Posted by BadFish on November 12, 2001 at 08:33:36:
Hey everyone.
Well I completed my Advanced Open Water Course this weekend, with the check out dive being performed on the HMS Yukon in San Diego’s Wreck Alley. We went out of Mission Bay on the 7:00am Yukon Trip on board the DN’DII from DCI “ www.gottadive.com”. Its there small boat, only holds 18, but Capt AL and the Dive master, sorry I don’t remember your name, Made it a great trip. The crew was very helpful and pleasant; the Clam Chowder soup was great.
On to the Dive. The Sea was very calm. Almost glass, and the vis to about 60 ft was about 40ft +, how ever once we got down to the Yukon the vis was about 20ft, now we were the first boat out so it was all ours on that first dive. We swam part of the leanth of the ship on that first dive and peered into al the windows and holes that were cut into the boat. We then made a group ascent with about 1000psi in my tank and got back on board the DN’dII. When we surfaced two other boats were on the site. The Molly Ann, and the Lois Ann. The Molly Ann had a group of Tech Dives, this was the first time I had a chance to see dives with all of those stage bottles and long primary rig hose. It was pretty cool watching them while I was on my surface interval. After we eat, I was setting up my second tank when a dive came up feet first right off the Starboard side of our boat. He was just sitting there with his feet out of the water up to his knees. I was just about to ask the DM if maybe there was something wrong, when another dive surface breathing off his bungeed reg. the upside down diver then flipped over and I noticed he was breathing off the long hose primary reg off his buddy. I over heard his buddy asking what had happened and questioning whether he had a full tank when he started. Then they swam back to the Molly Ann.
The second Dive was even better, when got down to the Yukon and swam all the way to the stern, I hit the deepest depth I have ever gone (so far) which was 104ft, then swam back up and over the stern to the props, this was really the first time that the Yukon really looked and felt like a Big Ship. It was sorta strange I guess to see a ship under water for the first time. Any ways the vis on this dive was 10 to 15 ft and the water temp about 56degF, Started my ascent with 1000psi did a safety stop at 20ft for 5min, was down to 55psi so I hung around the drop octo. I guess I was just nervous. All in all I had the best time and I really want to get back into the water soon. I think my next Dive is DEC 2 to Anacapa.
-BadFish