4 hours of Bottom Time!

[southkogs]

I had a chance to sneak away with the Admiral for a few days this past weekend and run down to the Florida Keys. We spent a few days there, and on two of them I finally managed to get some scuba diving in on a natural coral reef. Over two days, I managed to get four dives in totaling about 4 hours of bottom time, which is almost my total bottom time from all of last year. The reef (and the weather) were beautiful, and I got a chance to swim around a sea turtle, moray eel and some pretty large stingray (not to mention all of the colorful fish and coral).

This got me up to about 30 dives total since I took it up, and I've had the chance to dive around some really interesting shipwrecks, see some beautiful seascape and swim with oodles of different fish including sharks and goliath grouper.

Biggest thing for the forum is to say thanks to @achris - I appreciate the advice given to freely and enthusiastically. He let me ask a bunch of questions, and answered them all. That really helped me out getting going and I've really enjoyed the different experiences I've managed to have.

 

[Scott Danforth]

'kogs...... pics or it didnt happen

 

[alldodge]

I don't dive much anymore because there's no point to do it in fresh water lake unless something is lost. Have several tanks but they just sit.

 

[southkogs]

'kogs...... pics or it didnt happen

I'm the hippo on the left playing the bagpipe.

I decided against carrying a camera with me diving for a while. I've spent so much of my life staring through a viewfinder that I missed a lot of the larger world around me. So, for the time being I'm not shooting many photos ... just kinda' "being" while there.

Someone else did get a shot of the turtle (not me in the background):

 

[briangcc]

When it's warmer, much warmer, come on up to St Lawrence River. There's a bunch of wrecks you can dive between Clayton and Alex Bay (probably more but that's the area I'm familiar with). They're well marked on nav maps and you frequently see people diving on them. One's right across from Singer Castle so hop over there for a tour afterwards.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I'm the hippo on the left playing the bagpipe.

Blew beer out my nose.....

 

[achris]

@southkogs What more can I say, but...

 

[achris]

... and I've really enjoyed the different experiences I've managed to have.

You have one more 'experience' to have before your 'education' is complete.

You have to dive in the Indian Ocean!

Chris.........

 

[southkogs]

^^^ it's on the list!

Right now I have more travel to do than I'll ever manage. But if the time comes, I'll be sure to let you know. Heck, maybe the chance to meet somewhere in the middle will pop up too!

 

[southkogs]

I don't dive much anymore because there's no point to do it in fresh water lake unless something is lost. Have several tanks but they just sit.

Most of 2021 I was doing pretty simple dives in the lakes here in Middle Tennessee. It was basically analogous to tripping face first into a mud puddle - but I did practice all kinds of training stuff that I probably wouldn't otherwise.

I did a couple simple dives up in Michigan on the lake my family's cottage is on, and while it was COLD it was a pretty interesting time there. I will likely do that again and try a couple of spots on that lake that we thought of. Plus, I have heard the shipwreck dives up around Thunder Bay are pretty interesting. I just hope I can put long johns on under the wetsuit.

 

[achris]

...Plus, I have heard the shipwreck dives up around Thunder Bay are pretty interesting.

Hmmm. There's a few. (yes, I have charts for everywhere in the world!)

I just hope I can put long johns on under the wetsuit.

Long johns under wetsuit isn't uncommon.

 

[achris]

I recently dived a wreck. It's the Gemini resting upside down in 30m of water.. It's not as big or extensive as I was hoping, but I did get a few good crayfish off it. The photos aren't anything to be proud of

 

[achris]

@southkogs Just had a search and see that Huron is fresh water. You find yourself sinking like a brick the first time diving freshwater after salt? ()

 

[southkogs]

@southkogs Just had a search and see that Huron is fresh water. You find yourself sinking like a brick the first time diving freshwater after salt? ()

So, funny but just the opposite really: I've been diving fresh water for the past 18 months or so. Generally load 12lbs in the BC and sink like a brick.

In salt, I had been diving with about 16lbs, but as it turns out between my losing some weight (despite the boat photo above) and having decided to wear the wet suit I had to keep adding weight each subsequent dive. By the time I finally trimmed out well I was carrying 20lbs.

 

[southkogs]

@achris This is what I've been reading about and talking with guys in Michigan about: https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/visit/ - my family's cottage is about an hour drive away from Alpena, MI so this is an easy area for me to get to. Apparently, there are some surprisingly nice dives in the area. Not too many operators, so I've found a couple of local dudes who would let me help out with gas and tag along on their boat.

I've been down on this wreck: https://scubapanamacitybeach.net/panama-city-beach-dive-the-uss-strength/ and on this one: https://scubapanamacitybeach.net/panama-city-beach-dive-the-black-bart/ - the Black Bart (Second one) was the more interesting, but both were very fun to go around. I wasn't fishing but a couple of other guys were pulling snapper and grouper up outta' them.

 

[achris]

Hey @southkogs Just heard about this. -> https://www.bonneterremine.com/diving

Looks interesting. Something I would definitely do. It is far from you?

Chris.......

 

[southkogs]

I definitely will do Bonne Terre in the next couple of years. I have a good friend who is considering getting certified and is a spelunker. I've explored a couple of cave systems here in Middle Tennessee with him, so I thought it'd be cool to do that one with him.

The Georgia Aquarium is another one that looks cool do dive: mainly because of the whale shark you're in the tank with

There are also a couple of springs down in Florida that I'd like to give a go; the Devil's Den being the first on the list.

 

[achris]

I definitely will do Bonne Terre in the next couple of years. I have a good friend who is considering getting certified and is a spelunker. I've explored a couple of cave systems here in Middle Tennessee with him, so I thought it'd be cool to do that one with him.

The Georgia Aquarium is another one that looks cool do dive: mainly because of the whale shark you're in the tank with

There are also a couple of springs down in Florida that I'd like to give a go; the Devil's Den being the first on the list.

Yeah cave diving, no! I've read too many (factual) books about cave divers.. Most end up spending the rest of days at the bottom of a cave! (search Deon Dreyer, Don Shirley, David Shaw, Bushman's Hole)

Whale shark... Pftt. I have a big ocean cavern that normally has up to half a dozen grey nurse. Some up to 2.5m long, and completely wild. Dived there a few times, it's brilliant.

Chris.........

 

[southkogs]

I find that I'm not really into the idea of too much technical diving - I'm not going into caves, or wrecks unless there's some type of tour system like Bonne Terre. If I'm reading right most of those springs have caves, but they're not the main diving thrust of the spot.

I don't think I have had a salt dive yet that didn't have a shark in the area: had an 8' sandbar shark (probably the coolest to watch so far), a few that I couldn't determine what they were and several nurse sharks (last one was biggest, maybe about 6' or 7').

Right now I'm really into seeing the rays. Not sure why, but I'm really itching to see a manta or eagle.