Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Rebreather

by

Rebreather Scuba Diving – The Advantages of Silent Scuba Diving

Eric on a Sentinel Rebreather Scuba Diving in Grand CaymanI am often asked why I prefer to dive a rebreather over open-circuit scuba.  My reasons are mixed and sometimes maybe a little hard to quantify.  But the simple answer is, for me, it has a number of advantages over traditional scuba.

Key Advantages of Rebreather Scuba Diving

While a rebreather isn’t the best choice for every diver or every diver, it is the best choice for many dives and many divers. Poseidon, a rebreather manufacturer says the key advantages are, a rebreather system is less noisy than an open-circuit system, making the interaction with marine life more intense and up close, as wildlife will approach you rather than swim away from you. The duration of a dive on a rebreather system is generally much longer which means that you can either stay down longer in one dive or do several repetitive dives without the need to re-fill your cylinders. The reason for this is that you will not use up your gas as fast as on a normal scuba system, because you are re-using gas the whole time, making the rebreather 96% efficient in comparison to 4% efficiency during an open-circuit dive. Your gas costs will be reduced, especially when you venture into technical diving. No decompression time is far greater on the rebreather system as it makes sure you have the optimal gas mix at every depth, therefore minimizing the intake of nitrogen. If you are a certified Nitrox diver, you can compare it to having a nitrox blender on your back that makes sure that you have the best mix at every depth.
An open-circuit system gives you cold and dry gas, but on a rebreather you will get moist and warm gas, which is much more comfortable to breathe while diving. There is no need for deep breaths because the loop is an extension of your lungs. You only need to make sure that you continually breath normal breaths. Your buoyancy will not be altered by the way you breathe; it will only be changed when you add gas to your buoyancy device. 

Rebreather Divers in Grand Cayman During the First Innerspace CCR Event (Eric is in the Photograph)
Rebreather Divers in Grand Cayman During the First Innerspace CCR Event (Eric is in the Photograph)

Noise – a Rebreather Dive is Quiet

When I first started diving, I loved the silence that the underwater world brought.  The sounds of traffic, phones, engines and other people faded away and the only thing you heard was the sound of your own breathing in the bubbles as they raced past your ears.  Switching to a rebrerather brought new sensations.  The surface sounds faded away just like on open-circuit scuba but so did the noise created by the bubbles.  Suddenly it was really quiet — at least until I swam near a reef.  Then I heard it — the sound of millions of small shrimp clicking away on the reef.  Yes, as the sound of my bubbles faded, I was suddenly able to hear the sounds of nature and the reef and it was so cool!
When you get used to the relative quiet of the rebreather, you can really tell when open-circuit divers are approaching.  The bubbles are so noisy and the fish begin to hide!
I know this is a politically incorrect statement but it is true.  This is one of the reasons some rebreather divers do not want to dive with the “bubblers.”  Of course there is another side to this; many open-circuit divers do not want to dive with rebreather divers because they take longer to get ready to go diving.

Eric On a Rebreather Dive in Grand Cayman
Eric Scuba Diving Using a Rebreather in Grand Cayman

Time – a Factor In and Out Of the Water

This is true, especially when compared to single cylinder, recreational diving.  A rebreather diver has a checklist for the assembly and preparation of the unit for use underwater.  Working through this checklist is a thirty minute to an hour process depending on the unit and the experience of the diver.  Most times the divers get up a little earlier to complete the diving but there are times that gas is delayed or other logistical factors do not align and the open-circuit divers are stuck waiting for the rebreather divers.
But, once the divers are in the water, the rebreather shines.  Having a “custom gas blender” on your back means that you get the optimal breathing mix throughout the dive.  As we noted above, this translated into longer no-decompression times or shorter decompression profiles when compared to most open-circuit profiles.  My first rebreather dives were amazing.  I was in Grand Cayman swimming along the wall at 80 fsw to 100 fsw for an hour and then up along the top of the wall for the second hour and by the time I reached the mooring line there was no decompression time and I could go straight up.  Of course, like all good divers, I did a safety stop but you can imagine my delight at doing a two-hour dive with no decompression required.  Of course that changed later that year when I discovered the sponge belt in Grand Cayman at about 180 fsw.  Now a limited amount of decompression was required.
On another occasion, when I was diving with mixed teams (open-circuit and closed circuit rebreather divers) in Florida a few years ago, we found that the rebreather divers could stay on the bottom, exploring the wrecks ten to fifteen minutes longer than the open-circuit divers and still exit the water at about the same time.  In other words, we spent more time exploring wrecks like the Hydro Atlantic,  and less time hanging in the water column decompressing.

