Changes at the Inlet

Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. ~ Bertold Brecht

What a difference a day makes….but I digress.

It’s 9PM and I am tucked nicely into bed when my phone rings. “Tide is at 11. You coming?” Benny must have hit his head. I am done for the day. It’s late. It’s a school night. I am in my PJs… Are PJs warm enough under your drysuit?.... Do I have a single tank with air?..... Do I have fresh batteries for my flashlight?... and so it begins.

We suit up at the inlet and Benny discovers his tank is “ less than” filled so we are again hiking down the jetty, trying to get in closer to the area we want to be to get the most out of his fill.

As we slide down into the water it is noticeably cooler than Saturday (54F) and definitely not as clear, things have changed.

With only 3-5 ft visibility we are sticking close. We head east and the current is back with a vengence. While I don’t need to pull myself along, I know I am struggling to make headway and occaisionally pull on a rock to scoot myself along.

Things have changed… A lot… With the current picking up and the water temps dropping, the fish apparently are in hiding. As I swept the sand with my light, crabs of every variety moved about and the ever present starfish were hunkered down at the base of the rocks. The only thing moving in the sand were hermit crabs, large and small.

With the limited visability, I had to pay closer attention to the rocks looming up ahead of me and the beam of my light cut only a short narrow path through the dark murky water.

There were several graduates from the “Fillet and Release School of Fishing” lying on the bottom and it is a little unnerving when someone, who I will not name, picks them up and launches them into the dark and they appear in front of you as a fishy head followed by bones and a tail, before falling to the sand. Actually, kind of comical as I reflect on it.

Rounding out the scant sealife were 2 small rays and a short fluke swimming about.

As expected, Benny began to run short on air and we returned to the rock stairs by the bridge and climbed out.

Things change so quickly in the ocean, from tide to tide as well as day by day. You never know what the next dive will bring. The tide is at midnight tomorrow….Benny and Tom swear we aren’t diving it. Hmmmm…. We will see.

Shark River Inlet

Man [has] always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reason… ~Douglas Adams

I am pretty sure I am dehydrating. I don’t get wet nearly enough lately. If I don’t poke the fish….who will?

High tide was at 9:51PM. It was debated….at length….several times…..and it still was at 9:51PM…. I like night dives. Benny wanted fish, Tom wanted lobsters, and I wanted to poke something.

There were quite a few fishermen when we first started gearing up, but they thinned out as the last of the days light faded. There were still several there, catching what light they could from the street, and flanking our usual entry point as we readied to go in. We walked past the fishermen and down the jetty looking for another way in. Hiked would be a better word but we did finally find our entry at a group of rocks, somewhat steep but manageable. I sat down, tossed the dive flag in, reached out for the first rock and proceeded to pick my way on down, putting on my fins before entering the water. Visibility was excellent at 10 feet or more and we quietly slipped beneath the water.

Three lights signaled OK and off we went. Crabs and starfish dominated the area, and as I swam past a rock I noticed what looked like a clam with arms. A starfish was sitting inside a large ocean clam finishing up a late dinner. Benny immediately found a keeper lobster. Quick check for eggs and in his bag it went. The horseshoe crabs are still abundant and under one ledge, just hanging out, was one that qualified for “mother ship” status.

We swam almost to the end of the jetty before turning to come back and along the way noted some above average sized sea robbins lolling about. I took care of that with great pleasure, sending them on their way. Several tiny flounder were half buried in the sand (they aren’t any more) and hermit crabs scurried along keeping one eye on me to be sure I behaved. I looked under and about but did not spot any more lobster, but I did see quite a few rays tucked in around the rocks. Tom had picked up 2 lobsters and was on the hunt for more.

Benny spotted a nicely proportioned fluke and wasted no time in spearing him and while I lit up the scene, he placed it in his bag. As we prepared to move on I noticed something on the bag and signaled Benny to stop. In a minute I think he would have anyway. He was caught by a brand new leader and 4 oz. weight. I tried to simply unhook him but it was snagged and he cut the line as I held it before the fisherman started to try to reel him in.

Again on the way back we passed through the congregation of sea robbins and I caught one by the tail. He was NOT happy. At one point a small curious ray swam with us for a short while, following along directly underneath me across the sand and up and over a rock before leaving for other adventures. That was really neat. We occasionally came across several really small bass and other fish and I occupied myself with chasing after them to no avail.

The water remained clear but the 57F temperature was starting to feel chilly after more than 40 minutes in the water, so we picked up the dive flag and swam down to our usual exit, leaving the water with 3 lobsters, a summer flounder and a respectable number of fish poked. Not bad for one evening.

