Wait, June’s Over???

What happened?  It seemed like only yesterday… I was walking out of school on the last day… and had those childhood memories of having the summer off…. Now June’s over?   Yikes! 

Todd posted earlier in the week that he wanted to get out, and Rob and I were right on it!  I was anxious to get back into the water, after the two successful dives on the 13^th.  So we agreed to meet at Rob’s at 7:00am (yes AM) and go up to Bethlehem.

Anyway, today was supposed to be HOT HOT HOT!  So we were hydrating like crazy, and hoping for quick set ups and uneventful trips to and from the water.  When we arrived, they asked if we were a part of any classes, or with a dive shop, and we said “no”  so we were given access to the tents we had last time!   (woo hoo!)  We STILL set Rob’s canopy up, to help keep the sun off of things.  After unloading the truck, we ran to Wegman’s for our lunches.  And as usual, I get the slowest person on the planet making my Chicken Caesar Wrap!  I’ve always said that my luck is usually bad, I mean if I were to win the Powerball, or MegaMillions, I’d end up winning only one of the $50,000,000.00 prizes and not one of the REALLY big ones…  Anyway….

We got back, and started setting our stuff up.  I was using both sets of my doubles today, since the local shops that are still open charge by the “fill” and not by cubic feet, so since my 130’s still had 2,100psi, and my 119’s had 1500psi, I figure I’d use one set for the first dive, and one for the second dive (Since I had to suck the 119’s down anyway, they need viz’d)  Don’t worry, I brought my “40” as a back up for that dive…

Our plan for the first one was to descend and head out towards the Trolley, then down the hill to the “car”, then over to the Deuce and a Half, up the slope, around the island, to the Comet, then up…  Easy plan, fun times!!  We waddled down to the water, and got ready.  All systems go and down to 20 feet.  As we descended, we saw Todd grabbing rocks over by the slope, but weren’t sure what he was doing.  I was making sure all of my bubbles were coming from the right places, and Rob was repositioning his dive computer (he put it on sideways… I think I did that last time)  Pretty soon Todd gave us the OK and we were off!  Visibility was a little questionable, so we were heading out by instinct and Rob’s compass. As we passed the downed platform, we knew we were a little off the mark, and adjusted accordingly.  Todd found the Trolley, and Rob and I soon were near.  The thumbs down was given, and over the slope we went.  Again, the visibility was horrible, and we were feeling our way around until we saw the car.  Rob took his heading, and we continued on.  We were soon at the Deuce and a Half, thanks to Rob’s navigation!   We continued back up the slope and checked in, everything fine, so around the back of the island we went.  This was the best visibility we had so far (and we were guessing that no one was there yet)(thankfully!)  So we took a nice leisurely swim around the back.  We were checking out the weird line run that we noticed the last time.  Still trying to figure out what the person was trying to do?!?!  As we swam around the side of the island, Rob checked in, and we were still good, so out to the Comet we went.  At the end of the Comet, Rob found the line that was on the end of John’s reel, but the “end part” wasn’t there.  So he left it. Rob went through, and Todd and I swam around the boat.  When we reconvened at the front, Rob gave the “up” signal, and we agreed, and went up the rope to the platforms.  Did our safety stop swimming back and forth, then after we were ready, headed up the rope towards the platform, and finished dive one!

Max Depth: 92 feet

Duration: 40 minutes

Coldest Temp: 42º

Not a bad dive at all, a few little tweaks and adjustments for me, but otherwise, it felt pretty good.  Todd shared that he was underweight, so he was scrambling to put rocks in his pockets at the beginning of the dive!  We had a good laugh about that!  We waddled up to our tables, and got out of the gear.  We had our lunches, and I figured I should swap my tanks out.  When we were ready, we started getting back in our gear, and started dive number two!

I was diving the 119’s, and took my aluminum 40 with me just in case. As usual, it took a few minutes for me to get that hooked up, but soon, I was ready to go.  Rob gave the thumbs down, and we were off.  My legs were a little sore, but figured after I got down to depth and into my rhythm, I’d be ok (and I was right)  At 20ft, we all looked ok, so we kept going towards the platform. As we were passing over the platform, I felt myself getting settled, and was feeling good!  We went down the line, and out towards the island. From there we found the plane, and ascended to it.  Rob penetrated, and I just followed along the outside. Still trying to get a little more comfortable.  We looked at each other and Rob pointed off.  We headed out towards the bus, then over to the Hell Cat.  The visibility wasn’t as horrible as we thought due to the MANY students all over the place, Todd looked at me to see how much gas I had, and then pointed out to continue the dive.  Pretty soon we were back near the Comet, and started up the line to the platform. Swimming along the platform, there were a few people doing something so we decided to head back towards the exit.  A few minutes later, we were done!

