 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeArticlesDiving DestinationsLearning Scuba DivingMarine LifeMiscellaneousDiscussion GroupsGeneralScuba EquipmentScuba LocationsAustralian ScubaUK ScubaDirectoryScuba Clubs |
Scuba Forum / General / June 2006Dive with Greg II - Honey, I'm home!
What really pisses me off is that I theoretically could have stayed for an extra day, since Continental was only able to get me as far as Houston on Monday night, their "mechanical delay" forcing me to miss my connection home and not make it back until late Tuesday evening. DWG II, like DWG I, was an overwhelming success. Sure enough, like I promised Lee, the weather gods were kind and we were blessed with flat seas and a clear sky after a rainy Friday night. Al & Cindy and Andy joined Janna and me on Splashdown for 4 dives Saturday. Viz was a bit murky, but aquatic life was as good as anything in the Caribbean. Current was a good 1-1.5 knots. When I finally got my turn to tow the flag on dive 3, it actually towed me. Notable sights: a couple turtles (one hawksbill, one loggerhead); the biggest southern stingray I've ever seen - looked like a bleached manta, though the poor guy had no tail; two nurse sharks (one sleeping halfway in a crevice); several green and lots of spotted morays of all sizes; reef fish galore. After 4 hour+ dives, plus surface intervals and a long lunch break, we finally got back to the dock around 7 p.m. just in time to see black clouds and a major lightning storm descend on us. Hung out at Two Georges for several beers while we got our tanks refilled and stayed grungy. Andy cleaned up at his hotel, then followed us south. Met up with LD & wife, RS & wife, and MS(G) at Bonefish Mack's in Pompano for lots of beer and food. Magilla arrived later, fortunately after we had already eaten all our dinner. Then it was back to the hotel to crash by 1 a.m. for a little nap before waking up at 5 a.m. and heading down to Key Largo. Nice sunrise. No traffic. Andy was the only rec.scuban hardy enough to join Janna and me for the perfectly boring morning Key reef dives with (under new management) Silent World. 40' on the first, 25' on the second. Managed to lose Andy and Janna on dive 2. They did the right thing and surfaced to look for me, but didn't find me because I decided to get a bit of solo time in. It's hard to get much solitude on Dive with Gregs. Fortunately they soon gave up looking for me and descended again, figuring they'd trawl for my body after the dive. Just after we finally re-met in a happy encounter, Andy and I managed to spot a couple Caribbean reef sharks while Janna poked around the minimal coral heads oblivious to the deadly beasts and the dangers of the deep that Andy and I fearlessly faced down. Came back to the dock and picked up all the rest of the gang. LD, LB, RS, MG & D, A & C, MS(G) and M. DWG II was underway! Two afternoon dives at the Spiegel Grove. Viz was so-so, water was warm, current was strong. Started out at the bow, hitting the sand at 140'. Then we got carried away with haphazard penetration for a while until Janna got LOA around 40 min, so we picked any old line to ascend on. Suunto made me do 8 min of "deco" at 10' after 1 min at 75' and 1 min at 40' even though I was on 30%. Cochran didn't make Janna do any deco even though hers was still set to air, but she did it anyway. Finally surfaced at someone else's boat, fortunately upcurrent. Did a fin-assisted drift back to Silent World as all the dive boats we passed along the way excitedly yelled at us, thinking we were one of theirs. It was a parking lot out there. Then we found out that (under new management) Silent World ran a tight schedule, even though DWG II had bought out the entire boat. After a too-short surface interval (during which the boat ran out of drinking water) we were given a strict return time that limited those of us who got off the boat last to a 35 min dive. This time Janna and I stayed somewhat close to the line, above 90' due to our 36%, and made it back to the right boat at the right time. Four nameless rec.scubans whose names I won't mention, but who included one cop, one fed, one old goat, and one cavey gorilla, somehow ended up at the wrong boat and had to be shamefully rescued while Al took their pictures for posterity. Back at the dock, LD and MS(G) revealed their secret stashes of ice-cold beer, and LB ended up shotgunning the Miller Lite that exploded on the ground after being chucked from MS(G)'s truck about 100' away. These feds will drink anything nowadays. Drank beer while we decided where to go to drink beer, then ended up at Lorelei on Islamorada for some too-loud music and too-bright sun to drink too many beers to wash down conch fritters, a nice sunset, and some good conversation. Gradually the DWG II divers took off until only MG & D were left with Janna and me, and we too finally gave in around 9:30 p.m. to leave MG & D for our long and trafficky drive back to our hotel north of Miami. A tiring trip, but a fulfilling one. Can't wait until DWG III! An excellent report on Dive With Greg II. Susequent Events: Magilla spent the night at the home of LB and JB and headed north the next morning. Earlier in the week, RS, the wife of RS, mentioned that grouper was her favorite fish. Whatever restaurant we were in at the time didn't have any available, but LB and his wife JB, did. MS(G) was in the neighborhood, returning tools borrowed the previous day and was included in the "Which fish really tastes best" event held Monday afternoon. Contestants included Red Grouper, Mutton Snapper and Hog Fish. Hog Fish is not easy to come by. Small ones are easily speared, but nobody I dive with takes the easy ones. By the time they get big enough to make a