Cave Scuba Diving using Twin Cylinders in Peacock Springs , Florida
Eric Keibler Cave Diving using Twin Cylinders in Peacock Springs , Florida

Weight – Lighter is Better

My diving has changed a lot over the years.  I started in single cylinders, and then moved up to twin cylinders or double cylinders when I started cave diving and wreck diving.  As my cave diving progressed, I found that I wanted more air so heavier cylinders were needed.  At some point, Cliff Simeneau talked to Ann about the newest trend sweeping diving in the US and the importance of offering training on this new technology.  We had already been diving and teaching the Drager Dolphin Semi-Closed rebreather systems but this was the time when the Inspiration was beginning to be seen in the US.
One of the advantages of a rebreather is that it gives you the same or more duration as the twin cylinders without the weight of the cylinders.  So, I was overjoyed at trying the unit and diving it more.  It is funny, one of my instructors, Tom Mount, liked to comment that the difference between new rebreather divers and more experienced rebreather divers was that at some point, experienced divers started making comments about how heavy their rebreathers are.  This means they have now forgotten the shift from the much heavier cylinders to the lighter rebreather and now the CCR unit is the focus of the weight in their mind.
So, yes, a CCR unit is lighter than a set of twin cylinders – even the Sentinel weighs less than a twin-set of  cylinders.  Over the years, CCR units have become lighter and more compact.  Several of the newer models, like the Pathfinder from Inner Space Systems, weigh closer to a single cylinder set-up which makes them ideal for travel.  This reduced weight is also easier on your back as a diver which is important as the diving population ages.

Interaction – The Marine Animals Play More with Scuba Divers in a Rebreather

While weight and time are important factors for a rebreather diver, one of the most exciting things is the interaction with marine animals.  Let’s face it, bubbles are noisy and the fish react differently when there are bubbles.  The small fish move into the coral with each release (i.e. with each exhalation) and other animals just move away.
One of the first things i noticed a rebreather were those small fish moving in and out of a coral head.  I had spent countless hours photographing coral heads, trying to get the timing right so I could photograph of the fish suspended above the coral.  On my first Inspiration CCR reef dive, I noticed the fish remained suspended above the coral head; they did not disappear into the coral with my breathing!  I also found the lobsters remained out on the reef rather than backed up into a hole.  Perhaps the most amazing thing was coming face to face with a spotted eagle ray over a wall.  It was so cool!
The life under the sea is so different without the noise of open-circuit scuba.  As a rebreather diver you get to experience the world like a free diver but you get to stay and keep enjoying it while the free divers head back to the surface.  Imagine coming face to face with a large turtle or a ray or watching squid mate or even being surrounded by large tarpon or schools of fish.  This is rebreather diving on a reef!

Cool – You just look really cool Scuba Diving in a Rebreather

What can I say, you just look like James Bond!  Because they are still rare at a lot of dive sites, when you dive a rebreather you will attract attention and people will stop and ask you questions.  This may not be the ideal situation if you are a c overt operative but it does lead to some interesting conversations.  It is also fun to surprise other divers underwater when you swim by — remember they did not hear you coming.  But let’s face it, diving is pretty cool and rebreather diving is definitely cool!
So, why isn’t everyone diving a rebreather?  I ask myself that all of the time.  People will tell you it is the cost, or the time or the commitment which are all good reasons but when you try one, you will see why rebreather divers are hooked.  They have found the money, time and made the commitment to experiencing the underwater world to its fullest.
Isn’t it time you joined the new rebreather diving generation?
 