Max Depth: 60 feet

Duration: 42 minutes

Coldest Temp: 45º

Another good dive in the books.  I had a little bit of trouble here and there, but recovered nicely. A little awkward diving with the pony bottle (haven’t done that in a while) but I figured it out. (and probably should have used it a bit since that needs viz’d)  Rob and Todd seemed to have a good dive (Todd didn’t need anymore rocks) so that was good!   After we packed up we headed back to beautiful Harrisburg, and said our good-bye’s!

I’ll be getting my 130’s filled, and my 119’s checked out, so hopefully, I get everything back in time to go out the next time!

On a different note, check out the newsletter from Ocean Rover’s Scuba from Frederick Maryland: https://mailchi.mp/666686db4203/orsc-june-2017-newsletter-408861?e=f6ae51da69

An old friend of mine (Someone I’ve known my entire life, but just recently found out that we both dive…we continue to miss each other at Beneath the Sea, and now he lives in Florida, so)  anyway, he contacted me and asked if I minded if he sent my Bainbridge pictures to his old dive shop for their newsletter, since a lot of people from there had visited BSC in the past, I said “Sure!  Do you want my write up for it?  So he said yes.    I almost feel like I’ve been published!   Cool stuff!!

Well, it’s been a while…

Other than my “wander through Bainbridge” you haven’t heard from me in a LONG time. July 2^nd to be exact (after my little mishap)  After that, I was told to not dive for a while, then I just couldn’t get my schedule to mesh with anyone, and I thought that on a frozen New Years Eve, it wouldn’t be a good idea for that to be my first time back in the water after about six months.  Then came this season, and not being able to get together until now!

I’ve been putting bugs into Rob’s ear about getting out, and since “school is out for summer”  week days are usually the best time for me to get out. Rob was able to get a day off, and John was ready to take a break from yard work, so we decided to head up to Dutch Springs.  As the day got closer, I started sorting through my dive gear, and made sure that batteries worked, and o-rings were lubed, and the “stuff” started making its way up to my garage. I had a full set of 119’s ready to go, so I THINK I had it all!

After a little running around yesterday, I packed my car, put some PowerAde in the fridge, and read myself to sleep. I had my alarm set early, so I was sure to get up at the proper time, have my coffee, and breakfast while wishing Lisa a nice day at work, as I left the house around 7:30.  I forgot that the rush hour traffic would be holding me up a bit (haven’t needed to drive in it for several years now) but it was like riding a bike (although I think I hit every red light on the way.  Got to Rob’s and packed my gear into his car, and shortly after, John showed up and did the same.

The traffic wasn’t horrible out to Bethlehem, but it was enough.  We went to Wegman’s because we didn’t think there’d be a problem getting a table and got our lunches. (Chicken Caesar Wraps!  New and GOOD!) When we got to the quarry, since it was drizzling a little, we asked if we could use the tent, and they said “sure”!  So we didn’t get wet while we set up.  It took a little while remembering where everything went, but I think I had it all set up properly when everyone was ready to go.  Into my dry suit and gear, and strap on the tanks.  Everyone had it ready, so we walked down to the platforms.  I was a little nervous since this was the longest that I’ve been out of the water since I started diving, but once I got my fins and mask on, ducked my head under water and checked my regulators, it all started to come back to me.  After everyone was ready, the signal was given to descend to 20 feet.  I met John down there, and we exchanged “ok’s” and looked for Rob…no Rob?!?!  We looked up, and it seemed like he was dealing with something, but shortly started to descend.  When he got to 20 feet, he showed John that his dry suit inflator hose wasn’t connected, and couldn’t find it.  Some things are totally automatic, and if you miss it, well…it happens after a short lay off.  John helped him find it, and connected it, and we were soon off. 

