OK THIS IS WHAT DIVING IS ALL ABOUT! So fellow diver, u have spent 2000,- for flights, another 2000,- for equipment, spent trmemendous amounts of time planning and organising, and you are wondering if it's REALLY worth of all the hussle?
HELL YEAH!
Zach’s Cove offers something different, and challenging. Its sheer drop-off sometimes exceeds 180 ft and as we made our descent, we noticed an abundance of corals in their most pristine state, from huge sea fans to soft corals to a wide variety of sponges, coral foliose and hard corals, including countless plate and table corals. For the trained eye, one can make out that clams and other marine life, like nudibranches and other invertebrates seem to feel at home in this marine hideaway. The reef residents stand out as well, from adult snappers, sergeant-majors, parrot fishes, angelfishes, groupers, large trigger fishes, sea snakes, and an almost limitless flow of pelagics and schooling fishes, adding more life to this blue undisturbed world. And the barracuda always provide a sense of thrill and awe as it makes its occasional visit to the reef.
One of the goddamnd greatest wall dive's ever. WHY AM I NOT GETTING TIRED OF THIS??????????? (I usually get bored with pretty much anything after a ... day or so)
entry time 11:50, max depth 22,9m, divetime 47min, Nitrox EANx32, water temp 28
Monday, May 17, 2010
Dive #79 : Adrian's Cove, Southern Leyte, Philippines
OK, this dive was planned to go to 45-50 meter range, which was quite a bit more that I was used to. However given the conditions and the recent training, I was confident I could manage it.
Instructor makes a safety check at 40m, I roger and we move to 50,2. My instructor Paul, a South-Korean navy seal with 10.000= dives asks if I want to continue deeper. I am tempted, but decide not to. We start a slow ascend.
No signs of narcosis, but changing diveplan spontaniously ain't my cup of cake. Looking back now I am happy I stayed cool headed.
The sites beauty was a bit left behind, since most of the concentration was dealing with the depth and possible consequences. Afterwrds I was told by the people who stayed at the 30 meter limit, that this was one of the best dives here with a wall, a lot of coves and overhangs, nicely covered bushes of black coral, staghorn corals and many sea squirts. I did enjoy the corals during ascend and saftey stop, but was worried about air (no nitrox at this depth baby). I am surprised actually why this dive was planned to be the deep dive, but given the extremist instructor I guess it was just his game.
Photos by Yvette Lee
The corals again (during ascent) were truly fantastic, zillions of small fish like in an aquarium, ut nothing really spectacular. (I mean, we saw 3 whale sharks [ to be posted ] earlier when snorkeling so bloody hell what could have been spectacular here anymore!??
Entry time 10:07, divetime 32min, max depth 50,2m, water temp 28 celcius (all Leyte dives with Mactan Dive Center)
Instructor makes a safety check at 40m, I roger and we move to 50,2. My instructor Paul, a South-Korean navy seal with 10.000= dives asks if I want to continue deeper. I am tempted, but decide not to. We start a slow ascend.
No signs of narcosis, but changing diveplan spontaniously ain't my cup of cake. Looking back now I am happy I stayed cool headed.
The sites beauty was a bit left behind, since most of the concentration was dealing with the depth and possible consequences. Afterwrds I was told by the people who stayed at the 30 meter limit, that this was one of the best dives here with a wall, a lot of coves and overhangs, nicely covered bushes of black coral, staghorn corals and many sea squirts. I did enjoy the corals during ascend and saftey stop, but was worried about air (no nitrox at this depth baby). I am surprised actually why this dive was planned to be the deep dive, but given the extremist instructor I guess it was just his game.
Photos by Yvette Lee
The corals again (during ascent) were truly fantastic, zillions of small fish like in an aquarium, ut nothing really spectacular. (I mean, we saw 3 whale sharks [ to be posted ] earlier when snorkeling so bloody hell what could have been spectacular here anymore!??
Entry time 10:07, divetime 32min, max depth 50,2m, water temp 28 celcius (all Leyte dives with Mactan Dive Center)
Dives #77 (Coral Garden) and #78 (Heaven's Gate), Southern Leyte (off San Roque), Philippines (Nitrox EANx34)
OK, the game is on! I was invited to a private safari tour, since by instructor had to collect some cylinders and equipment, he asked a few fellows to join him for the tour with minimimal cost. It was a 5 and a half hour boatride from Mactan Island off Cebu, so lots of time to get close and personal with (nobody but) my new Suunto Zoop. Entry level [ dive computer ] it may be, but serves percetly to my current needs and allows a nitrox mix from 21 (obviously) to 40% oxygen, has visual and sound alarms, waterproof to 100 meters (not like your "waterproof 100m" watch), divelog and planner. This all for less than 200 euro by the way, thanks Suunto! This rare moments of pride for being a Finn!