Magical Mystery Wreck

Neque est ullum certius amicitiae vinculum, quam consensus et societas consiliorum et voluntatum ~ There is no more sure tie between friends than when they are united in their objects and wishes. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

One of our own is leaving for 400 days of sun and fun in Iraq on Sunday. We have been trying to get as many dive days in with him as we can and today we did a private charter on the Stingray.

He got to pick the wreck and carry his own tanks, we got to spend some time with him diving, talking, telling stories, old and new, eating and drinking a beer or two. And of course laughing, with him and at him.

There were 7 of us this morning. It was 78F at 6AM and would near 100F before the day was over. The guys had finished my neck seal in record time, since its untimely demise on Friday, but I had my wet gear with me just in case there was a problem. Long story short….there was not…woo hoo!! They are the best.

With every one on board we headed out on perfectly flat seas for the Pinta. I was excited since I have never been on this classic wreck and I understand it is quickly deteriorating. But it was not to be. As we arrived there was another boat on the site and we were not destined to share, so we moved on to the “Secret Magical Mystery Wreck”. That is all I know… I believe that if Captain Henrik told us more he would have to kill us…so it will have to suffice.
We geared up as we waited for the mate to tie in and Mark and I were the second group over the side. The water was a cool 46F and that old familiar Jersey green in color as we went down the line.

90 fsw later, at the bottom, the green remained with us but the visibility was respectable and we headed out to explore. There was a tangle of wreckage and hull plates and wood and it seems the tautog know they are out of season and therefore abounded, swimming all around us. We swam the length of the wreck over the top getting a look about and noted hydroids, anemones and sponges were everywhere and an assortment of fish in every size swam past us. As we peered about we could see fish and divers bustling in every direction and streams of bubbles rising from the wreckage gave notice of the path of each group as they swam along.

Monofilament was everywhere and I was tangled on more than one occasion, starting at the tie in and grabbing Marks fin to get his attention as I pulled free. I am sure he thought I was crazy….OK, crazier than usual….as each time I got caught, I would grab some piece of equipment or other of his and when he looked at me I would signal OK and swim on. Weights and lures dangled about like fruit on a tree. Obviously this place was not a secret among the fishing crowd. If I didn’t know better, I might guess this ship sank from the weight of all the lead sinkers attached to her.

As we turned to go back to the tie in, we came across two of our divers tangled between the fishing line and their wreck line, and stopped to help out before heading up.

Once back onboard, we lounged about the front deck of the boat just talking and soaking up some of the days sunshine while the crew stoked up the grill. The rest for the surface interval was spent eating burgers and shish kebobs and snacking on pretzels and fruit while we exchanged stories and information from our first dive and readied for round two.

Again we headed down and, while the temperature was the same as earlier, it felt slightly colder in the water. There was a definite thermo cline this time at about 30 ft.

For this dive we headed southwest and in the sand following the curve of the wreckage. Immediately upon reaching the sand I picked up a few pieces of wood half buried in the sand, but couldn't tell if they were charred or not. This was definitely a wooden ship and from this side you could make out whole pieces of the hull still intact rising up from the sand, the railings in place at the top. There was a slight bit of a current here and I took advantage of it, letting it take me slowly along as I laid at the sand peering in amongst the tangle of debris for whatever life was hiding there. I found a shell in the sand here, suitable as a souvenir of the dive and placed it in my pocket for later.

Again the fish were swimming all about and I poked one or two and grabbed for tails along the way, actually catching one only to have it immediately wiggle from my fingers. Oh well.

From this side you could make out the fallen masts and wood planking amid the rubble of the wreckage and it was interesting to try and imagine where it all fit in.

It was quickly time to head up once more and we slowly made our way up the line.
On deck, as each group exited the water, they described the different parts of the wreck they had seen and what was there. Everyone had something to add from the description of portions of wreckage to the bull nosed eels lurking in the shadows.

Once our gear was stowed and we were on our way back in, the Captain let me steer the boat a bit. While there may not have been much for me to hit, I still had to steer towards the inlet and home, and I am happy to report I did not get us lost.

We all gathered on the deck, chatting and talking diving and gear, pictures and trips, sipping some cold ones, and taking pictures of us all together and making a memory to keep until we get Josh back to dive with us again.

Stay safe buddy and hurry back. We have fish to poke ya know.

Shark River Inlet

“Here lies the body of Jonathan Ground, Who was lost at sea and never found” ~ Anonymous

We were hitting the Shark River Inlet for a night dive, a 10 o’clock at night dive. Josh, Benny, Tom and myself, or at least that is how it started out.

Benny was excited, he called me from the inlet proclaiming at least 15 feet of visibility and a decent tide coming in. Sweet! The inlet dive is just east of the A Street dive. You enter east side of the Avon Bridge, where again, the rocks of the jetty form a sort of natural staircase for entry and exits.

