Notes from the February Meeting

RochesterScuba.org

Our new president Joe Velie unveiled a number of new ideas for the coming year.

1. New club banner to display at the lake, during club meetings, at club promotions, etc. The sign shop made a bit of a boo-boo and is fixing a mistake, so we should have the corrected sign available at the March meeting. (Even with the mistake, it looked pretty sharp.)
2. New easy-to-remember URL for website: RochesterScuba.org
3. Recruiting new members: club officers will handle the plans; you can volunteer to help. We'll have a DVD available for classroom presentations and some guidelines to help you, along with a brochure and small "business cards" with the website URL.
4. Membership benefits: NEW 50% discount on equipment rental at MDC Sports on summer holiday weekends (Memorial Day, 4^th of July, Labor Day); discounted price on annual pass to Lake Wazee.
5. More structure to meetings: speakers will use podium so it's easier for the group to listen; planned agenda will be described in the newsletter in more detail; we'll keep meetings moving along so club business is finished quickly and we can get on with the interesting stuff; trip reports should use the new form to help cover the important info; meetings will start at 6:30pm and should be done around 8pm, with time for visiting afterward.
6. Upcoming activities are on the club calendar; first big one: Dive Into Spring on Saturday April 22^nd.

Our new treasurer Chris Christopherson has audited the books he received from Ron Oman and things appear to be in good order; Ron is now absolved from his former duties as our long-time treasurer, and we'd like to thank him for his many years of service to the club. Balance is $2444.52. Recent expenses include $250 to Jackson County Parks for 10 discounted Wazee passes.

We discussed membership dues briefly; we agreed that things would be simpler to have a calendar-year membership from January through December. There was also some discussion about the price of a family membership. The officers are formulating the final plans for this transition.

John Westgard presented a short trip report on his recent diving in Cozumel. See his story and photos later in this issue.

Jim Campos led a discussion on deep diving.

Remember to check the Blackdive Forums to keep up-to-date on diving plans and trip reports. It's fun! Also check out the For Sale page to find some great deals on used gear.

Call for Stories

If you'd like to write a trip report for publication in the newsletter, please do so! Send email to Roger Southwick. Or, if you'd like to present a brief trip report at a club meeting, please use this form to help guide your story. We'd like to publish your photos too.

The editor would like to extend a big THANK YOU to our contributing writers for this month's issue!

March Meeting Agenda

1. Welcome guests and new members
2. Unveil the new club banner
3. Club Business
   1. Upcoming events
   2. New yearly membership (Jan-Dec), pro-rated for partial year
   3. Sign-up sheet for "Dive Into Spring" event
   4. Sign-up sheet for club recruitment at classes
4. Teaser for April meeting presentation on Cozumel
5. Dive quiz - with prizes!
6. "DIR Essentials" class report by Terry Ostby
7. Line-laying presentation by our own cave divers
8. Explanation of "Dalton's Diamond" by Joe Velie
9. Quest Articles and Dive Xtras goodies!

Melissa Erickson

My Essentials Vacation:
The Elusive Pursuit of Perfection

by Melissa Erickson

This past weekend I took the DIR Essentials course. At first I was ambivalent about taking the course as, while knowing I'd be learning new skills as demonstrated by the DIR gang when I see them diving, I was struggling to see how it could affect my life as a recreational diver that profoundly. For many years now I've happily been getting into the water, seeing things, getting out of the water, and essentially not killing myself or others. Pretty successful diving career in my book.

Now however, I appreciate the enthusiasm with which DIR is embraced and promoted by those who have gone before. First of all, it was a heck of a lot of fun. We were challenged to honestly assess our skills as a diver, from things as basic as kicking with fins to buoyancy. Joe Talavera, the instructor from California who came to teach it, is honest with us, but in a non-confrontational way. I now appreciate the use of the frog kick in recreational arenas. And the ability to swim BACKWARDS for close reef inspections or photography is a critical skill in my book! Paul Schwingler, also in the class, wrote up a piece about his experience and closes it with this: "It is not recommended, nor is it suggested. It is, in fact, as the name implies: Essential -- for ALL divers from basic open water to advanced cave divers." I would have to agree with him.

