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Dive Logs for Vance Stevens PADI open water scuba instructor #64181 Dive 377 January 12, 2001 Abu Dhabi, Bateen Breakwater

Diving with:Marina Divers
Dive sites: Outside Bateen Breakwater
Dive buddy: Mark Kindermann and Bob Campbell
Others in dive party: Ed Chaffin diving with Nasser, Al Sharifi at the helm
Conditions: mild swell, enough for Al to choose breakwater or Ras Ghurab, where we thought we'd be diving
Water Temp: 20 degrees C on dive computer
Visibility: 4-5 meters, ok
Wetsuit combo: typhoon top and farmer john inside
Weight: 8 kg
Diving from: Al's boat

Training conducted: PADI Open Water advanced underwater navigation dive for Mark Kindermann
PADI Open Water dive #3 for Bob Campbell

Dive 377

Data from dive computer:

This dive had a surface interval. Here's data from the first part:

Time started down: 11:20 on my watch, worn by Mark
Time down on dive computer: 11:18
Max depth: 7.5
Time started up from chart: 00:08
Dive time from computer: 8 min.
Min Temp: 20 degrees C (real chilly)
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Pressure group out, from tables: Bob work it out

And from the second part, after 6 min. surface interval:
Pressure group in, from tables: Bob work it out

Time down on dive computer: 11:37
Max depth: 7.1
Time started up from chart: 00:32
Dive time from computer: 32 min.
Min Temp: 20 degrees C (real chilly)
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

PSI/Bar in: 200
PSI/Bar out: 90
Pressure group out, from tables: Bob work it out

Description of dive:

We had arranged a scenario assuming diving in all directions from an anchor point amid coral gardens at Ras Ghurab, so when Al anchored some distance from the wall at the Bateen Breakwater (may we revisit less frequently) our collective groan was followed by a quick rethink. We conceived of the following. We would descend on the anchor line, and Bob would do the 3 required skills for dive #3 there. Then we would surface, swim for the wall, and descend there for Mark's u/w navigation skills.

We entered the water in a sweat but were met there with 20 degree chill, about as cold as it gets for us Abu Dhabi divers. Mark remembered we should check weighting, which was a good thing, since Bob needed an extra 'brick' as Al calls them. We descended to 7 meters, sand bottom, and did exercises by the anchor. Bob removed his mask and put it back with no problem. I then had Mark signal out of air and had Bob be the one in charge of buddy breathing until he signalled up. I then had Bob disconnect the low pressure hose and orally inflate his BCD to do fin pivots. He showed good presence of mind in making minor adjustments and signalled me when he knew he had it. We then moved to the anchor line and Bob conducted a well-executed ESA, a little fast perhaps, but not far off the mark, and it felt right for him.

We never connected the low pressure inflators. I like to conduct at least one dive in training without them so that students will realize they are non-essential kit.

We then put Bob on compass and had him swim due east for a mark on the wall of his choice. When we arrived, we took his word for it that he'd reached the one mark in a thousand it could have been amid the heaps of boulders, and we descended there to let Mark do his stuff. There was a rope rising up off the wall, and I unreeled in that direction while Mark followed and counted kicks. The journey was fairly non-descript, except that we passed a piece of sacking, and I took pains to go perpendicular to the ripple marks, which also kept the seawall in view for the first ten meters. I pulled a plastic bag from my pocket which we filled with sand and left there. We then reversed ourselves and I brought in the reel while Mark timed his journey. Stats were around 30 kick cycles and a little over a minute to travel 30 measured meters underwater.

Mark's task now was to retrace those steps and fetch the plastic bag, and return us to our starting point on the wall at the end of the upward trailing rope. This he did spot on, though he said later he was surprised to come back on the plastic bag (but he was running perpendicular to ripples, and passed over the sacking on cue, so was dead on). Retracing was also right to the starting point. He then set a westerly heading and took us into the sand 30 meters. On the return leg he got off a bit and bypassed the trailing rope, but it could have been a current effect. There was surge near the wall and a southeasterly current. Finally, he took us on a square back 30 meters west, 30 north, 30 east back to the wall, and 30 south, where he came out right on the bit of rope trailing up, so he ended on a grand success.

We then took a tour of the wall and just as I was about to call a halt (keeping an eye on Bob's guages) Mark spotted a small speckled ray, an electric one I believe, which I would have missed since I was on the wrong side of the rock he was riding slightly above. We then settled on my side of the rock where I had prepared a note on my slate for Bob, "Take us 30 kick cycles to the west". In this way, I got Bob to take us out about where I thought the boat should be. Then I had Bob signal out of air, buddy breath, and I conducted him to the surface in that exercise. I dumped all the air from my bcd and was trying to slow the ascent through exhalation, but we still came up with alarms sounding (see chart). We were a good 50 meters north of the boat, so I had Bob remove my cramps and tow me back there, which made him a purty tired diver.

Before surfacing, I handed Mark a piece of red 'sea grass' I had collected near the wall (the only thing I could find there that looked like grass). Al insisted when I described it that it was a sponge.

Vance Stevens, vstevens@emirates.net.ae | http://www.vancestevens.com/
Page updated February 2, 2001 in Hot Metal Pro 6.0