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1999
Dive Reports
Reports from: June
99 July 99
August
99 September 99 October-Dec
99
June 99
|
Location |
Vis |
Water Temp |
Weather |
June
1 |
Sub |
70'+ |
73 F |
2-3'seas built to 4-5' after
noon, could have surfed some of them |
June
2 |
Sub |
70'+ |
72 F |
2-3'again, building again but
not as much as the day before |
June
4 |
Schurz |
70+ |
75 F |
2-3' seas |
June
5 |
Papoose |
70+ |
75 F |
2' seas, a bit better than the
day before |
June
6 |
Rocks |
60+ |
76 F |
1-2' seas, a nice day |
June
10 |
Fishing near Big
Rock |
N/A |
77-80 |
The seas laid down early, a
beautiful afternoon- but windy later in the day |
June
11 |
Suloide |
40+ |
72 |
Awesome dive: millions of
baitfish covered the wreck, and hundreds of mackerel, albacore and amberjack were feeding-
non-stop action! |
June
13 |
Normannia |
70+ |
75 |
A beautiful day- very smooth
seas, light wind, with a slight swell beginning around noon. |
| June 20 |
Hutton |
50 |
74 |
Excellent
visibility for this wreck- Wind from the north kept most divers in-shore, but no problem
with conditions this good. |
| Week of June 21 |
Schurz, Sub,
Papoose |
100+ |
mid 70's |
What's
lacking in the seas is made up for in the diving, the occasional bumpy ride was well worth
it, with clear water on the off-shore wrecks. |
| Weekend of June
27 |
Offshore,
Inshore |
100+,
50+ |
mid to high 70's |
Excellent
visibility at most southern wreck sites, the Gulf Stream has moved very close to shore:
bringing clear, warm water with many beautiful tropical fish. Even the Parker had
50' vis, a very rare occurrence! |
| June 28 - July 2 |
Everywhere |
?? |
?? |
Wind,
wind, go away!! |
July 99
|
Location |
Vis |
Water Temp |
Weather |
| July 3 |
Papoose, Aeolus |
60, 50 |
75 |
The wind slowed
enough to go out, but made it a bumpy ride. Visibility and temps reduced a bit from
the relentless winds- but underwater conditions were better than anticipated! |
| July 4 |
Naeco Stern,
Indra |
80+, ~30 |
78, 73 |
A wind break
offered a chance to go off-shore: excellent conditions on the Naeco! The top
decks of the Indra were visible from the surface. |
| July 5 |
Hutton |
40 above, 20 on
the wreck |
75 |
More wind.
Diving was good, despite being a bit stirred up. |
| July 6 |
Schurz |
70+ |
77 |
Wind and an
offshore squall made for a less than memorable ride. Once anchored, however, the day
improved. Underwater conditions were excellent! |
| July 8 |
Schurz |
70+ |
77 |
Again a great
dive! Sea conditions were better, but still bumpy. |
| July 9 |
Caribe Sea |
40 |
71 |
2 levels of
thermocline took the temp from 79 to 71- a few smaller sand tiger sharks were around, and
the seas were nothing new. |
| July 10 |
Cancelled |
Guess |
why? |
Yes! More
wind. |
| July 11 |
Atlas |
40-50 |
76 |
A good dive, but
large swells and a shift in the wind made the East side the best choice for the day.
All in-shore wrecks south-west of the inlet (Indra, Hutton) were rough on the trip
out as well as the trip back, due to a reverse in wind direction. |
| July 12 |
Schurz, Sub |
80+ |
80 |
Great seas, great
vis, great dives! FINALLY!! |
| July 13 |
Naeco, Papoose |
100+
80+ |
83
82 |
Excellent
conditions on the Naeco Stern- as well as the Papoose. Light wind and no current-
one couldn't ask for more! |
| July 14 |
Atlas,
Caribe Sea |
10/dark
35-40 |
77
75 |
SW wind made the
East side a good option, except for surprisingly NY-ish conditions on the Atlas.
Good practice for using a wreck reel and observing marine life close-up. The Caribe
Sea was better- sand tiger sharks & better vis made the day. |
| July 15 |
Naeco,
Papoose |
80+
70 |
82
79 |
A moderate current
on both wrecks, but good clear water. A few larger sharks on the Papoose were found
in the holes of the big break. |
| July 16 |
Schurz,
Ashkabad |
80
60 |
80
77 |
A good current was
on the Schurz, more seas further off-shore, but not too rough. Still good diving.