The class had three parts:

Part one was discussion of dive theory. We were introduced to the concept of 'Deco on the Fly', which, even though recreational divers aren't planning decompression dives, Joe Talavera had some good points about how we currently execute dives to 100 feet: Ascending at our computer's rate to 15', spending 3 minutes, and surfacing. But perhaps there's a better way that minimizes the size and quantity of bubbles formed on ascent by stopping at prescribed depths for a period of time. We discussed dive planning as being far more robust than the PADI BWRA(C)F and predive orientation of just giving max depth, time, air supply, and direction. Also he went into different methods of planning a dive for air concerns and the idea of "Rock Bottom" - how to figure out the pressure at which you must call a dive to be assured to have enough air for you and your buddy to safely ascend. I came away from the Dive Theory portion thinking "there are smarter ways to dive."

Part two was the practical application. Equipment: The two things the class does require is paddle-type fins and a long-hose regulator. The kicks we learned and air sharing drills focus on techniques unique to these two items. While the stiffness of the Scubapro Jet Fins gives immediate feedback to the diver on whether their fin is pushing water or slicing through the water, two students did use their Mares Avanti fins for the class. (One bought Jetfins after class on Sunday though; after using both, he wanted the stiffer blade.) The other student is sticking with her Avanti fins and she was able to do the skills, but in the video you could see where her fins, being softer at times, were working against her. As for Buoyancy Control Systems, in our group of 5, we all had backplates and wings. However, this particular class does not require them. Jacket-style or back-flotation BCDs are ok too. Joe would demonstrate skills and have us try to mimic him. John Preston videotaped the attempts.

Part Three of the course was evaluation of the practical, which meant we watched Preston's videos and critiqued ourselves. Joe Talavera found good things to say about all of us and gave us good feedback and specifics on how we can improve. While this often led to great comedy, it was a fun way to see ourselves and to better understand the big picture. Joe sent us each an email with a personal evaluation at the end of the course, giving us final feedback and suggestions.

Overall, the entire experience is fabulously worth it. It was fun and has given me new things to practice while I'm hanging out in the pool with OW1 divers. I think this course has great application for any recreational diver, and after you experience the course, I think you'll see why we're trying to get it approved as a PADI specialty. I am now a convert. I have an appointment to get my DIR tattoo on Tuesday.

[ Check out a nice description of DIR diving here on the Blackdive Forums (login required). ]

Coral Reefs: Cities Under the Sea

Dave has this to say: "It was quite enjoyable. The food was great, and Dr Murphy's portrayal of the reefs like that of a city was fun and a very good learning experience for both of us. The timing for me was good with Cozumel coming up next month. We were told that the event was sold out."

Paul Schwingler

Wazee vs Shrek

by Paul Schwingler

I woke up this morning and knew right away that this would be no ordinary morning. This was no usual Saturday in February. No, this morning was different. This morning was special. Today I would meet and conquer an old foe... a foe by the name of Lake Wazee. For years the lake had sat there, taunting me, tormenting me. "Try to beat me" it would say. "I dare you." Today though, with the help of my faithful dive partner, Alex Carlson, I would beat my nemesis.

We were scheduled to meet at MDC around 8 am, so I left around 7:45, all the way thinking how sweet the taste of victory would be. I arrived on schedule, but to my surprise, I had failed to bring my gloves with me. I also was missing the one piece of equipment no diver should ever be without: BEEF JERKY. I had to make a snap decision. Do I turn back, conceding victory temporarily? Or do I push on, and adapt and improvise? I chose to move forward, counting on my superior instincts and ingenuity to overcome this handicap.

Alex steps out from the Tahoe. "I love the smell of Nitrox in the morning" he says. I know he’s at the top of his game both mentally and physically. But today we both will need to push our skills and knowledge beyond our limits and into uncharted territory if we are to succeed. We load up the truck and set off on the great adventure.

The ride up to Wazee is tense. Over and over again we prepare in our minds for the coming trials. We check and recheck our gear and discuss our dive plan. Two hours and several cups of Kwik Trip coffee later, we arrive at our destination.

[ Before I go on, I would like to editorialize for a second. The Hawaiian Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee from Kwik Trip is neither Hawaiian, nor chocolaty, nor nutty. It tastes like regular black coffee! ]

Despite this, morale remained high as we focused on our goal. We reached our point of entry on the boat launch and set up our gear. Although we both had drysuits, I would be diving without one very important piece of equipment: I had no dry gloves and instead would be forced to use wetsuit gloves. I knew I could handle it. The lake would break before I did.

