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I am headed to Blue Grotto this weekend with the family and friends. Of course there is no cave diving there but I wanted to do some SM practice. I just started SM but I have never been to Blue Grotto. My buddy was telling me that he didnt think it would be easy to get set up the way there entrance was. Like I said, not ever being there before, can anyone tell me if it can be done or is to hard.
I dove sidemount last time I was there. Just carry your tanks down one at a time and stage them off to the side of the lowest ramp. Then, move to the edge of the pier when you're all ready, and gear up. No worries, just step carefully. The stairs can be a bit slippery.Quote:
Originally Posted by bpcfire1
Blue Grotto and Paradise are great equipment test sites (IMO)
Thats whats I needed to know. I agree, I play around with my gear all the time getting things just right. I will not attempt to dive SM until I know I have everything the way it needs to be and I am safe.
It's very easy to dive SM there. I always walk into the water and stand on the platform at the bottom of the steps. It's about 4 feet deep. Put your tanks on and head on out.
I am curious (not trying to flame) what a site's conditions have anything to do with sidemount (SM)? If you a SM diver, would it not be expected that you can put your tanks on horizontally, vertically, in the water, out of the water, while hanging on rope? Since there are courses in SM now, is this not taught?
It was taught in my class... We had to take em off, put em on, swim with one, pick up stages while staying neutral, and we even did some simple no mounting at 20'. I like to throw my tanks in and swim down to them to pick em up. Just gotta put the reg in first. ;-)
+1 I dove there SM Friday morning, $40. Fill eslewhere, $$$$$Quote:
Originally Posted by sskasser
Do not try to SM in Devil's Den. The distinguished gentleman (senior couple) that is there two days a week yelled "no doubles" at me as he watched me rig up from above. I couldn't convince him it was two singles and necessary for weight and redundancy. Ended up monkey diving a single 72, wet, with a football helmet sized rock as ballast to get to 20 ft, where I hovered over my OW friend.
Bottom grates have fallen apart and were replaced with gray plastic conduit..... Yes really.... Flexible too. No sweat getting through if so inclined.
Maintenance chief was reinstalling prefab sections of chainlink squares, said they had trouble with folks sneaking it, and he was ".....told to make it bulletproof". Nice enough guy though, all of them were, made us coffee, really nice folks, just beware the no doubles rule, probably to prevent exploration.
Ps, Went for lead on dive two with my second 72.
You should have asked him if you could carry your second tank with no regulator on it.
Thought about it, yet every time I started a sentence with, "But..."
It was met with a quick and resounding, "No doubles!"
They were so nice, after three "But...." pleadings, I gave up.
Really sweet, GREAT camping site, phenomenal. $8 with power, showers, and pool.
I thought the no doubles rule was because of the entrance, at least that is what they told me a couple of years ago the one time I went. I didn't sidemount at that time but asked out of curiosity. It was an older Lady that I asked, I got the impression she was the owner.
Never mind, kid corrected me, I'm thinking of Devil's Den maybe?
Camping at Devil's Den is great. Although due to location Convict has replaced it as our go-to campground.
That was my first thought, but they know I carried them one by one. He didn't seem to mind the fact that I had them, it was that I wanted to USE them. The older gentleman was a retiree living on the property with his wife. They service it weekdays for 2 days to give others a break. They run the front desk, maintain the bath house, check in campers, etc. The owner is a group of 12 investors, one of them a local dentist who owns the adjoining property. They have done much to improve it, but having 12 owners means concensus is tough, probably why the place is a tad delapidated away from the site towards the back. But still sports good campgrounds, nice rental cabins, clean pool available for training too. Neat.
The following is merely fiction... Uh, yeah.... that's it....
I'll also mention a group of Illinois area divers that rolled in at 3am and proceeded to park right next to us even though there were 30 acres of other spots. They made ZERO effort to be quiet, setting up EVERYTHING until 4am, at which point they cracked beers and decided to shoot the bull. They were very inconsiderate, loud jerks (keeping it clean for the forum). In the morning when they left for breakfast, we packed to leave, not wanting any more nights like that. This was obviously their big "guys dive week". The other three RV'ers who had been settled in good and were very nice to us, also packed up and were GONE before these Superfans of Chicago were back. All OW dudes, tons of AL80's, and all looked like they belonged on Saturday Night Live eating Brats and yelling "Da Bears" and "Da Bulls" and "Ditka".
The Four Di(t)ka's yammed on until almost 5am. Apparently cops (which I normally support completely, but these guys loved badge bragging while drinking). One was introduced as "Sir Farts Alot". So we named the others "Duke D-Bag" "King Kamping K-nt" and "The Joker". A real Royal Flush.
We packed our gear in the morning sun, when my tent mate and I decided to levy a Tax for such agregious behaviour. The tax increased as the sun went up, and the tax ended when we each of us were 100% packed and they returned and tossed us a cursory "Sorry if we were loud last night" which was met with "Ya mean this morning?"
The tax left them an 8-pack light, and we hoped busy infighting over which Di(t)ka drank all the Yeungling last night. Would have been ten but they rolled in as the last bag was loaded. Goodenough. Smile, wave, stop in and pay, roll north, don't look back.
Welcome to Florida boys, them gators are sneaky, and thirsty.
When I ever have to come in to a campground late, I make an effort to setup the minimum and only speak when necessary, then go right to bed, and apologize in the AM. Common courtesy.... I decided against paying an extra day's diving fee and wrecking the vis for them, didn't want to punish other divers or the site for these inconsiderate Superfans.
The above is merely fiction.... if you choose to believe it.... and in now way is an admission of camp shenanigans.
That might belong in the fill station, 2/3 of it is its off topic.
But it is still awesome, I was laughing even harder then when I heard it the first time
That's how PSAI teaches it.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepSea