Boring Local Dives?

Boring Local Dives?

Originally posted: Monday, March 26, 2007

Every diving professional who works even part time in the scuba diving industry has a "favorite" spot where they spend a great deal of time diving. And I don't mean for fun. It's a fact that if you are trying to make a living by teaching scuba diving that you will hit the same old "lame" dives sites several times a week. All this while your friends are out doing deeper, cooler and generally more interesting dives and of course coming back and telling you about all the wicked cool and super exotic sea life that they have seen—like the illusive jaguar shark and killer whales giving birth while you have accumulated 4 hours of bottom time swimming past the same crusty rock—babysitting new divers. Here in Ft. Lauderdale, FL that crusty rock is Twin Ledges reef. It is without question the most dived location here. With daily snorkel trips from multiple boats hitting the reef at least twice daily loaded down with tourists you would think that it would have to be one the most boring dives on the planet for actual scuba divers, well think again. After nearly a year of living in the area and working snorkel trips as a Divemaster/Instructor and as boat Captain I have seen just about every inch of Twin Ledges reef more times than I care to think, or so I thought. However the past two weekends have brought interesting surprises.

The first surprise came while conducting a PADI "Discover Scuba Diving" experience onboard the "Sea Experience." As any Instructor will tell you in private conversation, DSD's are the bane of our existence. This is where we take non-certified people out on a one day experience to introduce them to the world of scuba diving. It is a necessary evil in the world of making a living scuba diving, but few instructors like taking responsibility in the open ocean for someone who has not yet had a full formal training course—let alone a group of them. However, you don't have to like it, you just have to do it. Anyway, as I toss my group of nervous first timers into the raging and unforgiving sea (that's added just for drama) it occurs to me that I often snorkel the site but rarely do I get to dive it in full scuba. Cool, this will be different. We cruise the reef and I'm amazed at how healthy the live bottom is in spite of the heavy traffic that it gets. Then it occurs to me, most folks that come here are not divers and therefore don't ever get down and kick around on the reef, hence the good health. Very colorful sponges, sea fans and tropical fish are everywhere in addition to the ubiquitous Bermuda Chubs aka "Atlantic Piranha" that get fed here at least twice daily. After a nice leisurely tour, the father of two teenaged boys in my group who is a fully certified diver and just along for the ride, comes swimming up to me with the dreaded bug-eyed look that every scuba instructor knows as the face of impending doom. Turns out this guy is OK, just very excited. He's pointing frantically to a crusty rock trying to show us something. So we swim over and see a 6 or 7 foot nurse shark hanging out on the bottom directly under the boat. For those of you who don't know, nurse sharks are absolutely harmless unless provoked, don't mess with them and they won't mess with you. Now, let me tell you, with 30 snorkelers in the water just 20' above us the last thing I want to do is bring attention to the shark. This would lead to 29 of them walking on water in a mad dash to be the first back on the boat. In the ensuing panic more than one person would probably lose it altogether and go into a full blown panic attack, this is something that most dive boat operators like to avoid. Naturally, Dad wants to get a picture of his boys doing their first dive along with the shark. So... He is down there poking at the shark trying to get it to come out of it's hole an play with us—bad idea. I communicated with Dad via hand signals to cut that crap out—I could tell that he didn't have any idea what I was saying with my hands, but he knew exactly what I meant. Back on the boat. I pulled the divers aside and had a little heart to heart chat about harassing sea life and such. Additionally, I asked them to not use the "S" word on the boat as it could cause to people to have premature heart attacks and using the onboard defibrillator was not in my plan for the day. They all agreed. Dad thought it was one of the best dives he had ever been experienced and was ecstatic that he was able to share it with his sons. However, I wonder if the boys truly appreciated how rare it is to see a shark on your very first ocean dive.

The following weekend found me once again up at the crack of dawn throwing yet another group of intrepid DSD students into the briny deep. This time I had a couple recent High School gradates from West Virginia doing their first time ocean experience. Fortunately they were both comfortable in the water and took to scuba very quickly and had a great time. Just as I was relaxing and thinking that I would once again cheat the Grim Reaper out of his due, I noticed that we had company. We swim up on this little Hawksbill sea turtle that's about a foot across and he's just chilling on the reef. The funny part is that it takes several minutes of waving and gesturing to get the divers attention before they realize that we are not alone. I found it quite amusing. It's a big deal to spot a sea turtle inshore these days considering that 4 out of the 5 major species are on the endangered species list and the 5th is still on the "threatened" species list. Later when I asked my divers what they thought of seeing a sea turtle on their first dive their response was a bit muted... "Oh, we see turtles all the time back in West Virginia."

I'm now changing my mind about the concept on "lame" local dives. I'm thinking that if you take the time and open your eyes you can find something cool and exotic on just about any dive, if you have the patience to look. There are no lame dives, only lame divers.

Manatee Safari

Playing with Florida sea cows...

by Wes Gruver
Originallyposted on wetdawg.com March 8, 2004

A young manatee playing with a rope Photo by Wes Gruver

Crystal River, FL - Your first encounter with a manatee is one that you will never forget; in fact, any encounter with a creature this large and this gentle is awe-inspiring to say the least.
Crystal River, about an hour north of Tampa Bay, is an unspoiled playground for man and beast. Most noteworthy, Crystal River is home to the largest herd of endangered manatees in the US, congregating primarily in the beautiful Crystal and Homosassa Rivers. They can be seen from the riverbanks or by engaging local guide services for a boat, or up-close snorkel or diving encounter.
We began our trek to find the elusive manatee after a 14-hour chartered bus ride from The Dive Shop in Richmond, VA, and then by renting our own pontoon boats and heading up the Crystal River on a self-guided tour. The run to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge takes about 20 minutes, primarily because the entire area is a "no wake" zone which is designed to slow boaters and protect the resident gentle giants known as manatees.
Thought to be gentle because it had never had a predator, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) met up with one in the 1500s when Spanish colonists hunted and killed the large sea mammals for their meat, leather, and oil. Low population levels led Florida to ban manatee hunting in 1893, but recovery of the species was limited by shrunken populations and the subsequent losses of habitat. That led to manatees being listed as an endangered species. Sanctuaries, public education, and strict enforcement of low motorboat speeds are now the principal conservation measures being used to help build a sustainable population.

"I was chatting on the surface with my dive buddy and right there between us, just below the surface, appeared a large sea cow with a baby in tow!"

When we finally arrived at the Crystal River NWR, which consists of nine small islands totaling little more than 40 acres, we were all bubbling with anticipation but were initially dismayed at the number of other boats already on the site. We counted no less than 20 other watercraft ranging in size from 14 ft. johnboats up to full sized charter boats anchored adjacent to the refuge, all vying for a glimpse of the manatees. The area is popular with divers and snorkelers because of the fresh water springs that produce 600 million gallons daily at a consistent 72 degrees F year round. The warm water is what attracts the large seal-like manatees during cooler weather when temperatures in open water drop. Being a tropical animal, manatees cannot survive long periods in water temperatures below 68F. By late December, over 100 of these giant "sea cows" will have congregated around the springs in Kings Bay. The refuge is critical habitat for 15 to 20 percent of the U.S. manatee population.
Our initial fears that overcrowding might scare off the manatees were quickly put aside when we entered the water. The visibility was less than 20 feet and it was readily apparent that the overwhelming majority of the snorkelers and divers in the water had no clue as to where the manatees actually were. This, as it turns out, was a good thing. No one rushed the manatees and they were not chased or harassed in any way, basically because not many folks actually saw them...at first. They move very slowly and kind of sneak up on you.

I had originally planned to shoot some underwater video but after the first 10 minutes of filming only fish and other divers my batteries died. Naturally, seconds later I had my first up close and personal manatee encounter . I was chatting on the surface with my dive buddy and right there between us, just below the surface, appeared a large sea cow with a baby in tow! It was stunning. I was so moved by their graceful presence that I almost spit out my snorkel. I was somehow mystically drawn to reach out and touch them, but I couldn't, I was speechless. The odd thing was that divers five feet to our left and right never saw them.

For the next 20 minutes we encountered a total of five different manatees within a 50 yard radius of where we saw the first two. They were all actually hanging out just outside of the refuge in and among the boats and divers. We had an amazing photo opportunity with one youngster who seemed to relish the attention. He was chewing on a line dangling in the water from one of the boats. He was fixated on the rope and didn't seem to want to give it up. This gave us ample opportunity to take some close up photos. We left him with other snorkelers as we made our way back to our own boat with what I hoped would turn out to be some amazing shots. As we left we noticed one of the volunteer "park rangers" slip over in a kayak and break up the crowd that had corralled the young manatee and let him go on his way. 