As soon as we set up our gear, we realized that the lake had once again thrown us for a loop. What we thought would be an open-water dive due to recent high temperatures would, in fact, be a semi-ice dive. For several meters from the shore, a thick layer of impenetrable ice had formed, blocking our entry into the water. I attempted to employ an experimental ice-breaking method first developed by myself and Jim Campos (see videos on blackdive.net) by using my "rear" to break the ice. Failure! The aqueous lattice was too thick and strong. Alone, I was defeated. But with the help of Alex, we soon punched a hole big enough for us to squeeze through to open water.

We formulated our dive plan, choosing to advance to the shallow platform and follow the line to the 70ft platform. There we would commence drills until satisfied with each other’s performance. We suited up and made our way to the water, through our ice tunnel and into open water. Once there, we ran through pre-dive checks and s-drills. We began our descent. Suddenly, disaster struck! My backup regulator began to freeflow, costing us precious gas and threatening to scrub the entire expedition! If not for the quick thinking and skill of Alex, all would have been lost. He replaced my second stage with a spare G250 and the problem was solved.

The dive resumed. We descended past the fish cribs to the 20ft platform. Once there we spotted the line and proceeded to the 70ft platform. It was during this stage of the journey that the lake once again struck back at us. The thermocline was sudden and drastic. Alex endured with little ill-effect, but my hands, which were not protected by the dry gloves he wore, soon began to freeze up. At 50ft and 17 minutes into the dive, I was forced to signal an end to our endeavor. I had ceased to feel my fingers and could no longer function as a member of our dive team. We returned to the surface and sought warmth in the truck.

We returned to Rochester, stopping only for pizza and coffee. During the ride home, we analyzed our dive techniques and made suggestions to each other for improvement. The forces of nature had been arrayed against us, and we were unable to overcome them. However, we've taken from this experience lessons that we'll put to use the next time we face Wazee. So after all, it was not a total loss, proving once again: it’s not where you dive or for how long that counts, rather it’s WHO you dive with.

John Preston

How to get stuck at Spring Valley Caverns

story by John Preston, photos by John Ackerman

On February 4^th I made my first journey to the potential dive site deep within Spring Valley Caverns (SVC). I met up with John Ackerman & Clay Kraus and within minutes we were gearing up inside the building that they built a few years ago to house the entrance to the caves. John A. explained the route we would be taking to get to the site.

John reaches the bottom and peers into the "tight" passage leading to the sump.

Earlier e-mails should have been a tip-off to what I was getting into. Such as "we should do a dry run" or "there is a spot that's a little tight", or at the previous MSS meeting where one of the guys who helped clear mud from the restriction said "yeah, it’s tight" and he was much smaller than me. But once again I was determined to make the push and we took all my dive gear in.

"... both shoulders were snugly against the floor and ceiling of the cave. At the same time I could feel the walls on each side taking their grip on me."

Most of the route was a downward descent. We walked briefly across some rocks and just kept going deeper into the valley of death. It was almost a zig-zag descent to a narrow fracture that John A. pointed out: the crack that led to the sump. I looked down and to the right and said "what crack?" Once I was nearly on top of it I had to get on my knees just to see in, and I saw a small little hole that would lead to my next therapy session.

John starts into the passage.

So Ackerman would go in first, then me, then Clay. Ackerman explained how I'd go through: all I had to do was put one arm in front of me and turn on my side, suck it in and push on; if it got a little tight, I'd hold onto the loop of the rope that he dragged into the hole, and he would pull me through. So I finally got my body twisted around to get into the hole, where the main wall was only about 18" away, forming a "T". I was hardly able to contort enough to get into it, and pushed in about 5 feet until both shoulders were snugly against the floor and ceiling of the cave. At the same time I could feel the walls on each side taking their grip on me. Damn, was I having fun or what!? I told Ackerman I couldn’t move any further; he said "grab the rope" and he gave a big tug on it and I jammed into the restriction tighter than ever. Within a few seconds I could feel my right arm losing circulation and starting to go numb, then pain in my right shoulder. I told him I wasn’t going to fit and we tried to look over where I was stuck. By then I was getting a little antsy and said I was ready to get pulled back out, so Clay was able to reach my feet and gave them a pull. I didn’t go anywhere. I told Ackerman to count to 3 so I could exhale and relax and then have Clay pull me. Once he counted off I exhaled and Clay was able to free me from my little tomb. From there I nearly had to do a hand stand just to get out of the "T" restriction,

