Dive Report:10/7/2003 Night Beach Dive at Hibiscus

Sorry, no photos...

Team: Matt and Alex B.

Start 7:50 PM
Seas: 3-4
High Tide: 7 PM
Air Temp: 80
Water Temp: 81
Winds: 15 knots NE
Visibility: 10ft 1st reef and 15-20ft 2nd reef
Gas: Matt 32% Alex (21%)
Depth: 17ft
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

The seas were rough, we could have called the dive, but we were there with our gear, lets go! While setting up one of the locals said we were going to be disappointed if we went for a dive. I followed up and asked him if he had been out there diving today, but he walked away.

We checked gear and headed out. The high tide ment the surf zone was closed to shore and it made for a easy entry. Kicking out on our backs was a challenge in the waves. Every third waves was breaking over my head. Gee, it didn't look this bad from shore. Before reaching the buoys I decided I would rather take my chances underwater. We submerged and the water was brown and murky, then at 5 ft in cleared up to a nice 10 ft of vis, not bad.

As we swam over the first reef my mask kept fogging up. I worked out a trade from my Cressi Big Eye for JC's Oceanic Shadow frameless mask. I though JC would have broken it in, but it was getting foggy. I flooded and cleared it, but I could not get all the water out of the nose pocket. I like a dry mask when I dive. With the little bit of water in the mask it made it easy to flip my head and clear the fog. After clearing the first reef line I stopped Alex and switched to my Zeagle Ebon mask. It was a night and day difference. I cleared it completly and was much more comfortable. I'll try the shadow in the pool a couple of times before passing judgment on it.

We swam to the second reef line and the vis was great. I could see to the end of my light which means 15ft plus vis. I hovered over a soft coral to check for current. I was swaying back and forth, but not going anywhere. I choose to head South and explore some more over this new area. I tried to head down the ledge, Alex was all over the place and I was going as slow as possible not to get a head of him. He definitely had his macro dive mode on. I scored a fish BINGO. We found every type of boxfish in the Reef Fish book. I specifically left my camera at home as I didn't like the rough conditions and this way we would see some cool fish. One large Trunkfish swam right up to us and we played with him. Fish get in a weird stoned coma as they float around and sleep. One spot tail pinfish kept swimming into the ledges and corals as it got away. I guess his auto pilot was broken.

We went about 10 minutes South of the probe to my pet coral and checked on it. I picked some small red algae tuff starting to grow on it. We turned at 47 minutes into the dive and headed back North. Along the way I spotted a large slipper lobster. He was walking over everything, including the coral. His legs would press in-between the coral polyps so as not to hurt anything. He would have been tasty, but I didn't want to hold on to him for the swim back. Cardinal fish were all over the place. After about 20 minutes swimming back I saw a large oval in the distance. I kept my light off of it and signaled Alex. We swam up slowly on a beautiful Green Turtle. He hung out for a while, did some circles and then swam away.

Instead of following the reef line, we zigged and zagged back and forth. My internal computer lost track of how far we had gone due to stops and changes in our pace. I saw a tire on the reef that looked familiar. After 30 minutes of going North I signaled Alex asked him where we were? I had not seen the probe on the return. All I got back were shrugged shoulders. We had to be close, and with a southerly surface current it was probably ok if we overshot the mark. We swam West and headed in after 73 minutes.

Now the sand was stirred up and visibility was less than 7 ft on the first reef line. At our max planned dive time of 90 minutes, I used the "gun" hand signal to shoot the exit to mean, its time to go. We don't have to surface, but its time to stop looking around and swim out. I picked up the pace a little and left Alex behind. I signaled him and shot the exit again. By looking at his light He was still looking around and enjoying the dive. I had a plenty of gas left (1100psi) so I relaxed and we slowly worked our way out. I remembered Alex doesn't have any GUE training and this signal isn't in the recreational dive manuals.

After crossing the 1st reef line I saw a bolt and blue line protector, we were next to a swim buoy. I singled and turned us around so I could reel in the flag and avoid entanglement. The vis was terrible over the sand so I thumbed the dive. We were 1/2 a block North of the site and the seas had picked up to 3-5 as predicted.

Alex got away from me, but I could easily see him with his light on. The moonlight glistened atop of the waves as we bounced our way it. The ext was easy and we could see everything even with the street light out. The wind was racing and it was cold getting out. Time to bring back the 2 mil hooded vest for night dives. We broke down quickly and we off by 9:40 PM. I had forgotten a towel so made a quick moon over LBTS as I changed to dry clothes. I put my swim suit on top of the car and forgot about it. I was two miles down I95 when I heard something flapping, then I saw in flapping on the back glass. I pulled over for an emergency stop, I liked that suit! It had fallen off, but I found it 15 feet back from where I stopped. I've already lost one suit by leaving it on the roof, must not be DIR. I'll have to find somewhere else to put a wet swim suit while changing.

--Matt