meal for more than one, they've gotten a lot smarter. They don't normally bit on hook and line. As a result, chances to dine on Hog Fish should not be missed. The consensis, as near as I can recall is that, while the fish had different texture, all three were more or less equally good. It was a clear and decisive tie. A future Which fish really tastes best event is already in the planning stages. If there's suffcient interest, a larger number of people can be accomodated. Think mid July. RE & RS can provide the dates. RS, LB and MS(G), after serveral drinks of various types, retired to the lake behind the house where the minnows operate a larger than normal scale cleaning station. You haven't lived until you've had minnows plucking at the hair on your . . . well, hair wherever you have hair. JB, as usual, headed off to bed relatively early and RS, RS and MS(G) departed for their respective domiciles not long after. Just another day in paradise. RS & RS flew back to KY on Tuesday and LB headed for our nation's capital for a "Keep the world safe for future generations" meeting on Wednesday which is where this message originated from.e > An excellent report on Dive With Greg II. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > neighborhood, returning tools borrowed the previous day and was > included in the "Which fish really tastes best" Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. Duh. "Which fish really tastes best" > Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. > > Duh. Not being a seafood lover, I can totally support the idea that trolling for Cod Ling is most fun. ;-) Curtis > "Which fish really tastes best" > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Not being a seafood lover, I can totally support the idea that trolling > for Cod Ling is most fun. ;-) You are an evil man, Curtis. > Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. Salmon, any salmon, sucks. You've obviously never had hog fish or it would be on your list. > You've obviously never had hog fish or it would be on your list. I would be rather partial to the lobster that I saw yesterday... Got any plans for any dives tomorrow? I assume you've made it back into town? I'll probably be heading back up the coast within the next couple of day... > I would be rather partial to the lobster that I saw yesterday... Should have said something the other night. There are 12 of them in the freezer. > Got any plans for any dives tomorrow? I assume you've made it back > into town? I'll probably be heading back up the coast within the next > couple of day... I got back around 5 this afternoon. Tomorrow's a work day and, given how much I've goofed off lately, I probably should do some. Saturday's spoken for, I have a mandatory birthday party to go to. Sunday's open at the moment, but a plan may be in the works. Lee > Should have said something the other night. There are 12 of them in the > freezer. You catch so many of them that you can keep a stock of 'em in the freezer? > I got back around 5 this afternoon. Tomorrow's a work day and, given how > much I've goofed off lately, I probably should do some. Saturday's spoken > for, I have a mandatory birthday party to go to. Sunday's open at the > moment, but a plan may be in the works. Oh well... Catch you next time I'm down this way... > You catch so many of them that you can keep a stock of 'em in the > freezer? No, I catch so few of them I hoard them in my freezer. At the beginning of August of last year, I had none. By the end of the month, I had 14. I still have 12 of the 14. I could catch enough to eat them more often, but to do so, I'd have to hunt them more often. Generally, I don't hunt but one month out of the year. > Oh well... Catch you next time I'm down this way... Sunday's now officially open. Lee > Sunday's now officially open. Dove with Dixie Divers again today... The second dive was supposed to be some sort of series of 5 tugs... I missed them and got to see a lot of sand... Eventually stumbled across a reef and followed it awhile... Had a bit of deco on the first dive, so I readlined pretty damn quickly on the 2nd dive... All in all, the 2nd dive wasn't probably worth getting off the boat for... Right now, I've got a throbbing headache... Probably caffeine withdrawal... About time to start heading back north unfortunately... > > Sunday's now officially open. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Probably caffeine withdrawal... About time to start heading back north > unfortunately... We did that dive on Monday, and saw everything. you didn't miss much. At the end of the wrecks, you hit the back side of the third reef, which is probably where you enbded up. > We did that dive on Monday, and saw everything. you didn't miss much. At > the end of the wrecks, you hit the back side of the third reef, which is > probably where you enbded up. The reef I found was nice enough... Around 100 ft or so... I redlined my dive computer pretty damn quickly... I stayed down a bit longer and just made it a deco dive... The water temp was nice, so I just decided to hang on the float line and slowly ascend... Had to work at it to even use up one of my tanks... Evenually got it down to about 250 psi and switched over to the other tank for the last 40 ft of ascent... Seems that everyone else was wearing at least a 3mm wetsuit... The water temp was perfect for shorts and a t-shirt, so that's all I wore... Time to start getting ready to head back towards Houston, I guess... Probably will be leaving out of here early Sunday... All in all, it's been a fun vacation... Good diving, good weather (more or less), and good company... >>Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. > > Salmon, any salmon, sucks. Then you've never