As we were gearing up Scott pulled in to check what was going on and kept us company until we hit the water. Tom, unfortunately, did not make the dive but like the 3 Musketeers, or maybe the Stooges, Josh, Ben and I were jumping in.

I forgot my glow stick for my tank, as someone reminded me on my ride there, and so I packed on an extra flashlight just in case. My last words as we locked our cars and walked towards the jetty? “Guys…..just don’t loose me”. My two companions, in unison, assured me they would not….no….never…not them.

We entered the water and dropped down to a whole different world than last dive. The viz was excellent and all our little play friends were out. We started finning and Josh immediately grabbed my fin and pulled me back. His fins were tangled in fishing line and he was stuck. I pulled out my sheers and freed him and we were on our way. The current was exceptionally strong, so much so that ducking in behind the rocks really wasn’t helping and occasionally we had to pull ourselves along. We passed by mounds of starfish and droves of teeny blue claw crabs. The spider crabs were well represented and of course the horseshoe crabs are still mating and everywhere you look. At one point I swam over what appeared to be two horseshoe crabs in need of a room, and did a double take as I shone my light over him and realized it was just one lone crab. Godzilla sized, but one just the same.

There were small flounder which we rousted and some juvenile sea bass which I poked, prodded and chased. Then our lights hit on a lone king fish of shooting size. Benny took aim and as I illuminated the process, he removed it from his spear and put him in his bag. By the end of the night Benny’s shopping bag would include another king fish and a 19 inch flounder. Not bad for June.

We continued along, working against the current and lighting up the nooks and crannies and panning about the sandy bottom next to the rocks. This really was not too bad as I registered 26 feet and 54 degree bottom temps. There were little bitty flounder hiding in the sand which we scooted along, sea robbins of varying size and the obligatory sponges, algae and other growth on the rocks. Two lone antennae were spotted and Ben lunged for them as we watched. As it turns out…..there was one huge claw…..attached to a runt of a body…..covered in eggs…….and back she went. Oh well.

As we swam along, Josh’s light panned over a monster sized blowfish. He prodded him with his light but this was one stubborn son of a gun and he held his ground refusing to move. Unlike this fish, the current was dictating our positioning and we moved on to see what else was out.

We soon started to feel the shift in the water and at about 22 minutes, the signal to turn was passed about. Benny made a quick stop to free a young sea bass that was hooked and caught on the rocks, not unlike Josh earlier. He would have to grow a bit before he was of hunting interest to anyone and he was sent on his way.

As I made the turn, the current caught under me and I started to loose my buoyancy and grabbed onto Josh’s tank to catch myself, but I was too late and I started to float up. I signaled Josh with my light and he looked up at me. That was the last I saw of him or Benny until they exited the water at the bridge. Unbelievable.

I dropped back down and shown my light all around, but I was alone. Procedure says, up to the surface, in towards the rocks and signal with your light til you find your buddy. I was halfway back at the exit point before I saw the signaling lights of my two, never in a million years would they loose me, dive buddies. I was holding my fins and had already scrambled on up the rocks to the beach when they arrived at the exit and wanted me to come back in and head west under the bridge with them for a while. I think not. As they dropped down I realized my keys were in Bens truck….Doh! So I sat on the steps and awaited their return.

Fifteen minutes later they were back and we were on our way up to the street discussing our little misadventure of lost and found. As the story goes……Josh saw my light and saw me floating up and then he didn’t see me, and he immediately went to tell Benny who was still following our little hooked sea bass buddy. INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING ME TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG!!!!!! Do you remember how many times I saved Josh’s butt in Rescue Diver Class? Now….does he return the favor? Noooo…..instead he goes and tells Benny they are in trouble cause they lost me. They swam into the rocks and then surfaced, but by that time the tide had put several clusters of rocks between us. We must have looked like a whack-a-mole game with heads popping up and down in the water as we swam back in, popping up to signal and then dropping down a foot or two to grip some rocks to pull along. The trip back was actually quite quick and as soon as we found each other, although some distance apart, everyone had relaxed.

We were loading our gear back into our cars and discussing our upcoming boat dive for Sunday as I took hold of my neck seal to pull it over my head……and it happened…..my heart sank and I stood there in disbelief. My neck seal, my one year old neck seal, had split completely down the middle and now looked more like an oversized Nehru collar than a watertight stretch seal. Dang!

I had a family obligation in north Jersey in the morning and I really really didn’t want to dive wet on Sunday. Good dive buddies make all the difference. Benny dropped my suit off at the shop first thing in the morning and both Ben and Josh stopped by and helped Tom get a new neck seal on my suit in record time. I am diving dry on Sunday. Thank you to everyone……all is forgiven. Really…and see you Sunday.

