First Dive on the Oriskany
When that alarm went off at 0500, I flew out of the bed and bounded down the stairs like a kid at Christmas. Forty-five minutes later, I had coffee down, sandwiches made, tanks selected and gear loaded in the Land Crusher. I made it to the dock at the perfect time--after the boat's been loaded by Captain Dave. Then with all the passengers around, I gave the boat brief and we were off. Our time en route was to be one hour and fifteen minutes, but the seas were so slick, we made it in an hour.
By 0715 we were in the water. The current was ripping on the surface, so Dave tied a line to the bow from the stern...I could give you the exact name for the line, but my Divemaster Extraordinare Manual is across the room. Then with the current driving through us, we slipped into the water and grabbed onto the line. Hand over hand without kicking, we made our way to the bow, regrouped, and submerged. I went first, pulling myself throught thick current and murky water, keeping an eye on the others. Each in turned flashed the okay sign as I decended upside down so as to monitor their progress and comfort.
Then at 30 feet, the current stopped suddenly and the murk disappeared. And at 36 feet, I saw the top of the island still 40+ feet away. We followed the anchor down into the blue water, and the deeper we went, the more blue the water became. And in the calm blue water, it startled me when I realized exactly how large this reef was. I paused the group for a moment just so we could take in the majesty of the Oriskany...and I don't use the word "majesty" very often. In fact, I don't think I've ever used it.
We limited our dive to 100 feet, since we wanted to maximize our bottom time for two dives. There was so much to see as we circled the upper portions of the island. Hatches were open, calling for a peek inside. There was a small portal near a ladder where one could look out on the flight deck below to watch the launchings, and I wondered who might have stood there when Lt Johnn McCain's A-4 launched on that one day, never to return.
By arriving so early, we had the whole reef to ourselves as we swam under yard-arms, observation decks, and played on the upper most part of the island. We explored ever bit of the ship we could, given our limits. I was amazed at the amount of marine life it had already attracted.
After 30 minutes we began our slow rise to the surface, pausing once again to take in the view. No fish. No people. Just an honored ship, awash in deep blue.
By 0715 we were in the water. The current was ripping on the surface, so Dave tied a line to the bow from the stern...I could give you the exact name for the line, but my Divemaster Extraordinare Manual is across the room. Then with the current driving through us, we slipped into the water and grabbed onto the line. Hand over hand without kicking, we made our way to the bow, regrouped, and submerged. I went first, pulling myself throught thick current and murky water, keeping an eye on the others. Each in turned flashed the okay sign as I decended upside down so as to monitor their progress and comfort.
Then at 30 feet, the current stopped suddenly and the murk disappeared. And at 36 feet, I saw the top of the island still 40+ feet away. We followed the anchor down into the blue water, and the deeper we went, the more blue the water became. And in the calm blue water, it startled me when I realized exactly how large this reef was. I paused the group for a moment just so we could take in the majesty of the Oriskany...and I don't use the word "majesty" very often. In fact, I don't think I've ever used it.
We limited our dive to 100 feet, since we wanted to maximize our bottom time for two dives. There was so much to see as we circled the upper portions of the island. Hatches were open, calling for a peek inside. There was a small portal near a ladder where one could look out on the flight deck below to watch the launchings, and I wondered who might have stood there when Lt Johnn McCain's A-4 launched on that one day, never to return.
By arriving so early, we had the whole reef to ourselves as we swam under yard-arms, observation decks, and played on the upper most part of the island. We explored ever bit of the ship we could, given our limits. I was amazed at the amount of marine life it had already attracted.
After 30 minutes we began our slow rise to the surface, pausing once again to take in the view. No fish. No people. Just an honored ship, awash in deep blue.
posted by The Divemaster at 11:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home