tried beach-smoked Arctic Salmon JF >>>Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. >> Salmon, any salmon, sucks. > Then you've never tried beach-smoked Arctic Salmon I'm a warm water diver, remember? Lee >>>>Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Lee You'd love Tobermory. JF > >>>>Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > > You'd love Tobermory. Maybe. But probably not for the diving. >>>>>>Red snapper, ling cod, king salmon and halibut. >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Maybe. But probably not for the diving. The wrecks are great and the water was rather dark and foreboding 41 last time I visited, oh, and it was raining, the cascade was super slow and the boat was overcrowded. What's not to love? JF Since you have obviously never been to a run populated by bikers (different than bikies); "Honey I'm Home" is a competition wherein the competitors park their motorcycle on one side of a plywood wall with a window sized hole in it. On the other side of the wall is a bed. You take your boots off, lay on the bed and wait for the chosen babe to sit next to you, and then the MC hollers "Honey, I'm Home!" Whoever gets their boots on, jumps through the window and gets their bike started first (no rice burners, and no electric start allowed) wins. Seems like a game lawyers would excell at, but it just isnt so. > You take your boots off, lay on the bed and wait for the chosen babe to > sit [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Seems like a game lawyers would excell at, but it just isnt so. Yeah, somehow we lawyers might figure out that it's better to lay on the bed with the chosen babe than to jump through a window and start a bike. Duh. > > You take your boots off, lay on the bed and wait for the chosen babe to > > sit [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Yeah, somehow we lawyers might figure out that it's better to lay on the bed > with the chosen babe than to jump through a window and start a bike. Duh. When her ole man comes home? You guys aint very smart. >> Yeah, somehow we lawyers might figure out that it's better to lay on the > bed [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > You guys aint very smart. Of course we are. I simply pretend I'm dead, then when he reaches for his shotgun, I grab for my ankle piece. Or I try in my best lawyerly voice to convince the schmoe that I'm a traveling mattress repairman innocently testing out the springs. This turn reminds me of an old Appalachian Folk Song. Here's one variation (of many) on the lyrics...just get out your dulcimer: Five Nights Drunk The other night when I came home as drunk as I could be; I found a horse in the stable, where my horse ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come that horse in the stable pillow where my horse ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't blamely see? That's only a milking cow my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, A saddle on a milking cow I never did see before. Well, I came home the other night, drunk as I could be; Found a hat on my hat rack where my hat ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come that hat on the hat rack where my hat ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? That's only a milkpail my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, But a JB Stetson milkpail I never did see before. Now I came home the other night, drunk as I could be; Found a coat on the coat-rack where my coat ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come that coat on the coat-rack where my coat ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? That's only a blanket my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, But buttons on a blanket I never did see before. Now I came home the other night, drunk as I could be; Found some boots under my bed where my boots ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come those boots under my bed where my boots ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? That's only a bed pan my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, But spurs on a bed pan I never did see before. Now I came home the other night, drunk as I could be; Found some pants on the dresser where my pants ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come those pants on the dresser where my pants ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? That's only a dish rag my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, But a zipper on a dish rag I never did see before. Now I came home the other night, drunk as I could be; Found a head on the pillow where my head ought to be. Oh, come my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me How come that head on the pillow where my head ought to be. You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? That's only a cabbage my granny sent to me. I've traveled this wide world over, a hundred miles or more, But whiskers on a cabbage I never did see before. -hh Thats a keeper. > This turn reminds me of an old Appalachian Folk Song. > Here's one variation (of many) on the lyrics...just get out your [quoted text clipped - 75 lines] > > -hh > This turn reminds me of an old Appalachian Folk Song. <snip> I believe that there is an Irish / Celtic Folk Song version that predates it... http://www.thebards.net/music/lyrics/Seven_Drunken_Nights.shtml I think I'd like to hear it actually sung. Lee >> This turn reminds me of an old Appalachian Folk Song. > <snip> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > http://www.thebards.net/music/lyrics/Seven_Drunken_Nights.shtml > I think I'd like to hear it actually sung. I'll email you the MP3 once I get back home... |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.