Nothing to fear but fear itself.

but once vertical the much-needed air and comfort of space within the cave was once upon me and I realized I had survived the burial. We all discussed what needed to be done to clear the restriction and Clay & John A. came up with a plan to blast some small parts out. I suggested blowing it up completely and making it a walk-in, but to no avail.

So now I will be returning back to SVC Saturday February 11^th to attempt the dive again, hopefully reaching the water where I feel safer than being with those crazy dry cavers.

Will let you all know of the next journey into HELL!!!

John Preston

See more pictures of the next attempt here. (This one was successful!)

John Westgard Cozumel by John Westgard Originally published on the Blackdive Forums. General Observations upon arrival: My wife Paige and I went to Cozumel for a post-anniversary vacation. We left on January 27 and returned February 3rd. While there, we got a real good look at the damaged that hurricane Wilma did to not only the Island of Cozumel, the reefs, but also the area from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen. Being as I’m cheap, I caught a great deal by choosing to fly Friday to Friday into Cancun on MLT (Champion Air) charter. It’s a charter flight, if you don’t like crowds and waiting... pay the extra and fly with the big boys directly into Cozumel. Landing in Cancun you could still see a lot of water in the "woods", lost of light colored earth (sand covered), and many trees downed or stripped. Once on the bus to Playa, the damage was still seen here and there in buildings, signs, stuff like that. Lessened as we got closer to Playa. Had to wait for the Ferry (skips the 2pm trip, it's 1 or 3!). Beggars... hadn’t seen that before. Got on the ferry and "cruised" to the island. For those that know me, you know I have issues with boats and keeping nourishment inside my body. "We went down the tube and out an opening to the left to see a 5 or maybe even 6 foot blacktip reef shark at the exit swimming by." Well, good thing someone invented the MP3 player or I’d be bag dancing. Ahhh, Cozumel at last! Grabbed our gear, bolted to the cabbies and headed straight for the Caribe Blu (officially pronounced Kah-Reeb-Bay Blue). Got checked in, dumped the gear out in the room and proceeded to get my groove on. Futile, I have no groove, so Paige and I headed out to look at the immediate area, the work going on EVERYWHERE, greet our friends and get a bite to eat. The hotel: Looks the exact same as always, bright clean paint job, same decorations, lobby is different... no wall facing the ocean. Now it's completely open-air with drop-down screens. Much nicer! Internet access in the lobby... bring your laptops, they’ve got Wi-Fi! (Just because they have it, doesn’t mean ya gotta use it... you are on vacation!) C’mon, what about the damage? Either the hotel itself weathered good or the repair crews are amazing. The damage still there was the front area facing the sea and right up to the ocean’s edge. That was pretty much washed away, as was the dock. That is being rebuilt, in fact... the workers were kickin’ butt and made great progress while we were there. For those going in March, it won’t look like it does right now. They poured the framework for part of the dock, which will be much bigger and covered with wood. Jeanie says it should hold up better "next time". Restaurant is up & running as usual. Same cooks, great food. One note: there is no alcohol sold on the premises at this point (licensing problem). Get your "treats" at Chedraui (the grocery store halfway into town... has everything! Like a Super Walmart). The marina/dry dock next door to the hotel is HOSED. All but 2 walls gone, dock area busted up, walls surrounding the area gone – no mas! Too much about the rest of the island and its damage, but a lot got beat-up, crumbled, holes blown into them, etc. You get great views of the damage heading to the dive sites by boat. Ocean front at the start of the trip; workers were adding real estate back to the hotel property -- one rock at a time. We’ve all seen the damage, what about diving? Is there any reef left? First off, there is NO REASON to go somewhere else on vacation just because you’re unsure of what is left. BS, they need the money, the diving is great, people are friendly, and the cervesa is cold! Chankanaab: The beach and all of that is no longer. Period. The reef was stripped bare. No one goes there and won't. There isn’t even any cleanup going on it was trashed so bad. That place does not define the diving