Ashkabad was great- good vis, and the current subsided during the dive. Lots
of schooling fish, tropicals and even a turtle! |
| July 17 |
Bedfordshire
Ashkabad |
50+
60 |
75
77 |
A decent current on both
dives. Visibility was good, and the quantity of marine life on the Ashkabad was excellent. |
| July 18 |
Lobster
Wreck
Normannia |
80+ |
73
71 |
Great vis but a
steep thermocline brought the bottom temps down from the high 70's. Current was
present on both dives, but not too strong. |
| July 19 |
Schurz
Papoose |
90+
70 |
75 |
More current, but
great vis on both wrecks. Cooler temps on bottom. Excellent dives! Wind
picking up (again!) An eight foot stingray was sighted on the Papoose. |
| July 20 |
Cancelled |
Windy! |
|
|
| July 21 |
Manuela
British Splendor |
~100 |
80 |
Good conditions on the
Manuela, and excellent on the British Splendour. Much of the B.S. is intact,
especially the stern, and abundant with marine life. Also full of mussels. |
| July 22 |
Naeco Stern
Papoose |
100+
80+ |
83
77 |
Beautiful dive on the
Naeco, saw a 2-300lb Jewfish. Ideal weather and sea conditions. Sharks found in the
break on the Papoose. |
| July 23 |
Tamaulipas-bow
Atlas |
60
40 |
78
76 |
Good current on the
Far East Tanker, the upside-down bow section is a pretty straightforward dive. A 11-12'
Hammerhead was sighted cruising by, as well as dolphins frolicking by the boat with divers
on the line. The Atlas had "better" vis, but still not as good as it can get. |
| July 24 |
Schurz |
100+ |
79 |
Excellent conditions on the
Schurz- retrieved 2 boiler covers: (thick oval brass plates) -photos coming soon! |
| July 25 |
Caribe Sea |
80 |
77 |
Weather conditions
made the East side a better option: a good number of sand tigers were sighted, some over 6
feet long. Feeding behavior of Jacks, Albacore, etc continues throughout the summer,
on many area wrecks. |
July 26
(Hatteras) |
F.W Abrahms |
75 |
77 |
3+ knot current on the
Clark made "Plan B" the dive for the day. The Abrahms was good- good vis
and plenty of marine life. |
July 27
(Hatteras) |
Clark
Dixie Arrow |
100
100 |
83
76 |
1 dive on the Clark was
made, barely. Relentless current stuck with us for 4 days. The Dixie Arrow was
an excellent dive, despite it's "Plan B" status. |
July 28
(Hatteras) |
Proteus
British Splendour |
45
50 |
71
73 |
The Proteus was
experiencing cold water and the beginnings of a strong current. It's been better,
and will be again. Ditto for the Splendour, but it was slightly better than the
Proteus. |
July 29
(Hatteras) |
Dixie Arrow |
100+ |
76 |
Awesome Dive!! This
wreck is relatively in place-there is plenty of relief, and the outlines of the ship are
clear. Aquarium-like conditions and the presence of 5+ large stingrays, numerous cobia, a
large sand tiger and feeding gamefish were breathtaking. A good current was running from
bow to stern, but still dive-able. For an easy-access dive from Hatteras Inlet, this
dive is a must-see! Hopefully what we saw was typical of this wreck's visibility. |
| July 31 |
Papoose
Ashkabad |
80
40 |
76 |
The sharks have been
quite shy lately, staying in the interior sections of the large break. A beautiful and
friendly Manta Ray was on the Ashkabad- it swam around and with some divers for an
extended period of time, circling and slowing down long enough to examine us as much as we
admired him. What a treat!! (One diver reported staying with the Manta for 15 minutes)! |
August
99
|
Location |
Vis |
Water Temp |
Weather |
| August 1 |
Schurz
Indra |
90+
35 |
76 |
Due
to Navy activity on the Sub, dive boats had to go elsewhere. The Schurz is always an
excellent "plan B." Good vis and minimal bottom current, and lots of
baitfish on the Schurz. Reports of 1+ bull sharks on the Indra were made earlier in
the day- one of our divers saw a shark, maybe it was a bull? |
| August 7 |
Naeco Stern
Ashkabad |
60+
40 |
79
76 |
The
Naeco wasn't quite as clear as expected, but a good dive nevertheless. The Jewfish was
still there. Presumably the same Manta Ray was found on the Ashkabad- it stuck around for
almost the entire dive, interacting with us at length. |
| August 8 |
Papoose
Indra |
60
25 |
78
76 |
The
sharks on the Papoose have been quite shy this year- converging mostly on the stern. There
was a noticeable current on the Papoose. The Indra was quite crowded, with 4 dive
boats anchored. We swam the anchor down to the wreck and tied it "manually"
rather than drop it in the usual manner. No problem. |
| August 10 |
Indra |
25 |
76 |
We
tried to get to the Caribe Sea, but seas across the shoals were too rough. We
attempted the Duhamel, but vis at the bottom was "0." We considered the
Suloide, but vis was reported at 10'. Therefore, we dove the Indra. A good dive, though it
felt like forever before we got there!! |
| August 11 |
Schurz
Indra |
70+
25 |
77
76 |
A
good current was running from stern to bow on the Schurz: otherwise good conditions. The
Indra, it was about the same as the day before! We re-discovered the joy of snorkeling on
the Indra- who has touched the deck on a free dive?? |
| August 12 |
Caribe Sea |
30 |
76 |
Finally!
