Ship's log: Wednesday, October 01, 2003
No less than 4 divers yelled at me this week for not updating this log, and that I should get, or use spell check. All I can say is, "Damn it Jim, I'm a captain, not an English Teacher". So their.
Just got back from the 8th bug opener on the GE. This one as all the rest had some very interesting times and excuses.
1. I had a 5 pounder in both hands, and 1 between my legs, and then the torpedo ray shocked me so I lost them. Really? Well no, but it could have.
2. I was coming back to the boat when a giant bat ray hit me in the head and I lost my game bag.
3. Dragon Flies bite. I'm not going on deck.
4. The harbor seal came right at me. The teeth were bared and I never saw one like that before.
5. Biggest bug I ever saw. It just sat back in the whole and gave me the fin.
6. My harms are about 8inches too short.
7. Can't you find the dumb bugs? These are the dumb bugs. Are you having problems?
8. Where are you finding the bugs? Just look down, they're everywhere.
These are just some of the quotes of the trip. We started off Friday night at 23:00 and headed for Nic. I had checked the San Clemente sight and it was closed. So if Cortez was not doable, a long way to any place else. The trip was a little bumpy and a certain Web Master blew chunks on his wheel watch. We pulled into Nic at about 07:00 and started diving near the Alpha area. The divers saw some huge bugs, but they were all in too far. We spent the day there along with the "Pacific Star" and ended up with 16 bugs. No very good.
That night we headed for Santa Barbara. Again started diving around 07:00. There was a very large swell, but a good long interval. We moved around the island and ended up with 26 bugs for the day, again not great. I decided it was time to try for Cortez. Divers had been asking all day if I had been checking the weather. I told them no each time. The weather channel is about useless.
We headed for Cortez at Midnight. We had one of the smoothest trips I can ever remember. Almost flat calm. Pulled up to Cortez Banks at about06:00. Started diving at 07:00.
First diver came up. Bag o' bugs. Second diver came up. Bag o' Bugs. It pretty much went that way the hole day, and we ended up with 183 bugs for the day. The water was crystal clear, and the Yellow Tails were teasing the divers. It was so calm we even made a night dive. Something we normally don't do there because of the location.
All, with very few problems, had a great time.
One last thing. I have harped on this before. If you get into trouble drop your F*****G weight belt. Your life is worth more than 20 or 30 bucks.
We had an equipment failure on a "Zeagle" BC. The end came off the inflator valve and instead of filling with air; the BC was filling with water. The diver did not drop his belt, and we got to him just as his legs had begun to cramp and he was starting to sink. If we had been just a little latter, I don't want to think what would have happened.
Dive fun, dive safe.
Its BUG SEASON, the happiest time of the year.
Captain Tim Burke
