Ok 1 last lighthouse pic, I just really like how this one turned out with the full moon Monday night. I did manage to get wet Sunday at Willow and play with my sidemount setup for my bailout so things are a little better…
If you’re bored or in the market for some cheap gear the annual Ocean Wreck Diver’s flea market is this Sunday (Feb 15th) in Tom’s River, NJ. See you there!
Posted in Bored, Photography | Tags: boredom, lighthouses, Photography
Love, you are foolish, you’re tired
Your sleeplessness makes you a liar
The city is burning
The ocean is turning
Our only chance is the lighthouse
So I’ve been going stir crazy and antsy to test out some new photo techniques I want to incorporate in my repertoire this year. Too bad it is currently 25F outside and I havent been diving in over a month. So how do you practice shooting wrecks in low light without getting wet… grab your gear and shoot some wrecks at night on land… err not quite but I tried and I’m pretty excited to try some things underwater when I get the chance, so look out! In the meantime here are some shots outside the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and the Concord Point Lighthouse…
“Starry Prop” (further research necessary to identify this mystery)
Posted in Photography | Tags: Havre de Grace, lighthouses, Photography
2009 is here and already off and running! Began the year by starting cave training down in north Florida from which I just returned. Had a blast diving Ginnie Springs, Peacock I, Orange Grove, and Little River. All the pre-conceived notions I had about cave diving went out the door, and I can’t wait to get back and finish up the class.
The rest of 2009 is already filling up fast and looking like it will be my most exciting yet, hopefully it will be yours too! I also want to thank everyone out there for all the feedback and for checking in on my little site in 2008.
Little River
Looking out over Peacock Springs
Posted in Cave diving, Florida caves | Tags: Cave diving, Florida caves
Merry holidays everyone!
It’s been far too long since I’ve done any local wreck diving (damn weather)… so I updated the wreck list with 4 more galleries of Jersey wrecks. BIDEVIND, Granite wreck, RP RESOR, and JOHN MARVIN galleries all updated.
Posted in Bidevind, Granite wreck, JOHN MARVIN, New Jersey wrecks, RP RESOR | Tags: Bidevind, Granite wreck, JOHN MARVIN, New Jersey wrecks, RP RESOR
Did an hour of skills practice at Bainbridge today with Danny in the snow. Water was 42F and visibility was very good – 30+ feet.
Also added a gallery of photos of the USCGC SPAR (artificial reef).
Posted in North Carolina wrecks, Quarry diving, SPAR | Tags: Bainbridge, Quarrior, SPAR
Added 3 W. E. HUTTON galleries. This wreck sitting in 125 fsw off Morehead City, NC is/was formerly thought to be the PAPOOSE, and is easily one of the best wreck dives on the east coast of the US.
Also added one gallery from the USS SCHURZ, also off Morehead City.
Posted in HUTTON, North Carolina wrecks, PAPOOSE, USS SCHURZ | Tags: North Carolina wrecks, PAPOOSE, Site Updates, W.E. HUTTON
December 6-7, 2008
This past weekend I headed North with Bedford to hit some wrecks around Massachusetts Bay and do some diving off the Gauntlet. Saturday we dove the 4 masted schooner ALMA EA HOLMES in 160 fsw, and Sunday we hit the stern section of the CHESTER A POLING in 90 fsw. Two completely different and cool wrecks along with good conditions made for a great weekend of diving. For more info on the wrecks click the links to go to the NADE pages.
Saturday was flat like glass and we had 15-20 feet of dark vis on the HOLMES. Sunday the weather changed and we were diving in the snow, but had good conditions on the bottom. Both days the water temp was 45F top to bottom. I hope to get back up this winter.
ALMA EA HOLMES gallery
CHESTER A POLING (stern) gallery
Posted in ALMA HOLMES, CHESTER POLING, Massachusetts wrecks | Tags: ALMA EA HOLMES, CHESTER A POLING, Massachusetts wrecks
The forecast was calling for westerly winds Sunday, meaning an inshore dive would probably be possible even with gusts to 25 knots. The ceramic heater I picked up Saturday night at Wal-Mart performed somewhat between “unsatisfactory” and “what the f!@% was I thinking” sleeping on a boat with no heat and temperatures in the 20s. Dave and Rob didn’t seem to mind as much so maybe I’m just getting soft. Either way if Sam Walton were alive he’d have a letter of serious tone coming his way.
But I digress… despite the lack of sleep and some chilly bones it was with pleasure I tied in to get into the 52 degree water which would surely warm me up. The seas were dead flat near the beach and picked up to a choppy 2-4 feet as we approached the TOLTEN. This large freighter was one of the many victims of U-boat attack during WWII, and rests today mostly collapsed (I’m sure wire dragging helped that along) in 95 fsw. Hitting the white sandy I found the shot line draped over the bow which despite being mostly collapsed has a fair amount of relief. It was easy to orient myself in the 30 or so feet of visibility and after scouting for a solid location, secured the line to one of the ship’s anchors (I think it might have been a spare based on its location). Fish life was plentiful (it’s nice being closed circuit and the first on the wreck!), including large schools of porgies(?), cunners, sea bass, some large cruising blackfish, and even a gaggle of triggerfish guarding the engine.
The TOLTEN has a lot to offer, as it is very scenic, has the rough shape of a ship making navigation easy, and lots of nooks for lobsters. I spotted a lot of small ones in my cursory tour of the wreck and I do not believe any legal keepers were boated. Dave went in to hunt and speared a nice bag full of triggers, and Bill Bedford scored a nice soft weight belt.
Posted in New Jersey wrecks, TOLTEN | Tags: New Jersey wrecks, TOLTEN
Added a trio of submarine galleries to the Wreck List page. Three U-352 galleries, one USS TARPON gallery, and one (mini) USS BASS gallery.
Sand tiger shark cruises the USS TARPON
Posted in North Carolina wrecks, Site Updates, submarines, U-352, USS TARPON, wreck diving | Tags: New York wrecks, North Carolina wrecks, submarines, U-352, USS BASS, USS TARPON
Saturday, I got a chance to dive for something I have been neglecting this year since I’ve been focusing on photography… food!! I love oysters and when the chance to get some myself came up, I jumped on it. The boat was the L & L Liquors out of Kent Island, MD. It poured the whole early morning drive down but let up just as I pulled into the marina just before 0700 with the skies still quite overcast. After gearing up in my van we loaded the boat and after a 30 minute boat ride we were anchored into a natural oyster bar in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. The water depth was 11-13 feet and the dive plan was simple: fill your bag until it’s unmanageable, bring it to the boat for emptying, and repeat! Visibility varied from 6 inches to 2 feet and it was fun crawling around on the “shell” for 90 minutes collecting my dinner. The boat ride in was spent enjoying the spoils of the day. I must say I haven’t tasted anything quite so good as oysters straight from the sea! At the end of the day I left with a bushel of oysters and an unique experience that if you enjoy diving and fresh seafood I would highly recommend trying.
Posted in Misc, oyster diving | Tags: food, Maryland diving, Oyster diving
Down too long in the midnight sea... 
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