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Dive Logs for Vance Stevens PADI open water scuba instructor #64181 Dive 451-452 July 19, 2002 Abu Dhabi: Sir Bu Nair Island

Diving with: ADSAC, Abu Dhabi
Dive buddies: Mike Parry, first Open Water dives since certification 2 wks back
Others in dive party: Ron and Ron Gear, Pete Hardy, Darbyshire, Mike Lutz, ponytail Geoff, Teasedale, new ADSAC divers
Conditions: reasonably calm seas, gentle breeze, hot without the breeze
Visibility: 15 meters
Wetsuit: t-shirt and light trousers
Weight:4-6 kg, overweight with 6
Diving from:Yellow Diver

My 451st Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Sir Bu Nair Island northeast corner
Training conducted: none

Data from dive computer:

Interval on computer from previous dive: nil

Time down on dive computer: 10:45
Max depth: 17.9
Time started up from chart: 45 min
Dive time from computer: 47 min
Min Temp: 32° C
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

PSI/Bar in: 200
PSI/Bar out: 50 bar

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: n/a

Description of dive:

Mike Parry and I went with the BSAC divers to Sir Bu Nair Island about 80 km NNW from here, 1hr 30min by boat. Vis was excellent and our first dive not all that bad by Abu Dhabi standards. The north side of the island the water is deep, 30 meters and only gets shallow a couple hundred meters from shore. We anchored in 18 meters off the northeast corner of the island and found ridge lines parallel to the shore at about 15 and 12 meters. These ridges had some outcroppings, with a turtle under one and lots of big grouper flitting about. There were some excellent fish both on the reef and off. The largest fish cruising overhead were some big mackerel (I think ... solo, sleek, and silver, 3 sightings, a meter long) and jacks, sweetlips, and trevelli. On the reef, a great variety of parrot fish, snappers, schools of colorful yellow grunts and sergeant majors, and some young barracuda.

I had my long spare-reg hose and Mike Parry was doing his first dive to 18 meters, so we prearranged that at 100 bar, he would signal me and take my octopus. This works really well with the 2 meter long hose, and doesn't seem to me to be dangerous since the borrowing diver returns the octo with 100 bar left in his tank. I'll let him get me down to about 80, which puts us at 80 and 100, and we'll both end the dive at around 50 bar or maybe a little less if it's very relaxed and shallow. It's a good way to do long dives with beginning divers.

Surface interval:

My 452nd Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Sir Bu Nair Island northwest corner
Training conducted: none

PSI/Bar in: 200
PSI/Bar out: 50 bar

Data from dive computer:

Surface interval: 1 hour 21 min
Pressure group at start of repetitive dive: on computer, n/a

Time down on dive computer: 13:01
Max depth: 13.5 meters
Time started up from chart: 50 min
Dive time from computer: 51 min
Min Temp: 32° C
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

For our second dive we moved to the shallower west end of the island where there are staghorn table and porite bommie coral, and lots of fish, but nothing much exciting. Here we had to go a long way to get to 12 meters, but it was relaxing diving, water temperatures a pleasant 30 degrees, diving in street clothes. Lots of lovely fish, and with Mike taking my octopus, riding comfortably above me on the 2 meter hose, we got our 50 min out of it.

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: n/a