 

by

Rebreather Scuba Diving – Not Just for Technical Divers


Warning: Undefined array key "file" in /home/oceanicventures/oceanicventures.net/wp-includes/media.php on line 1788
Parrot Fish in Cleaning Station by Robert Hew
Photograph (c) Robert Hew

Imagine just floating and watching a parrot fish or a grouper in a cleaning station. While you are there, you see the little fish swimming in and out of the gills while small shrimp crawl around on the fish; their claws snapping at unseen items and yet content to continue their work. At the same time, there are other fish swimming next to you apparently unaware of your presence or more like unconcerned – except of course for the Damsel fish that keeps swimming around eyeing you like an unwanted visitor to his neighborhood. This entire time, the grouper just sits there waiting for the cleaning process to be complete, never very concerned about your presence. As the grouper swims away you slide your hand into the cleaning station and the shrimp crawl onto your hand for a quick cleaning…

This is a scene experienced by rebreather divers on a regular basis. The fish are less concerned by your presence when the bubbles are eliminated. For underwater photographers, this means that you have new opportunities for exceptional photographs simply because there are more photographic opportunities available to you. Recently, I was talking with Chris Parsons from Nauticam and he was relating a story about one of his favorite local dive sites. He said he gets a lot of strange looks when he jumps in the water with his rebreather… the water depth is only about 20 fsw to 25 fsw. But he said “I just love my rebreather – I can get much closer to the subject.”

One of the things I love to do is swim with a school of fish. Tarpon or snappers will often let me join the school and swim in circles with them. It simply amazes new rebreather divers when I am able to do this. On another dive in Grand Cayman, Dave and I watched mating squid up close and personal. It was a really fun experience (of course I didn’t have the camera then).

A rebreather offers photographers a number of advantages including:

  • ability to get closer to the subject matter,
  • Longer bottom times (i.e. more photographs),
  • Neutral buoyancy even while breathing, and
  • The Marine life behavior is not modified because of the bubbles.
  • And let’s not forget, you look cool in a rebreather!

So, what if you are not a photographer? Can a recreational diver benefit from a rebreather? Remember a rebreather is the great equalizer. A student of mine once commented that the reason he started rebreather diving was so he could stay in the water as long as the better divers. He was a big guy with large lungs. Instead of being the first one back on the boat, he wanted to be the last one on the boat. So, a rebreather enabled him to achieve his goal.

Rebreathers have allowed technical divers to make some incredible dives and participate in some awesome adventures. However, they have also allowed for some not-so-technical divers to achieve their goals and open up new worlds. Some of the photographs taken by rebreather divers rival those made by seasoned professionals and new fish behaviors have been watched and documented.

Rebreathers are here to stay and units like the Pathfinder from Inner Space Systems are making it easier and more affordable for all divers. So what are you waiting for? Come join the revolution before you are left behind!

Eric Keibler
Eric’s Father used to say that Odessa (where Eric grew up) was the hub of water in the state. You can drive 500 miles in any direction and hit water but there was nothing in-between. So it is not surprising that Eric moved to the coast to be nearer to water and trees. An avid diver and sailor, Eric loves being on the water. He serves as the Managing Director for Oceanic Ventures, Houston’s premier Scuba Diving facility where he teaches both recreational and technical diving. He is also an accomplished author, photographer and sailor.

by

At The Office – A Trip Report From St. Croix

St Croix

When David started diving with Oceanic Ventures, he talked a lot about the Virgin Islands and his desire to introduce us his home town, Christiansted, St. Croix. It seems that he has a lot of his Grandmother in his blood and he wants to introduce everyone to the uniqueness that is St. Croix. (David’s Grandmother, Janet Foster, was the Commissioner of Tourism for St. Croix and along with Vogue Magazine, coined the term The Island of Superlatives).

While he has taken several people to the island during the past few years, on February 1 he got one of his wishes; we took ten of our close warm personal friends to the island to discover what David already knew — there is good diving in St. Croix and a lot more.

We were fortunate to hook up with Ed and Molly Buckley from SCUBA in St Croix and Elsie from the Caravelle Hotel. They helped us coordinate everything from transfers, to Nitrox, Trimix, Sorb and rebreather bottles.

