Dive Report: Sunday 9/14/03 Datura Street Beach Dive Mapping Mission

Photos:
http://www.geocities.com/tiswango/0309daturamap/

We parked at 8 AM and came back to dive around 9AM after breakfast. I saw the same Lauderdale Rescue van parked in the lot. I introduced myself to Sgt. Rick Rocco and asked him about the lost diver search and what had happened? He didn't know, but then he asked me about DIR and recalling seeing our sets of doubles. He had picked up and started diving a DIR OW rig and had some questions. Then he gave us a tour of his dive mobile. He created some tank holders from PVC and had a dry and wet gear locker created, complete with drain. It was pretty cool, except there wasn't any room for doubles. He also showed us is black water rig with comm unit for intracostal dives and car recoveries. He was just out fun diving with friends, but I got his card and we'll go out diving sometime.

Team: Matt H., Andrea V., and Charlie G.

Log:
Seas 1 ft
Vis 15ft
Light Surge
Water Temp 84 degrees
Max Depth 20 ft
Bottom time: Insane => 2 hours 22 minutes
Rock Bottom: 500 psi

GPS Mapping while diving:
http://www.wadespage.com/D800DS07RF00.shtml

Charlie and I have been wanting to map out Datura Street and have a more accurate description of how big the reefs are and how far of a swim is it? With the GPS points we can measure the distance have a better idea.

It was also Andrea's first time diving doubles! I helped her rig them up, review what's attached to the right and left post, valve drills, and the "9 ways doubles can kill you".

I wanted to keep up with Charlie and Andrea in dubs so I put an Al 80 on my back and carried and other Al 80 as a stage. Following the basic rules for independent doubles I would dive each tank to 1500 psi and then switch to the other.

We swam out to the Snorkel Trail and descended. Charlie and I both warned Andrea about putting more gas in the wing for buoyancy over a regular single tank set up. What we forgot to tell her was how to balance the gas in both sides of the wing and vent gas. A doughnut wing will balance heads up or heads down. Doubled, being U shaped only balance heads up. It was a good test of being a future supportive husband by not laughing outwardly as Andrea swam around in circles, sideways with all the gas in one side of her wing. After some role modeling we showed her how to get it straighten out.

Each section of the Snorkel Trail has a pin to measure if anything is moving. We GPS all four pins for a warm up. As we headed out due East, we measured the beginning of the hard bottom at the first reef line, the beginning of the Swiss Cheese, the patch reef on the back side, the last point before sand, and finally the beginning of the second reef line. With all these points I can make some measurements on the width of the reef lines.

We started South and hit the Alien Probe, which is a key land mark for my navigation. With the good visibility and a scanning eyes, I found another probe in the middle of the reef. We measured that as well and finished swimming to the back of the second line. We swam back to the West edge and continued South.

On our way I found a patch on the disgusting red algae that is all over the reefs in Pompano. We GPS'd and took photos of the largest patch so I can provide the information to Broward County.

We found the other probe that marks Hibiscus street. I got approval from the team to go a little further South to find the coral I flipped over. 10 minutes later, there it was just as I had left it. But it was buried a good 4-6 inches in sand. I snapped a photo, then lifted it out and placed it high on a flat ledge with nothing but algae growing there and snapped a few more photos so I could find the spot and check on it again in a couple of months.

We were making great time and progress. Now we turned West to head back in to the first reef line. My goal was to follow the Swiss cheese back to about Datura Street. We took a few more data points including one severally bleached and dying coral. Its base was strong and I didn't see any disease on it. About half way back I couldn't tell if we were East or West of where we wanted to be. We swam East 30ft and hit the area I wanted. Then I got a wetnote from Andrea saying to wrap it up. She was getting tired of swimming the dubs around and was ready to head it. We headed East and swam in.

I was ready to help Andrea out of the dubs as I didn't think she was going to get them up the beach. She did! She sat down next to the shower and said that I owed her a big back rub tonight! I was so proud!

We broke our gear down and headed to Flannigans on Atlantic for lunch and the end of the Dolphins game. Then to Fill Express to VIP some dubs, thanks for the lesson Mark, and fill back up. I can't wait for next weekend!

--Matt