Conditions report for Emerald and Harvey's Sinks, & JB

[aw]

We dove Downstream deep section in Emerald on Saturday. It was both of our first time in that section. We made it 1,000 ft. Max depth was 189 ft. Penetration time was 24 min. Bottom time was 50 minutes + 65 minutes deco = total run time 113 minutes. Despite rain in Tally, vis in the cavern below 10 ft of depth was 60+ feet easy. In the cave, it went down to maybe 40 ft. Very divable. Cheryl from the surface looked hazy and about 10-15 ft vis. We poked our head into the shallow section during deco. Vis was very manageable.

When we did the dive, when we hit the T that goes left towards Clearcut sink, we stayed straight towards Fish Hole Sink. When we got beyond 600 ft, the line just crapped all over the place. Old line lying around, no distance arrows, and actually 3 lines start running continuously beside each other. Very aggrivating making sure they don't start shooting off in different directions and you started following a wrong line. I'd like to dive again and go towards Clearcut. I wonder if that section is better laid. I thought all this line had been replaced. All the line in the shallow section going to Split Sink and over to Cheryl are awesome. But downstream is different once you get just a ways back.

We also dove Harvey's Sink in Crawfordville. Despite the rains, below 10 ft, it cleared to a good 30 ft vis. We went to peer at Aphasia Pit. And then continued downstream from that 4-way T. We saw some awesome cave. I had never been in that downstream section before. We went 1,000 ft in. Vis in that system fluctuates from 30+ ft, to hazy, to tanic. But man . . .some neat cave formation in that section. Better than Turtle Passage, in my opinion. We had a 60 minute dive in Harvey's with a max depth of 95 ft.

On Sunday, did 2 dives in Jackson Blue. Vis was perfect and current was practically non-existent it seemed. In fact, the first dive was a solo sidemount scooter dive. First real time scootering in sidemount. WOW!!!! It was SO much more streamlined than scootering backmount. I was traveling faster too. I made it to 1,500 ft in 10 minutes. (150 ft/min) That's including an O2 bottle drop and buoyancy adjustment stop at depth. Didn't have to worry bout contact with the ceiling either. Awesome.

[akcaver]

what mix did you use in emerald?

[aw]

21/30 in backgas and a 21/30 stage. Stage turned out to be only marginally useful because I had a crap reg on it and it breathed like a soda straw below 140 ft. So I had to get off that stage.

Deco gases were 32% stage and 100%.

[akcaver]

Awesome! Only a few more weeks and Ill be able to dive there! (Trimix starts on the 15th!)

[aw]

Good luck on the class!!

Let me know when you get finished and get approved by the panel to dive the site. Always looking for a buddy to dive Emerald.