DPV 1 Weekend

21 05 2013

Sunday, May 19th, 2013 ~

I decided to head to the quarry, where Steve was running a GUE DPV 1 course. I joined the guys for a couple of dives, and took some surface shots!

There were quite a few people bungee jumping, too. Even though people say, “Never Say Never,” to which I usually agree. I can safely say that you will never catch me doing that. I would sooner jump out of a plane (with a parachute, of course).

Scooters for everyone!

Doing GUE EDGE!

Hong is A-OK!

Going back in!

Bottom Time (for me): 57 mins.
Max. Depth: 28′
Water Temp.: 53F (above first thermocline, at 13′); 48F (below first thermocline)

Some after dive smiles!

Sunday, May 20th, 2013 ~

Today, to the River! A few skills, then the Experience Dive! Eric joined us too, to go for a bit of a scooter run!

Hong, bringing gear down to the water.

We were doing a couple of dives today!

For the first dive, there were some skills to get finished up. All went very well!

Bottom Time: 38 mins.
Max. Depth: 31′
Water Temp.: 51F

The second dive was the Experience Dive, which was really fun. We scootered upstream, dropped into the channel, and seeing how much this was enjoyed, as a first scooter run, was pretty amazing! We finished up on the Gaskin, where we did a small tour, then made our way back in.

Bottom Time: 58 mins.
Max. Depth: 100′
Water Temp.: 51F

I have a feeling that Hong may have really enjoyed this one…

Way to go, Hong!!! Great job!


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Categories : 2000 + 13

Twenty-Twelve….. What A Year!

31 12 2012

Well, what can I say? 2012 has been a year of adventure, and even took us to far away lands, that we never thought we would see!

Of course, we always start the year off in the confines of the icy cold quarry water.

Of course, it stays like this until the beginning of April…

In February, we had another AGGAST adventure! Laurynn, Kathryn, Karen, and Sonya came to the Great White North, for some of this Ice Diving stuff! Of course, we had a bunch of other friends join us, too!

There were even really neat cupcakes!

Our group shot!

Le Princessi was out to play, as well.

We did have a blast, and we even ended up being DUI Dogs!

http://www.dui-online.com/testimonals/2012/team_aggast.html

Here is a video of our weekend!

In March, the free divers came back! They are such a great group of people, and the fact that they free dive under the ice, just blows me away!

Steve and I then went down to Mexico, and did the DPV Cave Workshop, with Danny. What an amazing week!

We had a couple of days off in between, and went diving with Laurynn and Kathryn. Kathryn took some wicked shots of us, in Minotauro!

Lowering scooters down at Nohoch, was pretty crazy, too…

On our last day, Fred took us to a spot along the ocean that had some flow coming out of it. It was a most awesome day, in the ocean!

Pic taken by Fred Devos…

We had many fun dives in the St. Lawrence River, with new friends and already made friends.

Then, the trip of a lifetime… We were invited onto Elena’s boat, and took a trip around the world (40 hours of travel), to Truk Lagoon. I don’t think I have enough words to describe how incredible this trip was. We met some great friends, were treated like royalty, and did some absolutely amazing dives.

I saw my first sea turtle, got dive-bombed by some big fish (which made me shriek), played with “Nemos,” and saw some of the most amazing wrecks, that I could ever imagine!

Below pics taken by Kevin Davidson…

Pic taken by Leigh Cunningham…

Once we returned, and got back into the River, our 5 year search finally resulted in the finding of that darn truck. Many others have seen it before us, but we just couldn’t seem to find it… until July, 2012. I guess we had to go to Truk, before finding the Truck? Wah wah wah…

Pic taken by Eric’s camera, on a timer…

Steve taught some Fundamentals and DPV 1 courses, as well as did some Rec to Tech upgrades.

Ken and Debbie came for a visit, too!
Mike, Ken, Debbie, Me…

We made it to Kingston, for a long weekend BBQ, just like old times!