After getting to know the people onboard and having a rough not-very-urban lunch, it was time to get to the business. We started from Coral Garden and continued with Heaven's Gate. Both interesting dives, and you can really tell these corals are very untouch EVEN THOUGH reports on dynamite fishing do exist. (But at Mactan I heard the blasts on myself, so this could not be worse for sure.) And yes, the virgin corals gave enough feeling of satisfaction and made a long and rough boatride worthwile. Actually at the time of the dives, I considered these very good ones (compared to Mactan at least) but now when I know better - read the future posts to come - these two were... well, just ok.
But it's woprth mentioning that these were my very first enriched air / nitrox dives, giving almost double no deco time underwater. Is this very useful given the same tank size can be questionned, but I think diving with enriched air with more oxygen has also other benefits. It's the nitrogen that really makes you tired after the dives, and having less of it (due to higher concentration of oxygen) really keeps you fresher after the day is over.
Coral Garden: entry time 14:00, divetime 35min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, gas mix EANx34 (34% oxygen / 66% nitrogen)
Heaven's gate: entry time 17:01, divetime 40min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, mix EANx34
After getting to know the people onboard and having a rough not-very-urban lunch, it was time to get to the business. We started from Coral Garden and continued with Heaven's Gate. Both interesting dives, and you can really tell these corals are very untouch EVEN THOUGH reports on dynamite fishing do exist. (But at Mactan I heard the blasts on myself, so this could not be worse for sure.) And yes, the virgin corals gave enough feeling of satisfaction and made a long and rough boatride worthwile. Actually at the time of the dives, I considered these very good ones (compared to Mactan at least) but now when I know better - read the future posts to come - these two were... well, just ok.
But it's woprth mentioning that these were my very first enriched air / nitrox dives, giving almost double no deco time underwater. Is this very useful given the same tank size can be questionned, but I think diving with enriched air with more oxygen has also other benefits. It's the nitrogen that really makes you tired after the dives, and having less of it (due to higher concentration of oxygen) really keeps you fresher after the day is over.
Coral Garden: entry time 14:00, divetime 35min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, gas mix EANx34 (34% oxygen / 66% nitrogen)
Heaven's gate: entry time 17:01, divetime 40min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, mix EANx34
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dive #76 : Rescue Diver Session 4, Mactan Island (Off Marigondon Beach), Philippines
So this was the last session of my course, including once more a "real life" scene where a diver started to signal for help from the distance, while I was chilling at the beach with no gear on. Then in split seconf you are supposed to think and act, whether it's smart to spend time gearing up, or would it be better just to gear up with fins and mask only and then go for help wuth some sort of floating device. Since it was a deeper spot (I supposed) and the dude could be sinking, I geared up with full gear and decided to make an underwater approach due to heavy waves and waterjet traffic on the surface. Off we go, the "tired diver" was sunk to the bottom, dragged him up, and started immediate rescue breath on the surface. This had to be done every five seconds, and in the meanwhile towing the diver to the surface as well as I could possibly could.
This had to at least look like real, since a couple of guys rushed from the shore to help me out. The victim had then to explain that this was just a simulation!
Overall a good course, even though I would have wanted some more unpredictable surprise scenarios. Now everything was explained beforehands and there was no real element of surprise. Yes, the scenarious were close to real life situations, but in reality nobody is going to explain you beforehands that hey, I will soon panic and sink, would you please rescue me?
However it feels great to advance as diver and I am looking forward to my nitrox and divemaster certifications.
This had to at least look like real, since a couple of guys rushed from the shore to help me out. The victim had then to explain that this was just a simulation!
Overall a good course, even though I would have wanted some more unpredictable surprise scenarios. Now everything was explained beforehands and there was no real element of surprise. Yes, the scenarious were close to real life situations, but in reality nobody is going to explain you beforehands that hey, I will soon panic and sink, would you please rescue me?
However it feels great to advance as diver and I am looking forward to my nitrox and divemaster certifications.
Dive #75 : Rescue Diver Session #3, Mactan Island, Philippines
Rescue diver sessions continuing with more rescue scenarios and missing diver search patterns. First however for of mentioning that scored full 50/50 points from the theory part, guess I really had time to study my book due to a couple of weeks delay of the course. I picked the book two weeks before, fell with a strong flu and had to postpone the practical sessions. Seems like the studying paid off!
