I Must Be a Slacker

"I love diving, its so quiet down there it makes me able to hear the voices in my head much clearer" anonymous
I was officially certified on July 29, 2006. I set a goal for myself of 100 dives for my first year.
Today I did Dive #86. It does not look like I am going to make it. I have shared just about every dive with you guys. I know some were not all that exciting, but thanks for hanging in there with me. You have been my friends, mentors, teachers and dive buddies, and this first year of diving has been special. Thank you.
Inlet dives are my favorite. I love looking in all the little hidey holes and poking the fish and other marine life. I think that these are my favorites because the inlet was my very first real dive, not a training dive. It changed my view of the ocean forever.
Today the air was a warm 90 F and the water a comfortable 70 F. I have missed diving in just a 3ml and it was a treat. I had the pleasure of diving with some members of the Pt Pleasant Dive Team and we had a great time.
Seven divers went in the water with a combination of giant strides and Jersey Rolls and we headed out. Although the water was warmer here, we still didn’t see any mature fish but there was no shortage of smaller bait fish, blennys, cunners and little bitty flounder. The starfish abounded and I looked about hoping to catch sight of one of those blue starfish that was recently sited. I didnt find any of those but did see an abundance of crabs of various sizes, some small hermit crabs, a little sea robbin and a strange fish hiding in the security of an empty clam shell that I still have not identified. It is obviously a tropical that took a wrong turn and ended up in Jersey instead of Bermuda. It was a darkblue or black and had fan shaped fins like a sea robbin and an orangey-red thingy on its forehead reminiscent of an angler fish. Any ideas guys?
As we swam along we collected a few fishing weights, they were just about everywhere. The water was quite clear and ambient light provided all we needed for all but the deepest cracks and crevices as we checked to see who was home. Several times we stopped to break open a mussel and feed the local fish. They were shy for about 3 seconds and then they were all around us looking for more. I tried to coax several crabs out of their hidey hole with one but they wouldn’t cooperate. I love to watch them eat. Their claws are so agile, like little chop sticks, they are a treat to watch when you can.
As the tide changed we headed back in along the wall thick with mussels and sponges, hydoids, algae and aneomes, and along with the obligatory sinkers that were collected, one diver picked up a fishing pole. Someone topside was not paying attention.
I am sure we could have stayed longer just relaxing and enjoying the sights, but at 58 minutes we went up and........... I got out.........up the rocks .............. on my own .......... With just a little struggle. I am getting better. A day in the water.... The best.

Vizcaya

“I was up at 4 this morning listening to the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] forecast. We let Mother Nature make the decision for us.” .........Jack Russell quotes
It was October of 1890 and it is said that the collision was avoidable.
It was said that the schooner, the Cornelius Hargraves, didnt have its running lights on. It was said that they had the right of way as a masted schooner under sail. It was said that the Captain of the Hargraves, upon seeing the steamer Vizcaya, ordered hold the course.
It was definite that the steamer Vizcaya, carrying 16 passengers and cargo, did not give way and that the Hargraves rammed her midship, killing the Captain and officers on the bridge. It smashed the lifeboats and breached and flooded the engine rooms and sent her to the bottom in record time. Unable to escape in lifeboats, passengers and crew jumped onto the deck of the Hargraves thinking she was safe, but they were wrong. The Hargraves sunk nearby shortly after.
The Captain of the Hargraves cut loose a lifeboat and abandoned the ship amid all the panic and turmoil, later being called a coward by a crewmember that had survived the wreck by clinging to a gangplank and trying to paddle to shore.
About a dozen shivering and exhausted crew from the Vizcaya survived by clinging to the mast rigging protruding above the water through the night until sighted by a ship the following morning. More had tried to climb to safety but had been knocked from the rigging by the oceans rough swells or fell from the rigging unable to hold on from the numbing cold. A total of 68 lives were lost, including all women and children.
It was said that the day was a blow out. It was said that the seas were too rough. It was said that no one was diving. It was definite that we found ourselves loading onboard the TomKat in the early hours of the morning. (Someone was on time).
That being said.... we headed out, initially for the Mildred but had some trouble tying in to her and headed back in to dive the Vizcaya. Unlike that fateful night in October, the air was warm and the seas slowly laid down to just about flat. A great day for diving.
Remember how the orange didnt work as biodegradable alternative to the Styrofoam cup or bottle? Now I brought a kiwi with me, to test out Big Jims theory. As a matter of fact, a face, with striking a resemblance to him, was painted on this kiwi so we could spot it in the water. I also had a backup pepper just in case.
The Mate, tied into the wreck and the pool was open. The zipper on Jims dry suit came off in his hand so he was relegated to bubble watcher, and Al was going to try his hand at spear fishing. I was dressed, in my gear and had thrown myself into the water before Mark had his mask on! Woo Hoo!! This has never happened before, and it did not happen a second time but I will bask in this little accomplishment for just a moment. OK, I’m done.
We kept glancing at each other as we went down the line. The water was a dark thick green and we could barely keep sight of each other although we were just an arms length apart. There were some jellyfish in the water and they were just about in your face by the time you saw them. This was not good. Then, about 20 feet from the bottom, the water cleared and the wreck came into sight. We were tied into a low lying portion of the wreck near the exposed deck beams and a debris field and had 15-20 foot of visibility and 48 F water temps at 82 feet. We headed out to look around.
Mark found a large encrusted valve but passed on it. Under a broken piece of pipe I found a pair of huge lips and a butt ugly face only a mother could love, an ocean pout. I didnt pass.....I poked it. A little while later I encountered a nice sized flounder but after that there were only juvenile blackfish and sea bass to be seen. We swam out towards the boilers and a little beyond and then my bottom time was ending so up we went.
There were the usual stories ranging from diving to foreign exchange students, plenty of snacks and even a sunbather on the bow. Then it was time to hit the water again.
Again the water was dark and murky on the way down and opened up as we hit the sand. We ran out in another direction looking in and under things. There was plenty of relief to see and nose about but mature fish and other sea life were conspicuously missing. We did see one good sized sea bass in a pipe but even with one of us at each end of the pipe we were unable to reach it or raz it out. And at one point some motion in another pipe was pointed out but after a quick grab it was discovered that it was just some floating sea grass looking conspicuously like antennae . Time was up again and up we went.
Up on deck Al arrived, without his spear. He had inadvertently dropped it on his way up. Luckily the mate, Gary was after him and picked it up on his way up. Al was not able to snag anything in the keeper range but I do believe he had fun trying.
My dry suit leaked profusely in the right boot. A problem since I only got it back from the manufacturer on Thursday. The cold bottom temperatures were still with us and keeping our fishy friends at bay. But the sun was shining, the seas were calm and visibility a solid Jersey 15....... Not a bad day after all.

