Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

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Sounder
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Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by Sounder »

I don't usually write dive reports (maybe 1 in 50 dives), but today warrants one. Not for a rare find, epic conditions, or an extraordinary experience, but because of how awesome a dive can be with the right team. The right training, experience, gear, and buddy can take what seems like a so-so dive, or one that could "go bad," and makes it an epic dive I tell my family about.

Today I dove DIW with Kathryn, Lynne, Peter, Kam, Nils, and Greg... vis sucked, current was "ok" but did pick up in areas, and generally conditions were "less than stellar." Kathryn and I teamed up, and after a head-to-tow and bubble check, we were headed for the wall... 90 seconds later, we had arrived (scooters are proof that God loves us). The following 80 minutes would prove nothing but extraordinary.

Despite the awful vis, the current, and the cold water, the dive was one of the best I've ever had at DIW. Well over a dozen GPOs and well over a dozen wolfeels later (I stopped counting on both), we had covered the entire south wall all the way out to the "amphitheater" and the entire north wall all the way out to the "crags," and were back in the middle of the wall. We only left because I had to get to a 3 year old's birthday party in Bellevue. Otherwise, we'd likely have stayed another hour - neither of us were even remotely cold, and we both had more than half our usable gas left. I suppose adrenaline and excitement from an epic dive will keep you warm.

What made this dive so great? The critters and the ability to see the "whole site" on one dive thanks to the scooters. What allowed us to scooter so effectively, stay together, and SEE all the critters that made the dive so great... our training, experience, gear (especially can-lights), and buddy awareness. These factors took what could have been a marginal dive at best, and made it wonderful. They had a direct result on how far we could explore (I swear we must have been half-way to Titlow at one point), how many critters we found, and how comfortable we were throughout the dive despite the conditions.

So in sum, I love being a team-diver. It may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me... the relaxation that comes with utter confidence and comfort in your buddy is irreplaceable by anything else. Today could have been marginal, but instead it was one for the record books. Thank you to Kathryn for being my Apex-Buddy today... she was the difference that made the early wake-up and long drive all worth it.
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spatman
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by spatman »

Sounder wrote:So in sum, I love being a team-diver. It may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me...
you do realize you're supposed to mix the :koolaid: with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? :smt064

sounds like a great dive, though. certainly was a beautiful day for it.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by Sounder »

spatman wrote:
Sounder wrote:So in sum, I love being a team-diver. It may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me...
you do realize you're supposed to mix the :koolaid: with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? :smt064

sounds like a great dive, though. certainly was a beautiful day for it.
Freebasing the :koolaid: is just SO much more effective than the old "mix & drink" methods.
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by Joshua Smith »

I, uh.......I like diving, too. Gotta run- tongue is bleeding.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by dsteding »

Joshua Smith wrote:I, uh.......I like diving, too. Gotta run- tongue is bleeding.
Josh made a funny. :rofl:
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by Nwbrewer »

spatman wrote:
Sounder wrote:So in sum, I love being a team-diver. It may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me...
you do realize you're supposed to mix the :koolaid: with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? :smt064

sounds like a great dive, though. certainly was a beautiful day for it.
Thanks for the new sig line!
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"you do realize you're supposed to mix the :koolaid: with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? :smt064 " - Spatman
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by LCF »

Good tools, good training, and the equanimity that comes with a great deal of experience -- yeah, that's the recipe for a great dive. And Josh doesn't need to bite his tongue, because he's got those things, too :)

I didn't think the viz was that bad -- it was just Puget Soundish. But scooters DO raise the requirement for situational awareness AND for the careful execution of separation protocols. Peter and I had a brief buddy separation (scooter-induced) that we fixed quickly by using our heads . . . AND our can lights.

I really like diving with a buddy who a) is paying attention and b) has keeping us together as a high priority. It just makes diving more fun.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by CaptnJack »

Joshua Smith wrote:I, uh.......I like diving, too. Gotta run- tongue is bleeding.
Could be worse, at least your nose isn't brown.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by karant »

Here is a link to a few photos of the Wolfies and Octos on the dive.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sha ... s-_-Sharer

Thanks for the dive, Doug!

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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by Joshua Smith »

The Wolfies and Octos didn't look very relaxed. And they seemed to be hardly aware of their buddies. Some of them even looked like they might be solo. Nice pictures, though!
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by ktb »

Joshua Smith wrote:The Wolfies and Octos didn't look very relaxed. And they seemed to be hardly aware of their buddies. Some of them even looked like they might be solo. Nice pictures, though!
They do seem to like those dive computers . . . though I'm not sure the bungie is long enough.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by LCF »

It's a very sad thing, but some wolf eels are solo. Brian and Jeanna are planning a "wolf eel special" on Essentials; we'll round them up and get them trained in no time.

The GPOs are incorrigible. There's nothing for it but to buy them rebreathers and let them have at it.
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Re: Dive report: DIW, a testiment to team-diving.

Post by BASSMAN »

Pictures, or it didn't happen!! :smt064
Do Team Divers Take Pictures?
Is there a specific camera configuration? :dontknow:
Hi, my name is Keith, and I'm a Dive Addict! :supz:
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