If you are planning to dive with manatees, remember to respect them and not "love" them too much. Any of the following forms of interaction may be considered harassment under the Endangered Species Act (ESA):
»touching manatees
»riding them
»poking them
»feeding manatees or giving them water
»any actions that might separate a mother and calf
»chasing manatees
»surrounding them

Manatees are an endangered species protected under the federal Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. Conviction on the federal level is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison. Anyone convicted of violating the state law faces a possible maximum fine of $500 and/or imprisonment for up to 60 days. The State of Florida can also pursue prosecution under federal law. Even more important than breaking the law is that human interactions with manatees can cause harm. Manatees can be observed without violating the provisions of these laws.

Later that day we saw a couple more manatees near Three Sisters Spring; and eventually everyone on our boat had the opportunity to swim with them. Without question, everyone in the group agreed it was a dive of a lifetime. One young lady in our group summed up the experience best when she said, "I didn't see any last year when we came down, and was badly disappointed. But today just made up for that, and them some."

For more information about manatees: www.savethemanatee.org

Diving the Spiegel Grove...Finally...

Diving the Spiegel Grove...Finally...

Originally posted Monday, May 23, 2005

Wow, waited a long time for this one. Ever since the USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was intentionally sunk in 2002 amid much fanfare, I along with most of the diving community have wanted to get down to Key Largo, FL and see if it lived up to the hype. Now I can dutifully report -- hell yeah! Last weekend's trip aboard the "Big Dipper" out of Florida Keys Dive Center was among the best recreational dive sites I have seen in quite some time.


Spiegel Superstructure...

The first thing that strikes you about this dive site is that it freaking huge! At 510' it is the largest ship ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. As I descended the line down on to the wreck the reality of just how big this thing is starts to dawn on you. I'm thinking, we'll never be able to see all this in one dive. In fact, our group saw maybe only the aft third of the ship in our 30 minutes of bottom time. The site is known as a "multi-level" dive site which means that there are various levels of expertise involved in diving her. With most of her hull accessible at 48'-50' both beginning divers and experienced "techies" will find many things to see and do all the way down to the sand which I marked at 138'. Some say you can dive her a hundred times and still not see the same things twice. The second impression I got while cruising around the massive hull was that the wreck has a very healthy eco-system developing around it. We saw an amazing array of sea life that I would classify as above average in diversity even for Florida Keys diving. By the way, for all those pundits out there who say that artificial reefs are bad for fish or the aquatic environment, they need to get down to Key Largo and check this out for themselves (end soapbox). Underwater photographers will pack their digital chips full in no time with the endless opportunities for photos. Team Beaverdam Divemaster Charlie Jurney was along for the dive and took some great shots of our group.


Spiegel Superstructure...

With plenty of opportunities to both peer and venture into the wreck, my days in the Navy started coming back to me. Having served on several vessels I was vaguely familiar with the layout of the ship and looking into some of the passageways I felt the urge to do a great deal more exploring than my aluminum 80 would allow on this particular excursion.


Spiegel Superstructure...

One member of our diving group even found a little air pocket near one of the old cranes on deck that allowed two divers to pop up inside and have a little chat with your regulators out. (Serious side note -- this sort of activity is NOT recommended for divers who do not have training or experience in overhead diving environments) the air inside the space was vaguely reminiscent of that musty smell that seems to permeate all navy ships - sort of an odd combination of haze gray paint, diesel fuel, fried bacon and dirty socks.


Spiegel Superstructure...

Alas, as always, the laws of physics did not allow us near enough bottom time to truly enjoy all the splendor that the this once great ship has to offer. Without question, "Team Beaverdam" will be back to explore some more of this magnificent slice of American history.


Spiegel Grove bow...

For more information on the history of the USS Spiegel Grove go here: http://www.spiegelgrove.com/

For dive trips go here: http://www.floridakeysdivectr.com/ - Capt. Greg and his Divemaster John will show you a great time.


Ascent on the Spiegel Grove...


Spiegel Superstructure...


Spiegel deck...

1 Comments:

Wes Gruver said...

With the help of Hurricane Dennis, The Spiegel Grove is now upright!

Full story here:

http://www.spiegelgrove.com/

What are you wearing?

What are You Wearing?

Originally posted in October 2009 (soon to be updated for 2012)

Just about every conversation I have with divers about SCUBA diving eventually touches on the subject of gear. What do you wear and why? Is this a "good" brand? Should I buy this, or that? I get these questions so often I figured it would make sense to write it all down and share.

First off, let me say make this statement; I do not sell SCUBA equipment, nor am I currently affiliated with any dive shop or manufacturer on a commission basis. I make all my gear suggestions free and clear of any monetary compensation. That being said, I typically point to my own personal gear and explain why I use what I have.

