Why do you cave dive?

[Burke]

Burke,

You want to walk down memory lane a bit more? Click here for a flashback.

I have spent a lot of time on that wreck, it is one of my favorites. You spend any time with Wayne Strickland? He was the original guru there. He even started a museum with the artifacts originally brought up from the Houston. Southport Maritime Museum. At any rate, hope you get a chance to watch the vid I posted there, should bring a smile to your face.

I'll be on the City of Houston tomorrow afternoon, and I'll give her a hello for you. We are heading out to 18 Fathom, then the Houston tomorrow morning. I am psyched right now. back to your regular thread, and apologies for the hijack.

I got to see the video today. Great Job!

[fpsndiver]

vis wasn't so good today on the Houston, but good dive regardless.

glad you got to see the vid.

Tom

[fpsndiver]

Trying again...

Wayne was the first one to begin running commercial charters out to the wreck and put recreational divers on it. During those trips, he collected a lot of artifacts. When I would go by his shop, he would have artifacts everywhere. I was a little envious because all I had was a stack of dishes. Well, and a lot of great memories! I can also probably claim rights as the first to ever dive it.

In 1987, my second ocean dive after certification was on the City of Houston. I dropped down to the bottom (90fsw), swam around, found a good spot, fanned my hand over the sand and exposed a stack of china dishes. They were concreted together and I spent the rest of the dive trying to work them free. I checked my pressure gage and saw that I only had about 1,200 PSI and realized that I was running out of time. I wasn't sure that I would get another chance, so I pulled out my knife and used it to pry a stack of dishes free. At the time we were diving it the wreck had not been identified. Wayne would identify it some time later. Now, 20 years later, I still have those dishes.

The first dive earlier that day was on a wreck called the Casket. It was an English Bark that sank in 1892, IIRC. Me and another diver were the first and maybe the only divers to ever dive it. I say that with confidence because when we got to the bottom the ship's bell was just sitting on the wreck. He brought the bell up and it had the ship's name engraved on it. That's how we identified it. We came back some time later to dive it again and the shoal had shifted and the water was only 8ft deep, where it had been 30ft before. Apparently, the wreck was uncovered and then reburied by the shifting shoal. Who knows if and when it will ever be exposed again.

We did a lot of dives on the 18 Fathom wreck too. The plan was to salvage the Manganese ore. We did a video survey and ran a quarter inch line with small floats from stem to stern to used as a survey reference. Since it was poly line, it should still be there along with a 50-inch pinch bar we left inside the frame of cargo hold number 2. If you're feeling froggy, I would love to have that pinch bar back. J

I was originally hired to maintain the electronics, but Denny paid to get me certified so I could help with the diving. I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to dive with a treasure hunter / commercial dive exploration, though I was only able to do it for 18 months or so. I also got to work on the motion picture The Abyss, but that's a whole 'nother story…

I'd love to talk this over with you Burke....the dives today were alright.......I'll be down there in the greater cave country area on MLK weekend...if you are gonna be around, I'll PM you my cell....so maybe we could discuss this and caves over a frosty at Kazbors.

Tom

[Burke]

I'd love to talk this over with you Burke....the dives today were alright.......I'll be down there in the greater cave country area on MLK weekend...if you are gonna be around, I'll PM you my cell....so maybe we could discuss this and caves over a frosty at Kazbors.

Tom

I'm not sure about MLK, but I was planning a trip for President's day in February.

I'll definitely keep you posted...

[Duncan Price]

You left out the most important one! - "Natural progression from caving"

I'm with Santa.

[Webmaster]

I'm with Santa.

My thoughts exactly. And when I can afford $226,000 for the new jetpack coming out this spring with 9 minutes of run time, *that* will be the next natural progression.

http://www.jetpackinternational.com/equip.html

Marbry

[sskasser]

My thoughts exactly. And when I can afford $226,000 for the new jetpack coming out this spring with 9 minutes of run time, *that* will be the next natural progression.

http://www.jetpackinternational.com/equip.html

Marbry

Oh HELL yeah! I'm going to start saving my pennies for that one!

[cavediver256]

Two reasons.

1) Cave diving groupies.....

2) I was trying to trade my crack cocaine habit for something safer and cheaper........This one has really backfired !!!!!

[Luxrok]

1) Cave diving groupies.....

TJ beat me to it.

"Chicks dig it." There is nothing that gets a group of OW chicks interested in you faster then telling them that you cave dive with a rebreather. It is like being a rock star. And we all know why boys want to be rock stars, the chicks. The girlies just go nutts. When you go on to tell them that you will be spending months away from home and will care for your gear more then them, they really go nutts. They start to drool and touch you. I have this on account from a close friend.

Since I am married to a cave diver, I avoid dangerous gatherings of open water chicks.

Hans

[aainslie]

My thoughts exactly. And when I can afford $226,000 for the new jetpack coming out this spring with 9 minutes of run time, *that* will be the next natural progression.

http://www.jetpackinternational.com/equip.html

Marbry

What do you think it would take to waterproof it? You could do Manatee to 10000 ft and back without going into deco. Hell, you could do it on a single tank.

I want one!