We started with another missing diver search patterns, practicing the expanding square, U-pattern and the expanding circle with a line. Then to the most useful stuff, a diver panicking in 20 meters depth, surging to the surface full speed holding breath. So what ya do, let the sad bastard go an experience the free thrills of lung expansion combined with the joy of decompresson sickness? I mean those nitrogen bubbles in your bloodflow cant be that bad right! Oh well for the sake of the course the poor fellow had to be saved, so grabbing and controlling the dude underwater, providing you air supply and taking him calmly to the surface with safety/deco stops. This was great stuff, we actually should have more this which I think is closer to a situation that might happen (and did happen in Belize) in the real world. However we also concentrated quite a bit to rescuing unconscious diver from the bottom, something I dont see THAT common. Anyway, a crapload of time was spent to on-the-surface rescue breaths and ventilations, oxygen masks usage and towing the victim onto land. Pretty good, and tirening, stuff. The burning jellyfish patrolling the area didn't make it much easier, neither the zillions of locals who were spending their sunday afternoon playing at the beach. Once when we surfaced, a waterjet roamed about 5 meters from us...
Ended the session with some free diving excercises, to approximately 3-4 meters and swimming around without equipment.
We started with another missing diver search patterns, practicing the expanding square, U-pattern and the expanding circle with a line. Then to the most useful stuff, a diver panicking in 20 meters depth, surging to the surface full speed holding breath. So what ya do, let the sad bastard go an experience the free thrills of lung expansion combined with the joy of decompresson sickness? I mean those nitrogen bubbles in your bloodflow cant be that bad right! Oh well for the sake of the course the poor fellow had to be saved, so grabbing and controlling the dude underwater, providing you air supply and taking him calmly to the surface with safety/deco stops. This was great stuff, we actually should have more this which I think is closer to a situation that might happen (and did happen in Belize) in the real world. However we also concentrated quite a bit to rescuing unconscious diver from the bottom, something I dont see THAT common. Anyway, a crapload of time was spent to on-the-surface rescue breaths and ventilations, oxygen masks usage and towing the victim onto land. Pretty good, and tirening, stuff. The burning jellyfish patrolling the area didn't make it much easier, neither the zillions of locals who were spending their sunday afternoon playing at the beach. Once when we surfaced, a waterjet roamed about 5 meters from us...
Ended the session with some free diving excercises, to approximately 3-4 meters and swimming around without equipment.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Dive #74 : Rescue Diver Session 2, Mactan Divers (Mactan Island, Philippines)
Continuing the rescue course with missing diver search patterns and rescue breathing and other first aid on the surface.
- Missing Diver Procedures
- Surfacing an unconscious diver
- On the surface first aid equipment and first aid procedures.
- Towing unconscious diver to the shore while simulating rescue breaths
This stuff gets quite tirening at times, so it really pays off to exercise regularly. Its still the haunting experience from the Belize Blue Hole that motivates me to do this stuff. After seeing a panicked (buddy!) diver in 35 meters launching for a vigorous emergency ascent leaving u speechless incapable for proper reaction is something I DONT want to experience again. And indeed, next time I know what to do.
To be continued tomorrow.
- Missing Diver Procedures
- Surfacing an unconscious diver
- On the surface first aid equipment and first aid procedures.
- Towing unconscious diver to the shore while simulating rescue breaths
This stuff gets quite tirening at times, so it really pays off to exercise regularly. Its still the haunting experience from the Belize Blue Hole that motivates me to do this stuff. After seeing a panicked (buddy!) diver in 35 meters launching for a vigorous emergency ascent leaving u speechless incapable for proper reaction is something I DONT want to experience again. And indeed, next time I know what to do.
To be continued tomorrow.
Dive #73 : Rescue Diver Session #1 (Mactan Island, Philippines)
Allright the first rescue diver session started with some refreshing of the basic skills such as swimming in the bottom of the sea without mask and air.
- Missing mask or extended mask removal
- Out of air, finding loose octapus without mask
- Excessive feeding regulator (not in mouth) or "breathing bubbles"
- Overexertion and ascents on alternate air source
Plus on the surface
- Towing distressed diver
- Approaching panicked diver
- Getting rid of the panicked diver (exit)
Quite meaningful stuff especially the self rescue and stress management parts. How can u handle emergencies if u can't handle yourself in one?
- Missing mask or extended mask removal
- Out of air, finding loose octapus without mask
- Excessive feeding regulator (not in mouth) or "breathing bubbles"
- Overexertion and ascents on alternate air source
Plus on the surface
- Towing distressed diver
- Approaching panicked diver
- Getting rid of the panicked diver (exit)
Quite meaningful stuff especially the self rescue and stress management parts. How can u handle emergencies if u can't handle yourself in one?
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