Eric and I joined in on a charter with Bottom Time Diving, to help with the SOS Eastcliffe Hall mooring buoy. Luc, Frank, and Sandy had most of it covered, so Eric and I tidied up some of the line. Some crazy surface currents, there!

Then it was time for the 5th Annual Brockville Canadian Invasion! People came from far and wide, and a good time was had by all (I hope)! 🙂 Fred Devos joined us, and gave us a presentation on the Mexico Cave Exploration Project (MCEP), with updates from Ox Bel Ha.

Jenni M was certified this year, and we went to the SOS BBQ, and a dive on the Connie! What a fun day!

The visibility has not been great in the River, this year. I wonder if it has something to do with how warm it got, so quickly. There is also a shortage of zebra mussles, these past couple of years. They are invasive, and cover absolutely everything, but they also give us better vis.

We did quite a few longer scooter dives, this year… and did some investigating in parts that we hadn’t been to before.

Our good friends at DUI made a trip to Alexandria Bay, and since it wasn’t too far, we went to visit! We also did a couple of dives (of course)!

Eric V., Susan L., Me, Steve, Frankie Boy!

Blake, Steve…

Andy, doin’ it Gangnam Style…

I even tried an RB80 on, for size…

We finally scootered out to the Eastcliffe Hall from shore, which was a lot of fun… Even though I came close to thumbing the dive, due to the 2″ visibility, which eventually turned into really nice vis.

…and even more dives, in different parts of the River!

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Eric, Raluca, John, Corey, James, Steve…

Eric, CoRal, Steve…

We also had more friends come to visit, from the US! Eric P. and Tim F. spent their US Thanksgiving weekend with us. We spent a couple of days at the quarry, and a day at the River! We did have other friends join us, too!

Kevin L., Tim F., Me, Eric P. …

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Eric P., Bob S., Tim F., John B., Oren L., Steve…

We then had a small army travel down to Mexico, for some cavezzzzzzz! There were over 30 in our group, and there were even more that we joined in with! Our group had different tasks, to help out with the Mexican Cave Exploration Project (MCEP), retrieving sensors from different systems, as well as helping out at Yax Chen/Ox Bel Ha. Thanks so much to Fred, Chris, Danny, Angelica, Jorge, and Eduardo for handling such a giant group, and helping everything to run so smoothly!

We visited many different systems, and were once again mesmerized by the Mexico CAVEZZZZZZ!

Me, coming out of Mayan Blue: B Tunnel. Pic taken by Ali Fikree!

Messing around in the basin of Mayan Blue. Pic taken by Ali Fikree!

Heleen also took some video of us, in Dos Pisos. What a stunning cave!

…and Xtabay/Chac Mool…

There are a few missing from the group shot, but most of us are here!

With such an event-filled year, it is hard to believe that we could beat this one!

*Cheers* to 2013!


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Categories : Twenty 12

US Thanksgiving Holiday Diving Goodness!

29 11 2012

Friday, November 23rd, 2012 ~

After arriving in the wee hours of the morning, our guests Tim F. and Eric P. had a bit of a rest, then we were up and at ’em, for some Quarry Diving Goodness! Steve was under the weather, so we had to leave him behind, and headed up to the Quebec side.

We also met Kevin L. up there, who was joining us for the day! It was a very grey day, but I brought my camera anyway, to see what kind of shots I could get. Without strobes, I knew that any shots below 40′ would be dull and grainy.

After our gear and bubble checks, I took advantage of the light in the shallows…

Eric P.

Tim F.

Kevin L.

We made our way out to the plane, where there was a new box of goodies…

We played around with the toys for a while (yes, we cleaned up after ourselves, and returned all toys to the box), and then found an extremity…

“Nice to meet you…”

You know… You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose!

We then made our way to the boat, where we took turns swimming through…

Then, down for a visit to the sub, and back up…

Of course, we had to go and visit Morry (the resident shark) for a few pictures.

