bmoore

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Finally after 7 months of deliberation, set backs and planning, "He Whose Names Shall Not Be Spoken", Matt and I finally made it to the Top Secret Clearance Only, super duper secret, honey spot.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Seas were not bad going out..a bumpy 2-3.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">This wreck is was reported in 214-220 feet of water..as we pulled up the bottom machine was reading 214. I threw the anchor and watchedit go down at least 100ft. We were in as close to "blue water" as I had ever seen.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The plan was as follows. I would suit up with dual 112 lp tanks on my back, filled to 3000 psi, have a 40 cubic foot, ean 50/50 bottle and a 19 cubic foot 100% 02 bottle. Would breathe the 50/50 down to 70ft switch to the back gas, 20 minutes later head to the service and reverse the procedure. Then finish off decompressing with 100 % at 20-10 feet. A safety diver would splash 15 minutes after I signaled I was ok and on the way down. He would meet me coming back up the anchor around 120-150 feet, check on me and take any fish/gear I did not need and shoot a little video.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Well I splash with 200+lbs of gear on, hit the anchor line and double check that all is green and go. This is the big one! I signal to my buddies I am ok and on the way down I head. The clock is ticking. All goes perfect until, while breathing off the 50/50 at about 50 feet I gulp sea water! WTF! A few seconds of confusion ensue. What is going on? I glance down and see the second stage hanging with the mouth piece still in my mouth. FUD! I look to the surface...should I just go up? Wait I have three other regs on me. By now I am just about to REALLY NEED TO BREATHE! I grab a regulator on my back gas system a little early...oh well, switch the mix on the computer and head down, huffing and puffing hard.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I hit the 200ft mark and was thankful for the narcosis that begins to hit and calms me down a bit. My breathing returns to normal. Narcosis makes me a bit euphoric, gives me a little tunnel vision but has never really wierded me out too terribly. This was definitely the deepest I have ever dove. I am pegging out at 217 in the sand. I was expecting it to be much darker however, due to the "<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Caribbean</st1lace> clear water" it was quite bright. Now calm and slightly buzzed I concentrate on the mission at hand. Big AJ's are every where and 20+ lb snapper is following me around saying " Ha ha you can't shoot me!" (Dont bet on it..I tell him.) But I am after a monster <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Warsaw</st1lace></st1:City>. I circum navigate the wreck and find the wheel house..and there he is..big grey head, beady glowing, yellow eyes.. a 50-60lb warsaw. I line up and he bolts as if there are divers there trying to kill him every day. NUTS! I spend a couple minutes looking for him or another and there is no love. Oh well, my time is almost up so I start to head for the anchor line,...or what I thought was OUR anchor..until i notice it is not an anchor at all but some piece of cage like debris...(narcosis knocking a bit now). Do I free ascend for a 40+ minute deco? NO, go back and FIND THE ANCHOR <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">MORON</st1lace></st1:City>. I return to the wreck and re-orient myself. I came from the left. I head a back the way I came and successfully find the anchor line. The big Aj's are still around so I pop one. Up I head. Leaving the bottom two minutes later than planned. 22 minutes. Not too bad. I meet my safety diver at 120 feet and he takes the fish and some video, then bags himself an Aj. The school was following me up.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">40 minutes later I am back, sitting on the boat. I spent an extra two minutes at 10 decoing on the pure 02 and hit the surface 62 minutes after splashing. <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">AWSOME DIVE!<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I did not dive again that day but the rest of the crew bagged three scamp, another AJ, a mess of triggers and one shovel nose.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Thanks to my support team and the skipper for geting us there and back in one piece! (The ride home was a bit nerve racking. Seas hitting the 5-7 foot mark but we made it safely.)<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Will have a link to a little video clip up shortly.......<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Some pics so you can see how clear the water was...the video was shot at 120-150 feet.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">

true-king

Man, that's crazy deep. Too bad about the warsaw.

ruger270

That was an insane dive Brian. Glad everything went smooth andand the way you planned it. Also, thanks for not posting a picture of my aj compared to your's. I was embarassed I shot the smallest aj out of the whole school.

Telum Pisces

Excellent post Brian. That is some crazy deep diving. I don't think I will ever get down that deep. I can't stand having anything hanging off of me. I try to dive as minimal as possible. Sounds like you had it planned out and stuck to it, despite one little FUBAR'd reg.

That's too bad about the Warsaw. Glad you made it back in one piece.

Orion45

WOW. Sounds like you had a plan and dove the plan.

:clap

kennethmandel62

can't wait to watch the video Brian

spearfisher

awesome dive Brian. I still haven't shot a Warsaw, but it's on the short list. What was back gas?

P.S. I didn't know it dropped off so quickly right next to the Massachussettes?

seanmclemore

congrats on the dive...would have been real fun if the viz was 20' like the last couple months...glad to hear that you made it safe. wonder how big a 60+ grouper feels when the narcosis is kickin.

cheers:letsdrink

bmoore

I had ean 21% on my back....lol air.

I will say this. I know I fired my gun twice. I remember reloading it...once, not real smoothly, took me two tries, shooting the AJ and then coming up..with the gun discharged. So I fired twice.

But I have no recollection of what the first shot was at, or even remember pulling the trigger.

jameswirth

tunis, man.... tunis.