Though the visibility has been better, the Caribe Sea was as beautiful as ever. We did 2
dives there, taking it all in. Sand tiger sharks are numerous, and a large stingray
with many cobia was sighted. |
| August 13 |
Bedfordshire
Ashkabad |
70+
40 |
76 |
Current
was present on both dive sites, stronger on the surface. The Bedfordshire water was
very clear: a school of spadefish hovered around, and 2 stingrays were seen: one swimming
and one in the sand, just off the wreck. No Manta on the Ashkabad today, but still a
good dive. |
| August 14 |
Naeco Stern
Schurz |
100+
80+ |
79
78 |
Good
dives on both wrecks: though a surface current swept a lift bag about 1 mile away before
we released to go after it and the grouper attached. Lesson Learned: high profile
signaling devices are highly recommended for personal use in case of surfacing away from
the wreck: we had a difficult time spotting a low profile yellow lift bag with just a
small wind chop and occasional whitecaps. FYI. |
| August 15 |
Naeco Stern |
100++ |
78 |
Excellent
visibility was hampered only by a severe lack of sunlight. Overcast skies persisted the
entire dive, and the wind picked up around noon. Still a good dive! |
| August 21 |
Aeolus
Suloide |
70
30 |
78
76 |
The
Aeolus was a good dive, with warm clear water. A morning squall delayed our
departure time, also creating a nice swell throughout the day. Water on the Suloide was
not as clear, but still good diving. |
| August 22 |
Papoose |
70+ |
78 |
There was a good
current in the upper layer of water, but it did not reach the bottom. Sharks were seen
under cover of the hull at the larger break, and a troop of stingrays were spotted
cruising in the sand. The water temp was 81 on the surface and 78 at the bottom. |
| August
25 |
E.M.
Clark |
150+ |
81 |
First time
all summer with no current. Excellent conditions for Tri-Mix check-out
dives. |
| August
26 |
Far E.
Tanker |
80+ |
79 |
Excellent
visibility for this wreck, minimal current. However, a pesky triggerfish
followed the divers, turning hostile near the end of the dive! One diver
has a scar to prove it! |
| Aug.
28- Sept. 10 |
cancelled
due to storms |
|
|
|
September
99
|
Location |
Vis |
Water Temp |
Weather |
| Sept
11 |
Papoose
Schurz |
25
30 |
77 |
The vis still
hasn't returned to normal since the recent winds. Offshore wrecks were the
best bet, although the breeze picked up in the afternoon. |
| Sept 12 |
Schurz |
<20 |
77 |
Since
the day before, the vis dropped considerably. One diver reported that the
stern end high side (starboard) of the Schurz now has sanded up, to within
a few feet from the top edge. Not much of the interior of the wreck is
sanded over. However, the condition of wrecks like the Ashkabad and
Bedfordshire is still a mystery, and they will probably change even more
after this next storm... |
| Sept 13 |
Suloide
(third party report) |
1-3 |
|
Vis
on the Suloide was reported in inches. Not good. VERY large swells have
churned up the bottom to non-diveable conditions. Even the water 20+ miles
out was reported to be brown at the surface, and is likely stirred up all
the way down. The good news is, perhaps the wrecks will have changed- or
uncovered some buried treasure for the next divers to see.... |
| Sept 14-16 |
High seas |
due
to |
Floyd |
|
Oct-Dec
99
|
|
Location |
Vis |
Water Temp |
Weather |
| Oct 2-3 |
Naeco |
50 |
78 |
Visibility
still diminished due to stirred up conditions. Most wrecks have been
uncovered a bit due to the storms, and quite a few structural changes are
noticeable. |
| Oct 9 |
Naeco
Hutton |
60
35 |
77
73 |
Visibility
improved offshore: In-shore conditions improved, but temps are down.