Bottom Time: 49 mins.
Max. Depth: 61′
Water Temp.: 48F

A great way to start the weekend!

We packed up, and went for a yummy dinner, at Boston Pizza!

Saturday, November 24th, 2012 ~

Today, we were back at the quarry, but added more friends, plus scooters! I decided to leave the UW camera at home, since the sun was hiding. At least I have some surface shots.

We haven’t seen THIS guy in a while!

A pic of the quarry…

Tim, flushing up to be the Michelin Man!

We geared up, and took the guys on a tour of the quarry. We were able to zip around the entire area, as well as drop down to see the cars. The water was pretty chilly down there, and I could actually hear the crispness of my exhaling bubbles… Yeah, yeah… Probably narc’d, right? 🙂 I swear, I can hear how cold my bubbles are!

Of course, we had a bit of Shenaniganry, before making our way back in.

Bottom Time: 50 mins.
Max. Depth: 105′
Water Temp.: 44F (below thermocline)

We dropped our gear off at home, then went out for some Viet Cuisine!

Sunday, Novemer 25th, 2012 ~

Timmy’s for breakfast, and then it was down to the Rivaaaaaaa! The sunshine was very welcoming!

Our group grew even more today, and we had decided on going to visit the old Chevy truck.

I think Oren is glad to be back!

There was also a bit of Gangnam Style going on…

Caught ya, Bob!

Steve jumped in for a glove leak test…

JB, about to gear up!

Discussing the plan of attack…

We teamed up in pairs, even though we were going to stick together. It is easier to keep track of one buddy, instead of 5. Poor Tim was stuck with me. 😛

We headed over to the Gaskin, took our bearing on the trigger, and headed towards the truck. Since the water is cooling off a bit quickly, we opted to stay on the trigger a bit longer, instead of drifting more. Once we thought we were getting close, we let up off of the trigger, spread out, and kept our eyes peeled. Tim and I were on the North side of the brigade, and I had a feeling that we were in the “right” spot, for the truck.

Sure enough, I saw a shadow, as we drifted along. I signaled to Tim, then signaled over to the other guys.. It’s here! It’s here!

w00t! Happy Dances, all around! We took turns checking it out, then made our way back to shore. We saw a fairly large pike, on the way back, and the visibility wasn’t all that great, but it was much better than it has been, lately.

Very much fun was had!

Bottom Time: 1 hour, 4 minutes
Max. Depth: 98′
Water Temp.: 46F

Of course, there was fun dive discussion, before everyone went on their travels home. It was really great to have such a great day of fun, and it was nice to have new visitors!

Y’all come back now, ya hear! 😛


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Categories : Twenty 12

Park It

12 11 2012

Sunday, November 11th, 2012 ~

After paying our respects for Remembrance Day, we ventured down to Centeen Park, to see how the visibility was doing, in the channel. We packed the 26s, since the water is chilling, and longer river dives will have to wait until late spring, now.

When we arrived, we saw hundreds of geese, taking over the waterfront. Since the city had removed the fake foxes and “police tape,” the geese had returned to the lawn. We were dodging goose “bombs,” everywhere we stepped.

A small section of geese…

James, John B., and Eric B. met us for some channel surfing. The sun was shining, which was really nice, and we had a surprise day of 20C, outside! What a beautiful day to dive!

We brought our gear down, and once we geared up and got in the water, it was definitely a bit chilly on our faces. It doesn’t take long to acclimate your face to the water, but that initial face dunk is definitely “refreshing.” We finished our gear checks, verified stage bottles, and were off. The visibility was definitely improving, but still had a bit of a milky glow to it.

We made our way to the park bench, and before carrying on with our plan, James and John decided to drop down into the channel. There was a bit of leakage going on, so they cut it a bit shorter. We carried on for another 7 minutes, then also dropped down. The visibility was fantastic! We saw a few neat bottles, and were in an area of silty dirt river bed. We did not see many fish on this dive, with the exception of a few unlucky ones, with a white “fuzz” wrapped around them.