Maurice Tracy

‘If one dives and returns to the surface inarticulate with amazement...then he deserves to go again and again. If he is unmoved or disappointed, then there remains for him on earth only a longer or shorter period of waiting for death; there can be little worth while left in life for him'.....................William Beebe1877-1962. 5AM is very early in the morning. 4:45..... Is even earlier. Again, I was not late (I am on a roll). Enough said. And so began our trip to the Helis aboard the Tomkat. Mark, Big Jim, and myself. We headed out under clear skies and calm seas with 5 divers, 2 mates and the Captain. I curled up and awoke to dive .................... the Maurice Tracy. A change in plans. Built in Ohio in 1916 as the Nordstrand and later named the Sekstant, in June of 1944, the Maurice Tracy was en route from Maine to Virginia carrying coal, when she was rammed by the liberty ship, Jesse Billingsley. There were no casualties and the crew of the Maurice Tracy was rescued by the sub-chaser SC-412 which had been escorting the liberty ship. 253 X 43 feet and 70 fsw, the Maurice Tracy is a huge scattered debris field off of Barnegat Inlet and due to its inshore location has hit or miss visibility. Today was a hit. I will say 20 feet as we moved about the wreckage Bottom temperatures have been cool lately and I dressed accordingly. I am still not a fan of the step up to the gunnel but managed with minimal help. One giant stride in and I was on my way down the line. The scattered pieces of ship held much interest and promise and we set about exploring. The first bug was grabbed and returned as short. It was borderline...... The next I missed and Mark did a quick lunge and grab and had it. I was told this one was my call but it looked short....I was skeptical but I am not a good judge of these things and so another was set free. http://njscuba.net/~images/sites-img/maurice_tracy_2.jpgI settled for searching out some fish to poke. There were too many to choose from, in all sizes, tucked in everywhere. We ran out the reel to investigate sections about the sand, returned to the line and ran out in another direction. There was way too much to see, swim about and look in and under. The time went all too quickly and at 66 fsw with the temps at a cool 48F I was starting to get chilly. Up the line we went. I am still not adept at the ladder. They need a closer rail and so I unceremoniously climbed, fell, tripped onboard. We snacked and talked and traded stories until it was time to go again. I added another layer for warmth and geared up. But could not find my glove. Luckily I brought an extra pair and quickly switched over. This time Mark was taking his spear. He was going to be selective and only wanted a big one. So we were going hunting. As we descended I noted two things. One.... It was dark. The visibility was worse and Two.... It was colder. My computer registered the same temps but it was ice cream headache chilly none the less. Upon reaching the bottom the water cleared and we headed out in search of the “Big One”. There were fish everywhere and my neck hurt from swiveling around, but while of respectable size, there were no impressive ones about. We headed out towards the boilers and as while the viz was not quite as good as earlier , it was not disappointing. As the water cleared and the boilers came into view I had to stop and take it in. They are huge, like an enormous canvas stretched out in front of me, painted with the shapes and textures and colors of sponges, anemones, corals and hydroids. Mark laid down the reel and we started to look around. I saw the spear take aim but come back empty and then I was being called over in a very animated manner. There, tucked waaaay back in a crevice, was enormous-fish. I know it wasn’t a whale shark but I also know, had Mark been able to reach him...... He wasn’t fitting in my bag... or Marks .... Or anyone else’s. This was “The One” and he wasn’t budging. Mark patiently hovered and I could see his brain calculating distance... angles ... range ..... how much time we had to wait. He wanted this one and all the rest paled in comparison. Eventually we moved on looked about and headed back to the line empty-handed. The spear was left at the tie in in disappointment and we took the reel and ran out past more of the wreckage in another direction. Thoroughly chilled but quite content with two great dives for the day we headed up. As I packed up my gear, I found my errant glove, tucked in the pocket of my jetfin like a stow-away. It had made the second dive after all. Too much sunshine, too much visibility, too much wreck to see. A nap was called for. I awoke to a flurry of movement. Everyone was on the stern watching 3 dolphins glide past, stretching in and out of the water in unison as they went on their way. It is always a pleasure to just sit and watch these graceful animals swim about and we followed their path until they were out of sight . A short while later, the water grew black and thick with bait fish and we took a short break while fishing poles where cast a few times to see what was about.... and then we were on our way again. Jim was the hunter with several lobsters and one collateral damage blackfish (he blocked access to a lobster...jeesh) Back in dock safe and sound. Another good day on the water.