The diving in St Croix varies from steep deep walls to shallow flats with coral bommies and then spur and groove formations. Their are a lot of sharks in the area as well as other marine life from turtles to eels, snappers to butterfly fish. While it appears the large groupers have been fished out, other reef fish have survived and thrived.

St. Croix DivingThe water temperature in this area is a little colder than the western Caribbean with temperatures ranging from 79 to 80 degrees. The waters off the island are not as protected as in some locations so there is a little more surface activity (i.e. waves) which may deter some divers from venturing out too far.

Because of the waves, winds and the relative health of our diving group, we dove mostly around the Salt River area and the channel area on the North side of St Croix. There are some other spectacular pillars and deep walls in the Cane Bay Area (I’ve seen photographs and heard stories) but the boat ride to these sites is long compared to the Salt River sites.

Despite diving solely in these areas we found the sites to be beautiful with some fun steep walls and cut-throughs in the coral formations. Because the water temperature is a little colder, there are fewer species of corals than in more temperate waters. However, the corals are healthy and plentiful.

After the dives, it seems that the national pastime in St Croix is drinking. The boardwalk is lined with bars and there are bars all around town. That is not to say that there are not restaurants serving nice meals but they tend to close early while the bars stay open until all hours of the night. Thursdays and Fridays are the big nights on the island with Saturdays being rather tame because everyone goes to the beach on Sundays (this was according to Alexandra “Alex” Morris, David’s Sister, who lives in St. Croix).

Alex & the GirlsFood ranges from fresh sea food to burgers and steaks. There is a distinct West Indian flair to much of the cooking which adds a unique flavour to the dishes. Hints of Coriander, Cumin and Tamarind can be found in many of the dishes. And, there are the lobsters. Prepared in a variety of ways, all sweet and buttery.

On the last night, David arranged for a special treat for the group — a dinner in one of the St. Croix great houses with dinner prepared by none other than Alexandra Morris, a young, up and coming chef on the island. The house was built as a town house in the late 1700’s by a pair of sugar plantation owners whose plantations were several days ride from Christiansted.

This Town House is decorated with period antiques showing that the owners are well traveled. The feel is of a traditional west indian home but with antiques from the orient and Europe. This would have showcased the wealth of the land owners who built the home.

David Morris & Alexandra Morris
David Morris With His Sister Alexandra Morris

Our meal, served out in the Gazebo featured more of the local lobster, this time marinated in Cruzan Coconut Rum with toasted coconut sprinkled on top, as well as jerked chicken with a cream sauce, traditional peas and rice, local okra with mushrooms, sweet potatoes (made with spices and mashed white potatoes), a fruit salad and beans. All of this was followed by a traditional Cruzan Rum Cake (yes, it is better than the Cayman Rum Cakes) and Alexandra’s now famous passion fruit cheese cake (amazingly, there was a vine still producing passion fruit this far out of season). Fun food and fellowship, this is a way to end a trip.

Of course, David’s other goal for this trip was to finish his Principles of Technical Diving Course. Hence the reason we needed all of the logistical help from Ed and Molly. They are a tech friendly facility with Nitrox, Trimix and rebreather support available. They have granular sorb, cartridges, rebreather cylinders, twins or double cylinders, 40 cubic foot pony cylinders and other cylinders available, with or without rigging. They have a good group of gas blenders available as well as some technically trained Dive Masters to help lead the dives.

Getting to St. Croix from Houston is not as easy as the western Caribbean because this is primarily an American destination out of Miami. We went through San Juan and took an American Eagle flight over to the island. There are some other smaller carriers as well but luggage may be more of an issue with them.

David & the Girls
David Morris with Deeba and Yuliya

One other thing to be aware of when heading to St. Croix is the island is expensive. Food, diving, technical diving supplies, etc are all expensive. Most things are imported from the states and the operating cost (water, power, fuel, etc) are expensive. This means that the prices are higher than you might expect so be prepared.

So what can I say other than traveling with David to St Croix is special and fun. He made sure everyone had a good time and for Dive Mom, he helped everyone have an exceptional shopping experience. Almost everyone came back with a St. Croix hook bracelet! Most of them purchased multiple ones — you know, it is hard to make a decision.