As we drifted along, we came up to a spot where there were some giant boulders, as well as a small, rocky area, that was very interesting. There were a few items strewn about, including some large round tins. They were almost like giant paint cans. I didn’t touch them, as those kinds of items usually fall apart, if you do.

We spent a little time at depth, but made our way towards the wreck of the Gaskin before too long. The water temps are starting to drop, and our drifts are starting to get a bit shorter! Once there, we didn’t stick around very long, but headed back to the entry.

I really enjoy these dives. Even though we use the same entry when we are here, we always have different places to go and see, dependent on where we drop into the channel. I also enjoy the variance of the currents, and how they are never the same. That, and I have good buddies to play with!

The entry, also showing how low the water levels are, right now. The water is usually over at least the bottom step.

Bottom Time: 1 hour, 14 mins.
Max. Depth: 107′
Water Temp.: 48 F
Visibility: 20′ to 70′ in the channel

Once we got out, we did have some chatter, of course.

We also picked up our gear…

As we brought the gear up, the geese were also changing what side of the park to be on. They were quite leery of us, and would freeze, if we walked near them. I thought it was pretty funny when their procession halted, as I was about to walk through. They waited until I was done, then carried on, to the rest of the gaggle…

After packing up, we headed over to the pub for some Indian food and salad (well, that’s what I had). I have a feeling that there aren’t many river dives left in this season! Soon, we will be quarry-bound!


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Categories : Twenty 12

DUI Dog Demo Day Diving Goodness!

10 10 2012

Saturday, October 6th, 2012 ~

We loaded up the DGTU with gear to last us for the weekend. Once loaded, it seemed like we had enough for a week! We met Blake at a predetermined location, with Frankie and Eric V., behind us. It seemed that there was an important piece of gear that missed the loading process, so Blake and Steve went back to get it. I led the way to the border, in the white van.

We were going to stop for some food, but on the exit that said there was food… well, there were plenty of farmer’s fields, and not much else. I led us through some really pretty rural areas, which eventually led us back to the highway (read: I guess I took the long way back). We then decided to pull over in Brockville, instead. It was lunch time now, anyway.

After lunch, we got to the border, went through, and it did not take much time at all, to reach Alexandria Bay. This was my first time on the US side of the St. Lawrence… as far as shore entry goes! I found a great parking spot, as did Frankie, and we reached the place of Drysuit Goodness!

Just follow the sign!

Frankie, at the entrance…

We registered, found our way inside, said hello to our friends, and checked out all of the goodies! We did not get there for the beginning of the day, but were a little glad, since it had been raining pretty crazily, before we got there!

Faith, with some of our NTD friends!

There were plenty of suits and cuddly undergarments to try on…

Of course, we did not have any fun, at all…
(Just like band camp)…

Once we checked out some of the goodies, socialized a little, and maybe a little more, we decided that it was time to dive! We dropped our gear down at the water, reparked the vehicles, then geared up!

Steve, Blake, and I were a team, and our plan was to scooter around one of the islands, there. Frankie and Eric V. were also a team, and had a different plan.

We made our way out, and found spots with absolutely no current, at all. We made it to the island, and found a really old car/truck, that did not have a roof on it (Chris had told us about one with a roof). We found some really old lines, so decided to follow them for a while, around the island. There were other spots, where the current was extremely strong, and our headway was very slow!

It was a completely new area for us, and we really did enjoy it!

Bottom Time: 75 mins.
Max. Depth: 79′
Water Temp.: 62F
Visibility: Not bad

After our dive, we found our DUI friends, and I got some video of Susan doin’ it Gangnam Style (*snicker*).  We also met up with Chris, Damian, and Patty, before checking into our hotel (Thank you, Faith!).