The Adele and the Dykes

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. ..........John Mansfield

I couldn’t let the great weather go to waste. So we grabbed some spots on the Stingray and headed out for an afternoon of diving.
It was one of those days and the boat was running late but with the blue skies and warm sun we just sat back and relaxed.
As we set off, there was much discussion about where we should head to. We were joined by 3 divers from the Aquanauts dive club and the Mate, Stas, and his father, Mike. While we had planned on some sight seeing and I had hoped for some mussels, the rest of the group were spear fishing and wanted some targets.
Captain Henrik wanted to try a site he had not been to before and the Adele was decided upon.
The Adele is a trawler sitting at 80 fsw and lying NE/SW which has been decimated by time, weather and bottom dragging. We were able to tie to a decent section of her but the steel wreckage is spread out so far and few between you could not possibly find it all. We came down the line in about 10 foot of hazy visibility and looked about. There appeared to be only a small amount of wreck left BUT there were fish!!! Tons and tons of really nice sized fish, Taug, Sea Bass and some flounder among them and quite a few purple sea urchins.
AND........... One Humungo Lobster (hereinafter referred to as HL). We had just descended the line and were beginning to look around when I looked down and spotted claws worthy of their own zip code sticking out from the wreckage below us. This puppy looked big and mean and I instinctively reached down and grabbed them. There was a bit of a struggle, like something out of a Sea Hunt episode, only I ripped one claw from her before she could cut our air hoses. I probably saved Marks life. (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) Unfortunately neither one of us had a goody bag with us so we took turns carrying HL about on the rest of our dive as we swam out and surveyed the area.
Moving away from where we tied in and an area of what appeared to be machinery we came across some long pipes and a little farther away a small debris pile, but not much else.
While the bottom temps were a warm 57F we opted to go up. As we approached the thermo cline the water cleared a bit and we suddenly saw the eggs on the bottom of the lobster we had just dragged along with us for half an hour. She was handed off to me and I sent her on her way, her claw following closely behind.
The spear fishermen had better luck. Stas, the mate, had a huge blackfish and the others were not empty handed either.
We opted not to stay for a second on this wreck and since the winds were picking up and the seas starting to roll. We headed on towards shore and a stop at the Dykes. On the way in we discussed Henriks system for evaluating the seas. There is smooth, sparkly, fluffy snotty....it was like a listing of the seven dwarfs LOL and we were going through some fluffy ones (3 foot rollers with wide troughs and some white caps, it is actually a very interesting system).
The Dykes is a schooner barge 306 X 35ft in 65 fsw. Originally built to carry aluminum ore for ALCOA she was sold several times until she was finally converted to an unrigged sludge barge for NY City which was retired in 1959 and. sunk in 1983 as an artificial reef. http://njscuba.net/~images/reefs-img/nj02sg_dykes_3.jpg
We brought our goody bags this time, but it was almost 8PM and we were loosing the light. It was dark and murky on the way down, although I did see one small jellyfish early on. Upon reaching the sand we took up our lights and set out. This wreck had a great deal more relief to explore and tons of hidey holes, ledges and compartments hiding hundreds of fish. While it was almost dark enough to be considered a night dive, our flashlights provided a decent view of what the wreck had to offer. There were tons of starfish on this site, something that was missing from the Adele and a thick layer of sponges and anemones. I would learn later on that there was a wall of mussels just past the tie in but I was too busy chasing after the fish and missed it, so I came back empty handed once again. We were touring along, checking out all the sights when I very poorly communicated my psi and turn around time, twice, and we were on our way up the line while I still had over ½ a tank. I will definitely work on that.
It was probably for the best because the last group had waited for us to surface before dropping in. They were going to pull the hook and it was getting dark and I don’t think they were really prepared to do a full fledged night dive.
The ride in was a little “fluffy” but we were treated to the sights of fireworks in 5 different towns up and down the coast as we rode in. What a tremendous sight, no matter where you looked there were fireworks shooting up in the sky and it appeared as if the 2 most northern displays were in tandem, mirroring each other. What a nice end to the evening.