This was supposed to be a nice relaxing leisurely dive so I can get my brain back into dive mode.  So I followed John, and Rob kept an eye on me. We hit the platforms, and took a quick look at each other, and exchanged “ok’s” again and kept going.  We passed the one boat, and soon swam by the crane.  We kept going, then headed out along the wall looking for the plane.  John has a new compass, and the numbers are smaller than his previous one, so he was going 30º rather than 60º and we didn’t get to the plane.  No biggie…we’ve seen it.  We DID find the school bus, and I decided that I should go full force and penetrate it! (I was feeling good after about 10 minutes!)  So why not!  We swam through, and checked in outside. Everything was good so we kept going.  We were soon at the Comet, and since I was “feeling my oats”  I decided to penetrate THAT as well!!  Woo hoo, I was living life! As I swam through it, I remember why I usually didn’t… the places to squeeze through are tight, and I kept bumping myself.  I saw a little thing and picked it up, not knowing what it was, but accidentally dropped it when I hit my head moving into the next room of the boat.  (We later figured out that it was a part of John’s reel.  Shame I dropped it. We’ll probably find it when we go the next time) Out of the Comet, we looked at the line and knew we were close to 30-something minutes, so we headed up the line and hung out on the platforms for a little while.  John attempted a valve drill, and had some issues with it, knocking his dry glove off.  I just changed regulators to make sure they worked ok, and that I could still do that, but my primary started free flowing, Rob just looked at both of us and hoped we didn’t kill ourselves.  After our safety stop, we gave the thumbs up, and headed back in.  Dive one, sloppy, but successful and in the books!

Max Depth:  64 feet

Duration: 42 minutes

Temp: 43º

Not a bad first dive, for my 11 month layoff, and John and Rob’s six month!  A little rust, but overall a good dive! I felt comfortable after being down about 10 minutes, so I was happy.  We had our wonderful Wegman’s lunches, and then decided that it was time to give it another go!

We set everything back up, and remembered to attach the right hoses, and make sure we were all ready to go!  The order was given to descend, and this time everyone made it to 20ft.  We all felt good, so we kept going. This time we figured that we’d head out towards the Trolley, and maybe drop down to the Deuce and a Half before taking a nice leisurely stroll around the back of the island.  We got close to the Trolley, and decided to penetrate.  Afterwards, we swam along the rim of the hole, and popped over a bit to see the truck.  We then ascended back up, and followed the back of the island at a nice comfortable pace.  We saw someone’s line running project (Rob thinks that maybe it was done late last year, and to possibly find the plane) and kept swimming.  Once we got around the island, we headed back towards the Comet, we didn’t penetrate, but just swam by (if we knew that the part that I dropped was John’s at that time, I’m sure we would have tried to recover it)   We were getting close to 30-something minutes, so we headed up to the platforms and just did a nice safety stop.  After we were done, we headed back, and finished our dive.

Max Depth: 85 feet

Duration: 41 minutes

Temp: 42º

Ok!  Not bad for my first day back in a while. During the second dive, I actually felt like I knew what I was doing!  So I think I can keep diving, and enjoy myself again!  Packing up was the usual mess, wet stuff, dry-ish stuff etc.  but everything got into Rob’s truck, and we headed to Wegman’s for our post-dive celebration!  (munchies and a good beer!)  When we finished, John did some extreme beer shopping, and we left to the crazy rush hour traffic. 

All in all a great day!  The three of us worked out some cobwebs, and felt like we all had fun!  Hopefully, we can keep this up and get out there more than we all did last year.  Again, and I know I sound like a broken record, but I really miss the convenience of Bainbridge, and how often we were able to dive there.  Rob said that if it were still open, we’d probably have at least 20 dives in already…and he’s right! 

Ok, so since my cylinders are pretty much in need of a visual, I’m not sure when I’ll get back out, but I’ll be sure to let you know! 

Safe diving , people!  Welcome to 2018!!!

Talk….About….SURREAL!