Sunday, October 7th, 2012 ~

There happened to be a 50’s-type diner, right by our hotel, so we headed over for some Breakfast Goodness! It was like a place out of a Seinfeld episode… and they did actually have Seinfeld playing on a tiny little TV, behind the counter. 😛

After food, we reorganized our gear. Steve and Blake were heading back over to the Canadian side for a dive, while I was going to stay on the US side, and meet Sir Andy, for a dive!

There he is!

James was taking some divers out, who were trying out drysuits!

I thought I recognized these scooters!

Andy and I decided to try out some DUI Powerstretch undies. I have used the older models before, but had not tried out the newer material ones. I had tried them on the day before, and they were definitely snuggly! I talked Andy into trying them, too! *Grin*

We made our way over to the Islander entry, which I had never been to before. I had my short body, and Andy had his Mini G.

There is a really nice entry, and you can tie your scooters off to the hand rail, which is quite convenient. You just have to watch your step as you get in, due to the river rocks! I was slow, in order to stay sure-footed. *Clutz.*

Entry…

We did a little tour around the wreck, as I played with my Go Pro (video to follow, at some point). After a couple of turns around, we made our way toward the floating restaurant, where there are actually under water table settings. There were a few different tables, chairs around them, bottles on the tables, plates, cutlery, and even some jewellery strewn around. It was a pretty fun site! We kept going a bit further, and found a table setting for two! Really cute to see.

We then headed towards the channel, and we saw a massive school of small fish. They just kept coming, and coming, and coming… They were endless!! It was mesmerizing to watch them, and really good to see so much life in the river. There were literally thousands of them!

We wanted to keep our dive short’ish, since we were trying out these magnificent undies, and needed to get them back by 4pm! Back to the entry, out, changed, packed up, and out!

Andy was also doing it Gangnam Style…

Bottom Time: 58 mins.
Max. Depth: 97′
Water Temp.: 62F
Visibility: Not bad in the channel, milky in the shallows.

We were only about 100 seconds away from the event parking lot, so we hurried over… It was 4:03! As we pulled in, I noticed that I had a message from Faith, asking us where we were. Oops! They had packed up a little early, and were ready to roll!

Some of the DUI crew (including the fabulous BBQ chef)…

We handed over our nifty undies (I see a pair of these in my future, for 65F’ish waters), said our “See ya next times,” gave hugs, and took more pictures.. of course.

Susan and Faith: Two of the coolest ladies I know!

Andy also met up with a friend that he hadn’t seen in a while!

Andy and I then crossed the border, and went to Centeen, where we waited for Steve and Blake.

It was starting to get a bit dark, and with the darkness, came chilliness!

When they came ashore, they had done a 6 hour dive, and we were all ready for dinner! Timmy’s, for chili! Then, to Jen and Mike’s, where we stayed for the night!

Monday, October 8th, 2012 ~

Monday morning! Time to dive! Thanksgiving holiday means that we get an extra day of Diving Goodness! Eric, James, Blake, Steve, and I met for some channel surfing!

A bit of scooter checking, first.

Scooters and stages, ready to go…

We headed upstream for 40 minutes, then dropped into the channel. The vis was slightly better in the channel, but definitely nothing to write home about. We stuck together, and had a fun drift! We came back in, played in the shallows, then back in.

Bottom Time: 2 hours, 2 mins.
Max. Depth: 106′
Water Temp.: 62F
Visibility: Stinky, but not as bad as previous dives from Centeen!

Mat’s dogs were having a ton of fun, jumping off of the dock!

There were a few freighters that passed by, too…

I got to try on Steve’s refrigerator.. er… RB80, for size!

From left to right: Eric B., Steve, James, Me, Blake!

Then, meal time! Timmy’s seems to be the new destination of choice, for Chili Goodness!

It was really cool to see our DUI friends, try some new undies, dive in new places, and have just a TON of fun!! Yes, I know… Diving is serious business, right? 🙂

Until the next adventure!


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Categories : Twenty 12

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