David loves to show off the finest points of St Croix because he is proud of the island and what it has to offer. He is truly a off-island minister of tourism. I am sure his Grandmother is smiling down on him.

Newspaper quote

by

At the Office – Diving the Pathfinder Rebreather

Eric Keibler on a Pathfinder Rebreather in Grand Cayman
Eric Keibler on a Pathfinder Rebreather in Grand Cayman

Just another day at the office. at least that is what I tried to convince Ann was happening the past five days in Grand Cayman. One of our friends, Pam, even said that maybe they needed to “meet in our conference room.”
But really, I was in Grand Cayman to complete a training program on the Megalodon and Pathfinder rebreathers. You can ask Emma or Nancy, I was in class each morning and diving in the afternoon…you know skills, drills and well ok, some fish, corals and steel; one dive was on the Kittywake.
While I have a lot of experience diving the Megalodon rebreather, the real treat of this trip was to dive the Pathfinder in something other than the pool. Not that I mind the pool, but there is something more interesting about a vertical wall with fish, colourful corals and vibrant sponges. Remember, part of my training was swimming in the unit.
Eric Keibler and Leon Scamahorn diving Pathfinder Rebreathers in Grand Cayman
Eric Keibler and Leon Scamahorn diving Pathfinder Rebreathers in Grand Cayman

The Pathfinder is designed with a more recreational diver in mind. Underwater photographers will love this unit because it is small, easy to use and prneudes the advantage of not scaring the fish away with every breath. One of the things that appeals to me is its size and weight. The complete unit will fit in a carry on suitcase and will not require help from three of your diving buddies to put it in the overhead. For divers with camera, the unit is robust enough to go as checked luggage as well.
The unit can be configured with a standard over the shoulder set of counterlungs or with the new top of the shoulder counter lungs. One of the other configuration options is the diliuent bottle. You can configure it like a standard rebreather with the diliuent and oxygen supplies mounted to the canister or, alternatively, you can utilize the bailout cylinder as the diliuent thereby reducing the weight and simplifying the rig for the diver.
Unlike some of the other rebreather designs for more recreational divers which try to minimize any diver thought or input into the system, the Pathfinder is designed for a thinking diver. Since you can never fully factor out the human interface, Leon Scamahorn, designer of the system, believes that the diver should be included and involved in the system. This does not mean that the system is complicated but rather it needs some input from the diver during the set-up and initialization phases of the dive. Further, it offers the diver more options in dive parameters and uses.
While a purely “recreational” diver will love this unit, the Pathfinder is capable of mneung beyond what we normally consider to be recreational diving. Leon designed the unit to have enough scrubber media and system capabilities for a diver to do a typical normoxic trimix dive (using helium in the breathing mix.)
So you are probably asking what did I think about it? It was a real treat to dive a lightweight but capable rebreather. The work-of-breathing, a performance measurement, is similar to that found in the Megalodon rebreather. What this means is that it is easy to breath in the horizontal position as well as upside down and while facing up at the surface. The electronics are straight forward and easy to understand both on the surface and underwater and they do a good job of controlling the oxygen set-point or level. I found the unit trimmed well so it was easy to swim with in the water and because of its size and weight it was easy to exit the water. The scrubber packs easily and the assembly is easy and straight forward. It flushes easily and takes minimal amount of time to correct the oxygen levels.
Eric Keibler and Leon Scamahorn after Eric’ s Final Check-Out Dive for his Instructor Certification

If you are interested in rebreahers, I think this unit is a good alternative for more capable and expensive rebreathers. It prneudes a lot punch and is ideal for a photographer or any typical “recreational” diver as well a diver wanting to venture beyond the recreational limits sometime in the future. The Pathfinder is a very capable unit and may be the only unit you will need for the style of diving you have in mind.

by

Scuba Divers Make Donation to Bonaventure Boys' Home in Grand Cayman

Eric Keibler Presents CheckEric Keibler, Managing Director of Oceanic Ventures presented a check for $3,630 to Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Facility Manager for the Bonaventure Boys Home in Grand Cayman.  This donation was made possible by the generous donations from our friends, sponsors and staff at a weekend of rebreather diving in Houston.  During the presentation, Eric explained that Oceanic Ventures and the Oceanic Ventures Foundation wanted to give back to the communities that they travel to for diving.  Ann Keibler started encouraging clients and staff to bring school supplies with them in their luggage to donate to local schools.  She said, “It was a fun way to meet people and give back to the community!  It also helps you to leave a little room to buy some things to help support the local economy where you are visiting.”  Over the years this simple idea morphed into a program to help support schools and communities in diving locations like the Philippines or Grand Cayman.