or the excitement of Cozumel. Move on from that and enjoy the vacation. Bottom line is... Paige and I would’ve stayed longer if we had the ability to. We are already planning our return trip there. Arrived Friday, opted for the late morning diving Saturday (10:00 am). It’s the "easy" boat trip out. Typically the bigger boat, to a mellow site, with around 12 people including a sandwich and a coke. Nice, but not what I really like, but it was the first diving and we needed the easy entry program. Paige hadn’t been in the ocean in a while, and I hadn’t tried the HalcApek system in saltwater... not sure what weight I needed (2 lbs, in case you’re wondering). Saturday Punta Tunich & Paradise: Big rays, no obvious damage, nurse sharks, lots of fish, lots of fish, nice corals and a lot of variety. Too bad the morons with the group thought it was ok to use an 8" metal rod to poke at everything. Learn some buoyancy and stay off the reef! Get a clue as to what your fins are doing behind you! Paradise looked like someone sprinkled sand lightly on everything, and every now and then you’d see a chunk detached. Sunday Columbia Deep & Paso De Cedral: "Now boarding – all passengers aboard the Cozumel Express. Please keep your gauges and arms in their tucked and secure positions. No Finning necessary. Sit back, relax, stay neutral and enjoy the ride." Low viz (lots of sand floaters), heavy current at Columbia, but nurse sharks and turtles! Cedral had current, but not as bad. Still lots of sharks, big eels, turtles. Cool anemones. Better viz. Monday Turtles & Tarpons (2 dives): Hopped into Chiquimax and across the great divide to the mainland. No kidding, we headed straight for the south side of Playa Del Carmen just offshore from Xcaret. Dropped in at around 80' and floated along. They, the Blue Angel people, call it Turtles & Tarpon for a reason. Jorge said the Tarpon wont be there until March, but there were turtles! I stopped counting at 25, and there were a heck of a lot more than that. Huge ones -- I stretched out and slowed over one and its shell was as long as I was tall. They didn’t care we were there, they just looked up and winked. Also really BIG morays. Green monsters of the deep! Here’s the hi-lite: we got to see a Flying Gurnard on the bottom, and when Steve (guy from Michigan) came by with his camera, it spread its "wings" and was AWESOME! Got to see a baby nurse shark swimming by, about a 2-footer. Almost got it done. Now they need to concentrate on the dock! Night shore dive at Caribe Blu: Paige and I started out just before the sun set. Headed out towards the grasses & then south against the current. Wow, where’s the beef? Obviously the reef suffered a striptease, but there was plenty to see one the lights went out. Headed against the current for 25 minutes, then turned toward shore and floated back with the light illuminating some awesome sights. Not a lot of corals, at least not like it was. But we still saw scorpion fish, juvenile spotted drum, lots of small rays – spotted & green, a variety of urchins, lots of fish, squid, sand divers, cowfish, trunkfish, sea stars and more. Forty-six minute dive and we both liked it A LOT! Tuesday Tom Connery and his wife Marilyn came over from Cancun to spend the night. Tom, Paige and I went out for the afternoon dive (1:30 start time). Marilyn snorkeled at the hotel and kept the pool chairs warmed up for us. Tormentos & Las Palmas: Almost no current at Tormentos, lots of corals. Jorge found a 3-4 inch white-nose pipefish. I saw a tiny (1-inch) slender filefish -- very cool! Lots of time to look at the small stuff. Saw lots of splendid toadfish. My favorite type of diving on a reef! Las Palmas had a strong current. I screwed up and didn’t check my pressure gauge at all, until I reached the bottom. By then it was too late: only 2000psi. Better be calm! Of course then the current changed and we all used more air than expected. Paige’s computer had her within 5 minutes of her NDL so we ascended. Great learning experience. Fun dive, as we saw 4 big spotted eagle rays, 2 turtles. Surfaced with 300psi & then had to deploy the Halcyon marker to get the boat's attention as the captain took the 2 snorkelers from Holland closer to shore. The guy was curious why we wore wetsuits. I bit my tongue, wanting to say we needed something to pee into. I think Paige saw the look in my eyes and gave me the "shut up" look. Shore night dive: Night dive saw more life than the previous night at the reef in front of the hotel. Big octopus didn’t care we were even there! Saw a jacknife and a spotted drum