Nc... Better Pics... Sharks

[longstocking]

I didn't take these.... but another guy (vlad) that DOES have a good camera that was on the same wrecks as we were did.

Hope you enjoy I know I did when I was diving

 

[Charlutz]

Not to comment on the underwater photography skills, but are you sure that was the same dive? Wow. I am inspired to get my wife to do a dive when we are down there next month.

 

[longstocking]

LOLOL.... yup same wreck and at the same time.

No offense taken... his camera was ohhhh say..... 1,500 :unsure:

I'll get a good camera soon.... we first had to get the "basic" dive gear.

 

[Andrew]

Where were you diving? Did you see the Lionfish too? I'm guessing by the Angelfish that you were in Atlantic waters.

There have been reports that Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have populated warmer waters off the SE United States. Hurricane Andrew (no relation) blew some aquarium wholesalers out to sea and they were able to survive and establish a population. The closest natural population would be somewhere in Micronesia...

Cool pix. Now make a fish tank that looks just like them!

 

[longstocking]

Honestly, I'm scared of the price of salt water tanks or I already would have.

These were 30 miles off of north carolina. They are all over the wrecks down there. They have made there way up from florida through th gulf stream.

There are different opinions in the diving community on how they came in. 1) ships brought them in 2) hobbyists 3) hurricane

There are some organizations that are going out and squishing them....

I suggested to some local NC divers to catch them and bring them to fish stores if they didn't have the heart to kill them. The only probablem is... I wonder if fish stores could really house a full grown one.

 

[rodcon00]

Looks like a great dive site! I may have to try some NC diving (provided the water is warm enough). Was it a regularly scheduled trip or is it a special charter?

Too bad they are taking a hard line to the presence of the lionfish. Seeing all the other fish in the pictures makes it easy to see that there is an ample supply of food for the lionfish. Some places I have been diving for years always have species come, go and return. It also seems like a bit of a bad idea to try to squish something that has such a potent toxin in the spines. I'll make a bold prediction that they will not be fully removed from the site.

There is a similar problem in the Key Largo Nature Preserve in that Batfish (from the Pacific Ocean) are mixed in and hanging out with Spadefish (Atlantic Ocean). However, any drastic solution such as removing the fish causes an obvious problem in a nature preserve.

 

[longstocking]

Hey there !

It is warm enough for you.... I think in the heat of the summer it gets to 78-80

It was 72 when we went (top to bottom)... but that was early in the season.

We went out with discovery diving.... they have charters every wekend that go out. 95 for 2 tank dive. You are diving deep though and bad currents... so bring your safty sausage... whistle.... mirror.... anything you can get down with you LOL.


There is no way you could remove them.... they are on EVERY wreck down there and in massive numbers.

 

[Pat Kelly]

:safty sausage"????

I thought we got rid of those types of posts. :beamup:

 

[DeeCee]

HA! I'm with you on that one Pat, I spit coffee on the keyboard when I read that one! LOL

Sarah, now I see why you guys love diving so much. Looks like something I'd have to watch the Discovery Channel to see. How cool is that? Wow.
But fess up girl -- what is a safety sausage? I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight until I find out!

DC

 

[longstocking]

LOL.... I see where your minds are guys !!!

This is some guy I found on google blowing one up....

In North Carolina the currnts can get REALLY bad. So what you do is bring one of these along incase the current decides to swep you away. Basically, it's so the coast guard can find you out in the middle of the ocean.

 

[rodcon00]

Some peoples minds are always in the wrong place. You would definitely need the safety sausage along with a reel so that you can deploy it on a safety stop and even warn other boats of your underwater presence. Maybe even a dye marker for the Coast Guard to find you from the air.

I was telling some of my SCUBA folks last night about the Lionfish "problem". We like the "problem" because we do not have to fly all the way out to the Pacific to see them.

So I am feeling that there might be a weekend trip to NC to do some diving.

 

[longstocking]

You don't "need" a reel. We do bring it along incase the vis goes to crap. The boats have 15 foot hang lines. Haven't been on one boat down there that doesn't have one. Of course if you want to penetrate the wrecks you would want one.... but we don't do that.


A lot of the locals bring flares instead of a dye.

You do need a knife though... fishermen

 

[rodcon00]

A dive knife is always a good idea (of course I do not own one at the moment).

I only like to view the outermost areas of a wreck too many bad things can happen once you are inside.

Wow I had not thought of the flare that is a great idea. Of course the best idea is to not get caught in the current and taken off the line or wreck.

Oh and the price of the dive seems reasonable considering how far off shore they take you.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I thought of you guys Friday. Watchind Discovery and saw an episode of I should'nt be alive...Or something like that.
It was in the Solomon islands. Divers went down and current carried them away. They floated for like 24 hours. No dye, no mirrors, no strobes, no flares, but they did come across Hammer head sharks, squid, jelly fish, bugs, and being plain cold and scared.

 

[mscichlid]

Rod,
You should post some of your diving pictures!

Francine

 

[longstocking]

Rodney.... one more thing. These are not guided dives. Which I like. Dive your own profile

They will breif you on the basics of Nc diving ( Such as never let go of the line until you get down to the wreck ).

If you or your buddies dive doubles... make sure you let the oporation know.

The 2 roomiest boats are with these companies.... I hate beign cramped.

Cafe fear Divers

Discovery Diving ( has 2 boats so make sure you are the big one... the little one suxs)


Make sure they are going way off shore. Or you might be stuck with colder water. These are both bigger boats so the chance they will go farther off shore is better. You are diving the jetties on the gulf.

 

[rodcon00]

Sarah

Thanks for the information. I like doing my own dives onces I have been to a site. I will never dive doubles they will not properly fit in my gear. I am single tank only kind of guy. I could just set up a clip to attach to the line going down to the wrecks.

Francine

I am saving a few of my underwater photos for the Aquafest (of course I am assuming there will be a photo category). I do have some new freshwater underwater shots that I am sorting through that are from a spring fed river in Florida. Might have enough to make a PVAS presentation. I'll have to resize some of my other underwater photos and maybe post them for a laugh next week.

 

[longstocking]

I could just set up a clip to attach to the line going down to the wrecks.[/b]

I wouldn't suggest this though I do know people that do it. If the Captain says something like " the currents are bad" .... I'd stick to their line... when they say bad... they mean BAD ( you'll be out of air before you know it .... sometimes it's a stuggle to just hold onto the line if there is bad surge as well !! ). If the captains says "very little current" ... go for it.

If you hit bad current... you'll know what I'm talking about as soon as you drop down lol.

 

[rodcon00]

Bad current is easy to define. Does it rip your mask off? If yes then it is a bad current.

I was only joking about clipping to the down line that is very dangerous in any type of current. Besides the only time I have thought to use a clip is to attach onto a reef while doing a drift dive. I have done some safety stops in current and surge where I looked like a flag hanging on the anchor line....good times!!!

 

[longstocking]

I hope you and your buds get to go down there ! What I like about it... you can drive down ! Cuts the cost way down ! Plus no down time since most of the time you have to get on an airplane to dive warm water ! Let us know when you go.... we might tag along for 1 day

The diving is fantastic and challenging ! Good luck and dive safe !