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markruble wrote:For me the perfect dive trip would one that would leave a lasting memory. I've had a few over the years. Anyone care to share their favorite or lasting memory dive?

One of my favorites was in the Bahamas when we interacted with a pod of dolphins, or silly as it may seem another was diving the "Living Sea" at Disney. Yes for about 40 minutes I was the plastic diver in a giant fish bowl. The treat was not the fish but the interaction with the people. I made them smile and wave.

My best dive was in June, 2000. We encountered a whale shark that was approx. 20 ft long and stayed with us the entire dive. It continued to swim a slow circle around us and would get close enough to touch.

col cairo wrote:I also dive. We have already planned two trips to the coast this spring. I would assume that the profile of the O would put the tower and maybe the flight deck within safe limits.

Has anyone ever been to the Flower Garden Banks (?) off Texas? I have wanted to dive it for years.

The Flower Gardens are beautiful. The trip is a little rough to get there, and from what I've read they got hit pretty hard by the Hurricanes that went through last year. You might want to wait a couple of years for it to recover before heading there.

NYCPORT wrote:

col cairo wrote:I also dive. We have already planned two trips to the coast this spring. I would assume that the profile of the O would put the tower and maybe the flight deck within safe limits.

Has anyone ever been to the Flower Garden Banks (?) off Texas? I have wanted to dive it for years.

The Flower Gardens are beautiful. The trip is a little rough to get there, and from what I've read they got hit pretty hard by the Hurricanes that went through last year. You might want to wait a couple of years for it to recover before heading there.

Is it a day trip or do you spend the night on the boat? It appears to be quite a ways out.

You're out there for a few days at least.

I'm also a diver! Don't get out as much as I'd like, but my father schedules at least a trip a year. Cozumel was my favorite. I like Maui... but not the diving. Too deep for not enough coral and shortened dive time.

There is a plane that was submerged about 40 feet down in Cozumel... kind of cool.

Lot's of good wreck diving here in NY/NJ. I also have been diving for quite a while..certified in 1988. Many dives here in NY then to Key West for a couple years to work on a couple dive boats. Not that active any more 2-3 trips a year. NY water is now too cold for me as I am becoming a warm water diver. Helium is your friend!!

Memorable dives? Well, I have a few of em. I think the shark feeding dive with Stuart Coves in the Bahama's, is right up there at the top of the list. Nothing like doing a giant stride off the back of a boat into the middle of 20 or 30 Caribbean Reef sharks. Then kneeling in 50 feet of water and being smacked in the head by their tails, as they swim around you. It really was an awesome experience! Then there was my first visit to the Christ of The Abyss site off Key Largo. Even though it's a shallow and easy dive, the sight of Jesus standing there with His outstretched arms is awe inspiring. The wall dives of Grand Cayman are absolutely beautiful, and after going through several swim throughs, you find yourself staring down to the Cayman Trench, and the incredible blue of the water. Words simply can not describe it. Then there's Bonaire. Bonaire is my favorite place to dive. I honestly can not remember a bad dive there. One really stands out though. It was our last full day on the island. I had about 30 hours till the flight. I knew I really shouldn't make a dive, but I just couldn't resist. I grabbed a tank, got my gear on, told the wife and kid I would be back in about 40 minutes, and got in the water. Yes, I was diving solo, but I told myself it would be fine as long as I didn't go too deep. I honestly was planning on staying in the 30 to 40 foot range since I had a flight the next day. Anyway......... I'm having a great dive, sticking to my dive plan, when I spotted them. Down below me were 7 huge Tarpon, just cruising the bottom of the reef looking for lunch. "Wow...look at those guys", I said to myself. "I gotta get a picture of them". Slowly I descend. Argh...can't get a good shot from up here, gotta go a little deeper..........50 feet.............60 feet.......70 feet. Damn,still can't get a really good pic. Finally good sense prevails and I remember that I have to fly the next day, and that I had better just give up on the Tarpon shot. Oh well, thats life, I tell myself. Just then I look away from the reef, towards the open ocean. There's this HUGE black ball just moving slowly through the water. It's changing shape constantly, but it's keeping a tight formation. What the Hell is that I ask myself. I swim slowly towards it... WHOA...... musta been at least a million bait fish all balled together for protection. Thats what the Tarpon were looking for.............LUNCH !! "I wonder what they would do if I tried to get in the middle of their ball", I ask myself. I honestly thought they would scatter as soon as I got really close,but, nope.......they kinda seperated just enough to let me get in the middle of them, then closed ranks again. There I am in the middle of a million bait fish...thats honestly all I could see. Fish EVERYWHERE. They only seperated when I exhaled and my bubbles rose to the surface, then they bunched together again. Talk about an awesome feeling !! Luckily I had 2 exposures left in my camera, and even though you can only see a fraction of the total number of fish around me, it's one of my favorite underwater pics. OK... thinking back at these dives, I really have some serious diving fever now. Sooooo..............WHEN'S THE SCUBA PHLOCKING???

reefdiver. I know exactly what you described. After reading your Bonaire trip I have to say I've been in that situation before. I've been to Bonaire three times over my diving life and not once did I have a horrible time. My first time We stayed at Plaza Resort It was a bit pricy but a great place. and the second time we stayed at the Divi Flamingo Resort which was a bit on the budget side but still nice. The best was when we stayed at Buddy Dive Resort. It was very nice. I too understand and practice on rare occasions solo diving. My last time to Bonaire I took my oldest daughter who was just certified 2 months prior. During the week there we only did two boat dives. The rest of the time was all shore diving. I can't think of a better place to take a new diver than Bonaire. Town Peir at night was wonderful. My last dive in Bonaire was a solo night dive at Buddy's reef.

Aircraft Carrier Sunk in Gulf of Mexico By MELISSA NELSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 2 minutes ago



As hundreds of veterans looked on solemnly, Navy divers blew holes in a retired aircraft carrier and sent the 888-foot USS Oriskany to the bottom of the sea Wednesday, forming the world's largest deliberately created artificial reef.

Clouds of brown and gray smoke rose in the sky after more than 500 pounds of plastic explosives went off. The rusted hulk took about 45 minutes to slip beneath the waves, about four hours faster than predicted.

Korean and Vietnam War veterans aboard charter boats watched from beyond a one-mile safety perimeter as the "Mighty O" went down in 212 feet of water, about 24 miles off Pensacola Beach.

Lloyd Quiter of North Collins, N.Y., who served four tours on the ship in Vietnam, wept.

"I'm a little stunned. It's a little hard to take," he said.

The aircraft carrier went down stern first, the bow lifting up into the air and creating one final spray of water as it sank. The water churned a foamy white as the deck slid under. Hundreds of surrounding boats blew their horns in tribute.

The Oriskany became the first vessel sunk under a new Navy program to dispose of old warships by turning them into reefs that can attract fish and other marine life.

Over the years, other ships have been turned into reefs, including the warship USS Spiegel Grove, a cargo vessel that was scuttled in 2002 off Key Largo. But that was a civilian project, paid for with a combination of county and private money.

The Oriskany, commissioned in 1950 and named after an American Revolutionary War battle, saw duty during the Korean War and was home to John McCain when the Navy pilot and future senator served in Vietnam. It was also among the ships used by President Kennedy in a show of force during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. It was decommissioned in 1976.

McCain was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 after taking off from the Oriskany and was held as a prisoner of war for five years.

"It was a small, old carrier that fought very valiantly, and I'm very proud to have been a part of the air wing that served with great courage and distinction," McCain told CNN on Wednesday.

McCain said he had hoped the ship would be turned into a museum, but the artificial reef will "provide a lot of recreation and a lot of good times for people."

The Environmental Protection Agency in February approved the sinking of the ship, which had toxins in its electrical cables, insulation and paint. EPA officials said the toxins will slowly leach out over the estimated 100 years it will take the carrier to rust away, and should pose no danger to marine life.

Marine wildlife experts planned to monitor the waters.

Local leaders hope the reef brings a long-awaited economic infusion from sport divers and fishermen. A 2004 Florida State University study estimated Escambia County would see $92 million a year in economic benefits from an artificial reef.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/sunken_carri ... Nzc3JlbA--

The President Coolidge off Santo, northern Vanuatu, was a WW2 luxury liner. It was commandeered by the US navy and fitted out as a naval ship. Unfortunately, it bumped into one of its own mines and now we dive it. (There was no loss of life.)

-from ScubaTravel website

Anybody ever dive here?

Maybe I scanned the posts too quickly... doesn't anyone dive out here in Cali?
I know... the water's cold, there aren't any big animals, blah, blah, blah...
Warm water sucks.

col cairo wrote:I also dive. We have already planned two trips to the coast this spring. I would assume that the profile of the O would put the tower and maybe the flight deck within safe limits.

Has anyone ever been to the Flower Garden Banks (?) off Texas? I have wanted to dive it for years.

Here is some information about diving the Flower Gardens.

http://www.tomsscuba.com/dives/flowergardens.html

I see some of the dates for this year are already sold out.

scubamyk wrote:Maybe I scanned the posts too quickly... doesn't anyone dive out here in Cali?
I know... the water's cold, there aren't any big animals, blah, blah, blah...
Warm water sucks.

No BIG ANIMALS? Who are you kidding??? between whales and great whites......... and yeah the water is C-O-L-D!!!!


Maybe depends where you are at in Cali, I suppose, about the large marine critters......Then you can also make it down to Sea of Cortez. Down in the "Baja". I have no idea what it is like now, especially with the immigration thing going on. Had to becareful of the Federales and be ready to pay them ( I forget the name of it now) if they stopped you.

Too much and it was a bribe.... not enough and it was an insult. If you go , then by all means go with someone that knows the customs and the area. They got ( and probably still do) paid very little and supplemented their income with such conduct and DON'T EVEN THINK of arguing about it.

I live on the east coast so traveling to Calif. to SCUBA dive has never been a consideration. I love the warm water. For me I go where the waters warm for the diving, history and the island attatude. If I want to dive in cold water I'd stay home in Ohio.

No BIG ANIMALS? Who are you kidding??? between whales and great whites.........

Ok, yes there are big animals, but they don't school around like the rays of Stingray City in Cayman or the hammerheads of Coco Island. I have never seen the whales or sharks while diving in Monterey although I know they are here.

and yeah the water is C-O-L-D!!!!

Average temp in Monterey Bay is 50 - 55 degrees at the surface.

Maybe depends where you are at in Cali, I suppose, about the large marine critters......

Out at Catalina Island, it warms up to about 65 degrees and the animals are different. Garibaldi, lobster, Giant Sea Bass and even a Mola now and again.

I think part of the idea behind the sinking of ships isn't just as a dive attraction, but to provide more habitat for coral, nursery fish, etc. like a normal reef.

Cuba...I'd love to go. I know some Americans who have gone as tourists...they just go via Canada or Mexico. However, I've learned the current administration is cracking down on this more...so you risk a $10,000 fine and losing your passport if caught.

Diving, I've done that 3 times. The last two times I had terrible problems equalizing and my ears really hurt...so I've done a lot more snorkeling. I really think I'm part fish...I just love the water.

scubamyk wrote:

No BIG ANIMALS? Who are you kidding??? between whales and great whites.........

Ok, yes there are big animals, but they don't school around like the rays of Stingray City in Cayman or the hammerheads of Coco Island. I have never seen the whales or sharks while diving in Monterey although I know they are here.

and yeah the water is C-O-L-D!!!!

Average temp in Monterey Bay is 50 - 55 degrees at the surface.

Maybe depends where you are at in Cali, I suppose, about the large marine critters......

Out at Catalina Island, it warms up to about 65 degrees and the animals are different. Garibaldi, lobster, Giant Sea Bass and even a Mola now and again.

There are always big critters in the water.... you may see them but they arte there.

Your water is STILL BLEEPING C-O-L-D!!! The springs around here stay around 72 F and the ocean water temp varies with the season and get around 83 or so in the mid to end summer months. Also depends in how close the Gulf Stream meanders this way.

I have seen the biggest BLEEPING cudas in my life off shore here. Thankfully they were only curious towards me, and a little too curious for my taste at the time. It could have easily bit me in half it if had wanted , thankfully it did not, only got close where I could see all of it's indviual teeth. I poked it a few times with my little ittybitty 32 inch speargun and it would back off but it followed me around like a lost puppy. There was no way in hell I was going to shoot it unless it was to attack me and then I would no doubt still lose. It just seemed to understand and that sounds weird I know. It probably was waiting for me to spear a fish and it could have a snack.

Q&S
I don't know if this will help or not but it is worth a try.
Serious question have you had your doctor check your ears or your sinus? I do not mean to make a joke of the situation at all. Many people have ear infections and never know it. An old diver always to put alcohol in your ears before and after a dive. If you feel burning or stinging inside your ear, you have an ear infection.

I wentr to a doc once and told him I had one, and no outward signs or symtoms of one. The Doc asked me how I knew I had one I told him , what I posted above and the slcohol was burning.he took a look and said sure enough you do. I had no pain or any other symptons
If all that is clear there was a brand of drops that supposedly worked pretty good....I never needed it.

One dive a woman that was my buddy got a severe nose bleed around 40 ft, and had trouble clearing before. got her back up and she was soon fine. made a dive the next day but that is another story.

Your water is STILL BLEEPING C-O-L-D!!! The springs around here stay around 72 F and the ocean water temp varies with the season and get around 83 or so in the mid to end summer months. Also depends in how close the Gulf Stream meanders this way.

Yeah, it's pretty cold. I used to dive Monterey Bay in a 5mm wetsuit then I went to a 7mm and in February I finally broke down and got drysuit certified.
Getting older or smarter... not sure which.

Quiet and Shy wrote:

Diving, I've done that 3 times. The last two times I had terrible problems equalizing and my ears really hurt...so I've done a lot more snorkeling. I really think I'm part fish...I just love the water.

At what depth are you having troubles? Have you tried going to a swimming pool and work your way down to the deep end equalizing several times? My daughter was having troubles on a dive once when we were down around 35 feet. We came back up to a depth that she was ok with and we worked on equalizing. After several attempts she was feeling better and we continued down to around 45 feet until it hit her again. So we tried it again but this time she was not able to equalize so we came back up to areound 35 feet which was the top of the reef. We shot a whole roll of film at this depth. lots of tiny fish, arrow crabs, seahorses, turtles and one eagle ray that nobody else saw because they were all down to around 100 feet. Anymore we hang around the top of the reef in 50 feet or less and often see more than the deep divers