One other quick note up front, I use different kits for teaching, fun dives and tech diving, below is my basic setup.

From head to toe here we go, this is what I dive and why:

Mask - Atomic Arc (with neoprene "slap strap" - a must have add-on) I carry an Oceanic Shadow as a backup mask
Pros - I own a half dozen or more masks, I like the comfort and fit of the Arc, it works for me which is the most important criterion for any piece of gear
Cons = Most expensive mask you can buy that does not have gold plating or a computer built in

BCD - Zeagle Stiletto (w/ split-saddle crotch strap add-on)
Pros: -I have been diving with Zeagle since 1997, I have a old Zeagle Ranger with more than 1400 dives on it. The most comfortable and durable BC you will ever strap on your back. Plus they have, hands down, the BEST warranty in the business. They are made right, and made right here in Florida. I have an open invitation for anyone to try any of the 7 Zeagle BCD's I own. Dive it, then you will understand.
Cons - They cost a little more than most major brands.

Primary Regulator - Zeagle Flathead VI with DIN connection - most often setup with a 7ft long hose.
Pros - It flat out performs in any conditions; cold water, deep water, upside down, whatever. Breathe it, and you will get it.
Cons - $$$

Alternate Air Source - Zeagle Octo-ZPros - integrated alternate air sources are pretty much mainstream these days, I like having one less hose dangling. The "garden hose' attachment is pure genius.
Cons - None

Computer - currently using the Aeris Elite Air Integrated (moving to the new Zeagle N2iTiON 3 which supports 3 gases, built in digital compass, and all that)
Pros - Does everything a recreational diver will ever need and more. PC download kit is key to logging all my dives.
Cons - Additional failure point and oh yeah ... $$$)

Cutting Tool(s) - Zeagle Knife/Scissor combo with slate, Gerber Multi-Tool, I also carry basic line cutter in my pocket as a backup
Pros - anything that cuts wire works
Cons - more stuff to drop and lose.

Tank - Worthington LP Steel 85 - I own 16 or more tanks, including AL 80's, 63's, 40's, steel 100's and doubles. However, you will most often see me with a LP steel 80 or 85.
Pros - Steel is Real. I use no weight with these tanks and can stay down all day on a single fill, any questions?
Cons - you guessed it, they cost a LOT more than AL

Fins - Cressi Gara 3000 full-foot long fins - few personal gear items spark more debate amongst divers than fins. I am a fairly fit and I like being able to work in a current. I also like to have some reserve power if I need to rescue or assist someone and drag them with me through the ocean
Pros - Power, speed, all that...
Cons - you get nothing for free, more power means more leg effort required to make them go.

Essential Accessories - I always carry the DAN SMB kit along with a finger spool and extra double-ender clip. My dive watch is the Citizen Eco-Drive 300m Professional (it was a Father's Day gift), however I prefer my old school Navy issue Casio G-Shock. I now carry the Aqua-Lung roll up snorkel in a pocket along with a CPR Pocket mask and nitrile rubber gloves. My lobstering / spearfishing gloves are "Mechanix," available at any auto parts store. My wetsuit of choice is a full length 3/2mm.

Since SCUBA gear is major investment for most of us, it requires more than little thought and planning. As all my students know, I will be happy to work with you and help you make gear decisions. Also, I will be happy to let you test dive any of my gear. Occasionally I do hear about good deals and will try to pass them on to this list.

Final thoughts - for some people their gear choice is like religion, once you're in, you are in for life. However, know this; none of the major dive manufacturers out there make junk anymore, the lawyers have sorted all that out. Most of the stuff you can buy is good. I like to think I am open minded about these things, however I do have my opinions and they are just that; my opinions. At the end of the day you need to decide what works for you. Try before you buy and know what you're getting into.

Are you a Good Driver? Careful Diver?

Right now you're thinking, "Of course I am."

You're not alone in that thought, a leading insurance company recently conducted a survey that found that 88 percent of adults consider themselves careful drivers, but only 17 percent consider other motorists equally as cautious. Now we all know from our daily commutes that not everyone is a good driver. The fact that we think we are is reflective of the natural human tendency to overestimate our own abilities in certain situations. This thought process often carries over with SCUBA divers as well; however, diving is one area where over estimation of ones abilities can lead to disaster.

