Dive log
Stats
- Max Depth: 25.1 m / 82 ft
- Average Depth: 20.2 m / 66 ft
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Water Temp: 12.0°C / 54°F
- Gas: EAN32
- Tank(s): HP100
- Pressure Start: 234 bar / 3400 psi
- Pressure End: 55 bar / 800 psi
- Surface Consumption Rate: 15.92 L/min / 0.56 cf/min
Notes
Dive Summary: A 40-minute dive to 80ft at Anchor Farm in challenging (< 5ft) visibility. The dive itself was a reminder of several key lessons in preparation and equipment management. The two most important reminders: you can never over prepare for a dive, and the ocean always keeps you humble.
Lesson 1: Fatigue & Preparation Don’t Mix: It’s not ideal to sign up for an early boat dive after hosting a Halloween sleepover. I arrived tired, disorganized, and immediately realized I’d forgotten my rock boots. No matter, the neoprene socks attached to my drysuit would suffice for a boat dive. But this lack of focus was clear in my gear prep as well: I had neglected to label my Enriched Air tanks after picking them up. This created unnecessary uncertainty for a 40-minute dive planned at 80 feet, where the difference between air (35 min NDL) and 32% (50 min NDL) is significant.
Lesson 2: Test Buoyancy Changes in a Controlled Setting: My primary in-water issue was buoyancy. I had just switched to a stainless steel backplate to compensate for increased ballast requirements of my new drysuit. I thought I had the math worked out correctly by dropping 4lbs in trim weights while adding 4 with the switch to a stainless steel plate from my old Deep Sea Supply (RIP) Kydex plate. This was a mistake. I miscalculated by about 2-3 lbs. A deep dive with (turns out) low visibility is not the place to test a new setup. I was light on descent and, more embarrassingly, was positively buoyant enough that on ascent (with 1000psi) that I had to use the anchor line to manage my ascent (a no-no in GUE circles).
Lesson 3: Know Your Computers’ Settings: This was my first dive with a new Shearwater Perdix 2, backed up by my Garmin Descent Mk3. Mid-dive, they gave conflicting information. At 35 minutes, the Garmin warned of approaching NDLs and entered deco, while the Shearwater (and my own dive plan) correctly showed 10+ minutes remaining. Back on the boat, I realized my error: I had left the Garmin on a conservative gradient factor from a pre-flight dive the week before (75 vs. 85).
Dive Notes: Despite the self-inflicted challenges, the dive site itself was beautiful. We dropped down the line into green darkness. At the bottom, the massive anchors, covered in Metridium, loomed out of the 5-foot viz. We finned a slow, clockwise pattern around the structures about 3 times, accommodating several macro photographers in the group. A good dive, but a better classroom. Lessons learned.
Given the challenges of the first dive, I opted to sit out the second dive of the day. I believe in over 2,000 dives, this is the first time I’ve done that.