Ok, last weekend I was online looking for something else (ever heard that before) and I stumbled upon an overhead picture of the old Billmeyer Quarry (aka Bainbridge Sportmen’s Club) that looked like it was partially drained.  The way the picture was online, you weren’t able to save it in order to zoom in on a few parts. I wanted to see what was above water.  So I puttered around online for a little while, and found more pictures that were closer. You were able to see that the “Lagoon” was totally drained, the “Bowl” was partially drained, and you could see the Pennsy, some boats, and a few platforms (and the Scuba-Venture truck partially submerged in the distance). I considered driving down there to see for myself,  but figured that I wouldn’t be able to get in because of the gates, and I didn’t know how to sneak in via the trail. (and I figured that if I was wandering around there, someone would report me, and I’d get arrested) so I figured I’d do it the “legit” way, and contact Conoy Township to see if there was any way I could get in!  Thankfully, I received a response on Monday asking who I was, and why I was interested in the quarry.  I responded, and merely stated that I just wanted to see it for myself, and perhaps take some pictures.  The woman responded and said she would check with the township manager, and get back to me.

The next day I received a contact name and info, and was told to call this gentleman, and set things up, he was willing to let me come in and take pictures.  So after I got off of work, I called him, and he said whenever I wanted to come down, he would either meet me, or have the gate “fake locked” so I could get in and do what I wanted…. I immediately thought “BARN RUN!”  and texted Rob!  I figured that this weekend would be good, so I called him Friday night, and asked if I could stop by tomorrow about 10:00am, he said he would have the gate opened.

When I showed up the gate was locked (GREAT!)  so I called him again, and got his voice mail.  So I left a message and thought… “ok, I said I’d be here around 10:00 so it’s ten of…”  he called back about 2 minutes later and said that he was there early and unlocked it, so someone must have re-locked it, so he would send someone over quick.  About two minutes later, I was in! (I just hoped that the guy didn't lock me in!)

The memories came flooding back when I started driving down that road. I haven’t been there since July of 2015, but I recalled all of the nervousness, anticipation, excitement and thrill of the many times I drove on that road. As I did drive, I could see a lot more rock than I ever remember over the banks!  I pulled in to upper “A” and parked.  The first thing I did was look over the wall and see how much water was gone.  It was a little more filled from the pictures I saw recently, but still very drained!  I looked down the “steep access” and realized that there was a lot of debris pushed down there, and it probably wouldn’t be smart to try to get down (especially since I was the only person there)  So I started down the road access, and just started walking and taking pictures.  Several years back, Rob and I did a dive along that road, and this basically was what I did while walking today, taking time to look over the wall down into the water, (or deeper when we were diving) and up into the cliffs. (taking many pictures)(see my Facebook page)  The entire time, I saw the remains of dead shell fish strewn all over. The amount of shellfish death was off the charts! Debris piles, rock piles old platforms, and sunken boats were all along the path.  I got to a place that was a little rockier, so I looked to see if I could safely pass, and figured that I just needed to go UNDER a log, and I’d be ok, so I was able to keep moving (a little easier to avoid when you’re in a dry suit, in 20 feet of water, I’m sure) So I kept walking until I got to the part that was called “Access B” and came to water, and couldn’t go any further. (And I can honestly say I never saw this part in person, so it was kind of cool to see it)  After snapping a few pictures (and scaring a bunch of Turkey Buzzards)  I turned and started walking back until I got to what we called the Lagoon!! More debris piles, more platforms and boats, and the swim through pipe… so I snapped more pictures and thought of how many times I swam through that (didn’t seem as big standing next to it) so I went up to the beach into the pavilions, and back to my car after peering over the cliff just once more (and again deciding that I wouldn’t attempt the steep access)  So I got into my car and drove over to what used to be called “Access B”.

I was told that this was where the former quarry owner bred fish for stocking purposes, so it was usually off limits to divers.  In the ten or so years I was coming to the quarry, I can’t honestly say I ever drove down that part, but I figured, why not.  I snapped a few pictures, then got back into my car.  Driving along the road I took a few more along the way until I got to the abandoned quarry office. There were picnic tables, and those small platforms, as well as the old boat that used to be docked in the Lagoon over to the side. I snapped a few more, then said my goodbye, driving up the road hoping that no one locked the lock on the gate… thankfully, they didn’t and I was able to open it and drive out, then lock it. I called the man that gave me access, and thanked him again. 

I hope that there’s a time that I can get back into that quarry, a LOT of memories came flooding into my mind as I walked along the edge…..I learned to dive there, spent a lot of time during the summers I was able to dive, and made so many great friends along the way! 

As a side note, I have heard that they ARE letting the quarry fill back up, so we’ll see…

Until then, be careful out there.  Hoping to get some diving in soon!