No Viz at A Street

Dive- verb\ dived \ or dove \ dived also dove; div·ing
1 a: to plunge into water intentionally and especially headfirst; also : to execute a dive b: submerge 2 a: to come or drop down precipitously b: to plunge : to descend in a dive Usage - Dive, which was originally a weak verb, developed a past tense dove, probably by analogy with verbs like drive, drove. Dove exists in some British dialects and has become the standard past tense especially in speech in some parts of Canada. In the United States dived and dove are both widespread in speech as past tense and past participle, with dove less common than dived in the south Midland area, and dived less common than dove in the Northern and north Midland areas. In writing, the past tense dived is usual in British English and somewhat more common in American English. Dove seems relatively rare as a past participle in writing.

The tides were timed nicely at 6PM, it was 89F and sunny and Tom was taking a student to Belmar and Benny “the Indiana Jones of diving” and I were joining them.

The A Street dive is off a short lane between a house and an apartment complex, just a block west of the bridge to Avon. There is a rock bulkhead along the water with the rocks on the left forming a natural staircase into the water. The parking is very limited, and although it looks like there should be no traffic on this road, it is in constant use due to the parking lot behind the apartments.

When I arrived Benny was having a conversation with the parrot that lives in the house on the west side of the lane. Apparently they had been speaking for some time and every time Benny spoke the parrot answered…..Hello!….Woo Hoo!….Hello!…and Benny would answer….hmmmm.

A look at the water proved less than promising, but Tom deemed visibility in the 3 foot range. Who were we to argue….we were going diving. We had decided to forego the dry suit for our wetsuits since they were easier to climb up the rocks with, and I won’t say which of us was harder to squeeze into their suit. It must have been something in the air since the car next to us was also a diver and we had to do some tugging and stretching to help him along also.

Once suited up we weren’t lasting long in the heat and headed down to the water to jump in. There was a young Hispanic man fishing on the rocks who did not speak English and we had a bit of a time trying to explain that we needed the egress he was standing on…..and he needed to pull his line in. When he finally moved over, with his line still in the water, we had 7 divers lined up ready to drop in. This was going to take a while. Jeesh!

Benny and I climbed in first (note once again I had kitted up at the speed of light) and floated about with the dive flag waiting for Tom and his student. “Someone” had forgotten their dive flag and the Coast Guard has been handing out tickets so we were going to all gather round the same flag. The water seemed a little cool….and dark. A little cool and a lot dark.

We dropped down with visibility at about 3 inches. This was not good…..but maybe we had stirred things up with so many divers entering. We headed out with both of us keeping a hand on the flag line to keep from getting lost. Tom and his charge may have been on our heels but we couldn’t see them and did not again until they exited the water.

We swam along poking a finger in the sand just to know where the bottom was and several times I banged off of the rocks as we happened on them so quickly. Then it seemed we lost the edge of the rocks and were getting into some deeper water. We were turned around and heading out into the channel.

I pulled out my compass. Don’t laugh, I actually figured out we were heading North! Benny in the mean time was tapping me and trying to point in the direction he wanted to swim and so we turned, but we were really struggling trying to see the compass to follow it. Using the current, compass and bloodhound like homing skills, Benny brought us back to the rocks and the exit at A Street. Good Job!

We decided to see if things were any better heading west and dropped down once more. Looking down I could not see sand and looking up the light was blocked as Benny dropped down on my head and I scrambled to get out of the way. We were in a pile on the bottom and sorting out the flag line and signaling OK to each other with our lights. Then in the haze of the beams of our dive lights you could see two divers simultaneously signaling “up“ …. this was crazy….this dive was officially over.

We climbed up the rocks, squeezing past our fishing friend once more, immediately followed by a second dive team. About a minute later, our solo diver scrambled on up, and last but not least…..Tom and our student diver, now thoroughly schooled in low viz Jersey diving.

There could have been crabs and starfish….and lobster and conger eels…….and 3 foot stripers and platter sized summer flounder….and dolphins and sharks and humbolt squid! There could have been……really!!! We just couldn’t see them…..or anything else. I kept shining my light in my face just to make sure it was on. It was pretty much the only thing I saw the whole time.

As we all packed up our gear, and Benny continued his repartee with his parrot buddy, we discussed the conditions and the dive and looking at our computers Benny and I had a dilemma …. His computer said we dove 11 minutes in 48F water at a max depth of 13 feet….and mine……well my dive was 17 minutes in 10 feet of 47F water.

Was viz so bad we didn’t dive together and didn’t realize it? Or just two different brand computers not quite in sync? Or it just could be that "someone" was a little light on weight and had some trouble getting down? Or maybe both. But fitting all this stuff into one 11-17 minute dive? I am sure we had to work at that.