within feet of each other. Big spaghetti worms too! Wednesday Jorge asked the group as we were headed out of the marina his usual question: "where do you want to go?" Since no one else answered, I being the shy one spoke up. "Punta something... Sur." Off we went. We get there and he starts to mention "the Devil's Throat". Suddenly everyone else on the boat wants to put in their lack of interest in this death-defying dive experience. Chickens! OK, so we decide to ride the topside of the reef and see what we can see. We get to the entrance of the Devil's Throat and Jorge motions to Tom and me that the entrance goes to the right and down. We agree and head in. Now let me point out I have NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, nor has Tom Connery. We know enough to go to the right and down, but that’s it. We head in, knowing what lies before us: a drop from 80’ to 130’ and out at the edge of the abyss. Tom goes in first... sucker! I follow, then get him to turn around and head to the right, not left. Then down the tube and out an opening to the left to see a 5 or maybe even 6 foot blacktip reef shark at the exit swimming by. Very cool, I’ve always wanted to see a shark other than a nurse shark. Wow, I think... that was easy. No big deal... except my depth gauge reads 117’. Now there is a new dive destination in Cozumel named by Thomas Connery called "the Devil’s Nostrils". Had we continued right and down again, that would have been the throat. Like boogers, we shot out a bit early. After that it was what Jorge called a "chamber dive". Columbia shallows: max 35 feet. Nice dive! Over an hour dive and lots of corals to look at. Saw a nice nurse shark too. Different corals than I’ve seen in the past, so the hurricane didn’t win! New footings and base for the dock, which will be bigger and better than before. Wood planking for a top, which should give out better than full concrete. Tom and Marilyn headed back to the luxury condo in Cancun to finish off their 2-week vacation. Night Boat Dive to Paradise reef: LOTS of octopus!!! Did a fair amount of coral feeding, drawing the plankton and bloodworms into the anemones and zooanthids. There was also an adults-only show going on with the basket sponges (they were venting). It was another hour-long dive, very nice! Thursday The final day of diving... boo hoo. There were plans to go do a DEEP dive at Maracaibo Reef, but the winds determined that we play it a little closer to home base. Very choppy waters. We headed out for dives at Santa Rosa Wall and then Punta Tunich Wall. Santa Rosa was beautiful as always with a moderate current. Lots of swim troughs! Very slow ascent and then on the boat. Surface interval was kinda rough for me, much concentration going on! We headed to Tunich and then dropped in for the ride of a lifetime. Tunich Wall had a big current, the fastest I had ever experienced. That would have been fine, but the down draft was a bit "over the top". Jorge has to "rescue" and older lady and her husband who were just too freaked-out by the current. He signaled to me that the lady was not OK, and he was taking them up. I signaled back I would watch the other 4. Well, one got a bit out of bounds and headed up. I last saw Frank at about 25 feet deploying a marker buoy and giving me the OK signal. Down to 3. We all stayed together, having fought the current and downdraft enough to give up and inflate. We got to about 50’ and everything slowed a bit. Thank God, I needed to catch my breath! Hanging out doing a little deco practice and a HUGE, I mean HUGE, spotted eagle ray came in, circled and stayed below us. The sun came out and it was like someone had flipped the "on" switch on the ray. Sooooooo beautiful. Great end to a fun week of diving. Met some really fun people from different parts of the country and world. As always, treated like royalty at the Caribe Blue and by the entire staff at Blue Angel. Go diving, have fun, meet strange people! Life is too short to get stuck in a rut! Check out more of John's pictures in the Blackdive Gallery.

In The News

• Diver survives 3 days in open sea
• Jaws author Peter Benchley dead at age 65
• Shark attacks down worldwide
• Sharks' future in doubt as they shun ocean depths
• Explorers Discover Huge Cave and New Poison Frogs

Upcoming Events

Apr 1 - 8 (Sat - Sat)

Project Cozumel -- directly help out with some reconstruction in Cozumel

Apr 12 (Wed) - 7pm, Pillsbury Hall, U of Mn campus: MSS meeting

Sgt Preston is at it again, this time with Goliath's Cave: Beyond the Sump. Scary!

See the calendar for other activities.