If you have taken an Advanced Open Water or Rescue Diver course with me then you have heard me mention this statistic; Diving accident trends over the past few years show that the majority of accidents happen not to new or inexperienced divers, but more often to seasoned divers with more than a few dives under their belts. This statistic begs the question; how is it that more experienced divers tend to have more accidents? Though there is probably a long list of reasons for this, I'll focus on just one aspect that appears to be a common thread in diving related accidents; some experienced divers fall into the trap of developing a false sense of confidence that comes from "surviving" many dives without having any problems or near-misses. You probably remember hearing your SCUBA Instructor tell you that dive accidents rarely happen because of a single thing that goes wrong, but more often from a series of poor decisions that ultimately kick off a chain of events that end up badly.

Martial Arts Instructors often joke about how "Green Belts" are more likely to go out and get their asses kicked with their new fighting skills because they have just enough confidence in their fighting ability to pick a fight with the wrong person. I think this is a common problem with divers as well. Once you have a few dives logged and have "cheated the Grim Reaper" enough times you feel like you can take him on anytime. Here is a news flash, in the long run the "Grim Reaper” eventually catches up with all of us, no matter how good we think we are.

Here is a little story about a dive adventure I had a couple weekends ago that didn't quite go as planned. To qualify this story, understand that I have been diving for more than 20 years and have logged more than 4,500 dives during that time in every conceivable diving environment from the oceans of the world to lakes, quarries, rivers, ponds, whatever... you get the picture. Some Instructors might find sharing a story of this nature embarrassing, however I think it has a valuable lesson to be learned and reinforces that fact that no matter how much experience you have, you can fall prey to the syndrome I mentioned earlier.

I set out on an early morning beach dive with a long time dive buddy and Divemaster friend of mine who has been diving as long as I have. Having been through some of the hairiest diving experiences of my early diving career with this same buddy, I had the utmost confidence in our abilities to dive just about anywhere, at anytime. Now to set this story up right, also understand that our decision to beach dive was predicated by a cancelled boat trip due to high winds and rough seas... got an idea of where this going yet?

We get down to North Hollywood Park, find the beach virtually deserted, and surveyed the conditions. There was a stiff North East wind producing unorganized surf. For those of you who are not beach divers (or surfers) here is a tip; long "clean" waves that come in predictable sets are always preferred over random "boiling" water near the beach. However, since the waves were not “super” high (4-6ft) and we were both experienced divers (and surfers from the old school, by the way) and had been out in much worse conditions, we figured if anyone can dive this we can. So...with gear in tow, off we went.

The first indication that things aren't going "as planned" comes when, after a steady 10 minutes or so of surface swimming, we have yet to break through the surf zone, which here extends less than 100 yards offshore. If you're new to beach diving, here is another tip; the key to not getting beat up by the waves is to punch through the surf zone near the shore, make your way on the surface to your dive spot then drop down. The more time you spend in the surf zone the more you get beat up. This is were SCUBA gear manufacturers make tidy profits from all the stuff that divers drop in this critical phase of a beach dive.

Now imagine our heroes swimming around inside of a front-loader washing machine and you get the picture of what we are experiencing at this point. In an effort to avoid getting beat up further I suggest we try "Plan B" which entails dropping below the surf and swimming out under the waves. This can be an effective way of punching through under certain conditions and is similar to the surfer's technique of "duck diving." The down side for divers is that it consumes gas that you could otherwise spend on your actual dive site, but difficult times call for difficult decisions. By now you can see the pattern we have set for ourselves, by adopting the "We are diving today, no matter what” mind set we set ourselves on a path that, in hindsight, seems simply silly.

The happy ending to this story comes after watching my Divemaster claw along the bottom for 5 minutes and still not making any forward progress against the crazy tide even with long fins. I finally woke up, yanked his fin and thumbed the dive. When we hit the surface, we couldn't help but laugh with near hysteria at our foolishness. We were struggling against Mother Nature herself, never a fair fight. I’m sure the Lifeguard on duty got a chuckle out of watching our little escapade. When we finally got on shore, several hundred yards south of our entry point; we were worn out, but unharmed. The true punishment was the hike back up the beach into the wind with our dive gear ... which at the time seemed like several miles.

The point of the story is not that we stared death in face and barely escaped with our lives, in reality we were never in much danger, we just went for a rough swim. The lesson learned is that no matter what your experience level, even for dive professionals there are conditions in which you will not be diving, period. Deciding to dig in and keep on plugging because "We are diving today, no matter what” and not thumbing a dive simply because “I’m not going to be the guy to quit” could, in a more unforgiving environment, have ended very differently indeed.