 minute oreintation and headed out to Buddy's pier for our first dive. Someone on the plane suggested that I would have sensory overload, and they were right on. Wow! The clear water, white sand and hundreds of types of fish. I didn't take pictures on the dive, I was more concerned with getting comfortable with the diving. Needless to say, Laszlo you were right, my SAC rate was 0.6 for my first dive and 0.59 for my second. We used a cool profile. We dove out and down the reef and then either left or right for about 20 minutes at about 60 feet. Then we cam back at 20 feet or so. I always came back ith 700+ PSI.
Our second dive was Tola, means Blue. It was better that the first dive. I thought I would remember more of the detail and my dad told me to write it down, but honwestly I don;t. The four dives today blew my mind. I do not have any pictures for this dive either. i spent more time working on my breathing and bouancy than anything. I have real good control over my bouancy at this point. I feel more comfortable about approaching the reef.
Today we hit four spots. We hit Two in the north in the morning, then hit a local town for lunch and then hit two more dive ites in the south. The first dive site we hit was _______ (I'll update the name later). Here I took a lot of pictures. I kept sinking deeper and and deeper as I found new and exciting things to take pictures of. I saw parrot fish, eels, purple sponges, fish who's names I don't know. It was amazing. I'll try to get those pics up. I'll be putting alot of them on facebook, but I"ll get some of them here as well.
The next dive site was the Witches hut. Here the entry was a little rough. I took a lot of vide here. Once I get the video processed I'll post articles with some of it.
I gotta run for now, but I'll write more later. We have one night dive tonight. THe other two sites for today were:
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Alice in wonder land
Bonaire Bound
posted by michael @ 10:46am, Friday 4 December 2009.
Well it's finally here, my trip to one of the premere dive locations, Bonaire. For my Virginia friends, no thats not the town in north Chesterfield. Bonaire is an Island of the northern coast of South America. By Buddy and boss, Laszlo asked me to go Scuba diving with him. That was 5 months ago. After some heavy work convincing my wife to let me go I paid for the trip.
So it's been 5 months in the planning. I've watch numerous dive videos on youtube, read web sites from various dive sites around the island, checked out google maps to see the satalite imagery and read up on tropical fish and the such. I'm ready, and so is Laszlo. Well not exactly, few weeks ago he had something come up which meant he would not be going. Dude, I wish you were coming, but I understand. I hope everything works out for you. Enough said, I here I'm going to be diving with some really good people. That's right I don;t know anyone in my group. I did spend a few weeks shaking everyone I knew down to see who could go. As it happens, those that had the time didn'a have the money or passport and those that did didn't have the time.
Today I'm flying from Richmond to Atlanta. Tomorrow I'll be flying to Bonaire for a week of diving. I'll update the blog with video and pictures and some commentary over the next week. I have my skype and magicjack for communication with the family, and an internet connection in the apartment where I'mk staying so I will be in constant touch with the outsdie.
Conditions in Bonaire are 80 at night and 87 degrees Farinheight, with water temps around 80 dergees. The winds are 15 mph from the SE. As long as it doesn't rain it'll be great. I'll dive in the rain, but will not be getting much sun during the surface intervals :-).
If you want a postcard from the island send me your address via my facebook account and I'll send you one if I can.
I do plan to be at the Tae Kwon do party this saturday via Skype. See you there!
-Michael
July 3rd 2009, 3 Dives
posted by michael @ 1:05am, Tuesday 7 July 2009.
July 3rd was the first day I dove on Nitrox. I used 32% mixture. The first dive was the longest one yet. the dive computer showed 61 minutes. we just cruised around the lake looking for what ever we could. Laszlo was taking pictures and videos. I have them on CD. I'll post them as I can.
The second dive was the deepest one yet. we went to the airplane and the computer shows 50 feet. It was cold. whe I hit the cold I was not ready for it. It hurt. however I just sat above the plane for a bit and once I started to become accustom to it I lowered myself tothe plane door and slid into the plane.
The third dive I took my turn behind the video camera. I took a video of Laszlo feeding the fish. Take a look at the size of the bass. I think it had to be 20 to 24 inches. At one point you see it in front of Laszlo arm. If you meassure his arm and th fish. The entire tail is still sticking out. Here is the video: