1.18.09 - Divemaster Log
Hello everyone.
Sunday, January 18th finds the Video Dude once again wearing his Divemaster hat for Parrot Island Scuba. This time I am paired up with Captain Jerry aboard “Fish Food” and we’re off to do a couple of dives on “The Balls” - a reef mooring system on the first reef line. I get everyone’s tanks and gear aboard and organized while Captain Jerry gives the boat briefing, and then we are underway out of the Inlet and into open seas. The weather is perfect and the seas are flat.
Captain Jerry gets us out to out first dive site on “The Balls” called “The Copenhagen”. If you have read many of my blog postings you know that “The Copenhagen” is an old wooden coal ship that has been declared a Marine Sanctuary by the State of Florida. Upon our arrival there, I tie off the boat to the mooring ball, and get buddy groups organized and assign dive flags while Captain Jerry gives the dive site briefing. Once everyone is ready, I assist the divers to the dive platform and, after checking their gear, assist them into the water for their dive. After about 50 minutes, buddy groups start surfacing and I begin assisting everyone back on board and to their seats. Apparently this was a good day to be on this site as I heard lots of discussions on what was seen and where.
After everyone is back on board, I secure the boat and untie from the mooring ball so we can travel to our next dive site called the “Pompano Extension”. This is a series of newly-added mooring balls on the first reef line and therefore the dive sites are relatively new to divers. I get the boat tied off to the mooring ball and once again I make sure the buddy groups are ready. After checking their gear on the dive platform, I assist everyone into the water for their drift dive. Captain Jerry and I keep a close eye on the groups and make sure boat traffic doesn’t get too close. After about 45 minutes, buddy groups begin to surface and it’s time to pick everyone up again. After getting everyone back on the boat and into their seats, I secure the boat and we head back for the dock.
Upon arriving at the dock, I get everyone’s tanks and gear off the boat and organized on the dock and begin to cleanup the boat and stow gear and supplies for lockdown. A nice day on the water and I got to help lots of divers (some students and some new divers) experience diving here.
Divemasterin’ the day away here in Paradise,
The (Divemaster) Video Dude
Tags: Divemaster, divers, Fish Food, Florida, Marine Sanctuary, Parrot Island Scuba, Pompano Extension, reef mooring system, scuba, The Balls, The Copenhagen, Video Dude, wooden coal ship