The Hutton has uncovered significantly, most of the sand has been removed
from the interior of the wreck. |
| Oct 10 |
Papoose
Hutton |
50
40 |
77
73 |
Some
large, fat sand-tigers have been sighted on the Papoose, and part of the
hull at the large break is collapsing further. |
| Oct 11 |
Bedfordshire
Sen. Duhamel |
50
15-20 |
75
73 |
The
Bedfordshire has had sand removed from one end and added to the
other. Thousands of seashells on this wreck make souvenir hunting an
easy task. The Duhamel had good vis, considering its proximity to
the shoals, and some small seashells were recovered. |
| Oct 16 |
Hutton |
35 |
73 |
A
large swell and significant wind chop made offshore wrecks unreachable.
Diving conditions in-shore were decent, but wind & rain came through
in scattered cloud bands from "Irene". The Indra experienced a
surge, but none was noticed on the Hutton. |
| Oct 17 |
Cancelled |
|
|
Time to
prepare for #3 |
| Oct 23 |
Hutton |
10-15 |
73 |
Low vis due
to surge: a bit windy as well. |
| Oct 25 |
Papoose |
50 |
76 |
Air
temp is chilly, but the diving is much better! Many sharks were sighted in
mid-water and at the break. |
| Oct 28 |
Papoose |
40 |
73 |
Winds
were strong, but underwater conditions were remarkably calm. A couple of
large sharks were sighted, making rounds around the wreck. |
| Oct 29 |
Schurz |
40 |
72 |
The
water was relatively clear on the first dive, but substantially diminished
at the end of the second. Much sand has been removed from the wreck, lots
of structure is exposed. |
| Oct 30 |
Papoose
Sub |
20
40 |
71
73 |
The
Papoose was quite murky: cold, green water is moving in from offshore.
Visibility on the Sub was much better, with clearer water, and a few
degrees warmer. |
| Oct 31 |
Aeolus |
10-15 |
70 |
What
was reported to be 40 feet the day before has dropped to next to nothing.
There is an abundance of sharks, (they just sneak up on you!) |
| Nov
6 |
Rocks
near Papoose |
40 |
74 |
2-3 foot seas, good
current. Water temps a few miles inshore were 2-3 degrees cooler. A layer
of silt and sediment coated the rocks & ledges. 2 turtles
were sighted. |
| Nov
7 |
Cancelled |
strong |
north wind |
|
| Nov
12 |
Fishing
trip |
25mph |
winds- |
but we caught 2 lizardfish! |
| Nov
13 |
Schurz |
40 |
72 |
Seas
were calm, with only a lazy swell rocking the boat. There were about 5-6
large sandtiger sharks sighted on the wreck, as well as a turtle. |
| Nov
14 |
Papoose
Indra |
50
25 |
71
66 |
The sharks are returning to
the Papoose, after becoming relatively scarce. At least 10 were spotted at
the large break, and they made some close encounters with the
divers!
Conditions on the Indra were good- except for the chill- seas this
afternoon picked up after lunch, but overall it was a good weekend! |
| Nov 20 |
Hutton
Indra |
20 |
63 |
Cooler temps this week.
There is something to be said for diving after storms: we anchored right
next to a porthole ring on the Hutton.... |
| Nov 21 |
Schurz
Aeolus |
40
25 |
67
65 |
Even off-shore was chilly: sand
tigers are still on both wrecks. |
| Nov 22 |
Fishing |
|
|
An attempt at diving was
cut short- the bottom was stirred up. After putting a few trolling lines
out, we hooked a bluefin tuna, and fought it for about 45 min. before he
broke free. Estimated size: 300 lbs. You could see the smoke coming off
the reel as he took off running! What a fish! |
| Nov 28 |
Schurz |
100 |
77 |
Unbelievable change
from last week- summer water temps are back, as well as the visibility.
It's like night and day, compared to conditions a week ago. About 15 sand
tigers now reside on the Schurz, and a turtle was spotted. Similar
conditions were reported on the Papoose as well. |
| Dec 4 |
Schurz
Hutton |
10
50 |
69
61 |
Another drastic
change in offshore conditions. Much better vis on-shore, but cool. Nice
grouper seen on the Hutton. |
| Dec 5 |
Hutton |
50 |
60.8 |
A beautiful, flat-calm day.
The first in weeks, months even!! Good dives, clear water.
A great day to end the season!! |
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