To help the Bonaventure Boys’ Home, Oceanic Ventures and Innerspace Systems hosted a weekend of rebreather diving events March 29 – April 3, 2012 in Houston, Texas. The program included lectures, pool demos of a new recreational rebreather the Pathfinder plus a benefit dinner with keynote speaker Leon Scamerhorn, CEO and founder of Innerspace Systems.  While the organizations wanted to introduce the new Pathfinder Rebreather System to the diving community in Houston, they also wanted to use the event to raise funds for the Bonaventure Boys’ home. Grand Cayman has been the leading destination for rebreather divers with the first Inner Space Rebreather event hosted by Divetech in 2004 and now its ninth year in 2012.

Eric says, “Rebreathers are the latest trend in diving enabling divers to discover the underwater world in relative silence without disturbing the fish. This allows you to get closer to the fish and other creatures. Photographers find them to be a wonderful tool and a enjoyable way to go diving.” According to Ann Keibler, “this was a fun event that will allow divers to experience what it is like to dive silently underwater with no bubbles while helping out children. We chose the Bonaventure Boys Home as our charity due to the fantastic work they do and our continued visits to Grand Cayman and Divetech.”

The Bonaventure Boys’ Home is a not for profit government funded Foundation that is a part of The CAYS Foundation (Children and Youth Services) in Grand Cayman. The Boy’s Home serves at risks boys and families that need help to achieve their full potential. Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Bonaventure Boys’ Home Facility Manager commented “We appreciate donation to help fund extra programmes and supplies for our residents and we greatly appreciate the donation Oceanic Venture Foundation is able to give to The Bonaventure Boys’ Home. The monies raised will be used to purchase recreational equipment, resident outings, summer camp fees, clothing and shoes, rewards for incentive programmes and/or bedroom furniture for parents’ homes in preparation for transition.”

We especially want to thak all of the people who made this possible.  Were it not for their generous support, nothing would have happened.  Those people we would like to specifically thank are:

We are also in the news at:

Bonaventure Boys Home in Grand Cayman
Here is a look at the weekend’s event:

 
 
 
 

by

Travel Log – The Scuba Diving is Finished, the Journey Home Begins

20120506-173112.jpgTravel seems to contain large periods of waiting surrounded by periods of fun and adventure. We are once agin in a holding pattern here at the Blue Lagoon Resort in Chuuk Micronesia having left the boat early this morning in order to allow the crew to prepare the boat for the new group of passangers to embark later this evening.
During these waiting periods, one has time to reflect on the adventurers of the week and the fun everyone had diving here in Micronesia. There were chance encounters with sharks, swimming with turtles, and there were moments of awe watching eagle rays and marble rays swim past the submerged toe-rails.
I was fortunate to dive with the Chief Engineer, Mike, who the last time we visited, had never dove before Ann introduced him to the water. We spent hours laughing and sharing stories with old and new friends along with diving to create new memories and stories.
Diving is about moments, moments of exhileration, wonder, joy and discovery. On a trip here you can experience a wide range of emotions and thrills as you dive among the wrecks slowly being reclaimed by the sea. Once carrying instruments of war these giant steel hulls now prneude entertainment and a home to millions of organisisms and animals.
Of course, I was especially touched when I boarded the Odyssey and almost every crew member asked where Ann was and wondered why she was not here diving with us. While some may feel a little jealous about the comments, I find it a wonderful tribute to her that even after two years, the crew remember her and have such warm feelings for her.
We were fortunate to have had good weather most days and a lot of time underwater. Alex Witschey and Jim Burton completed their Advanced Wreck classes and with the extra days here, Alex was able to complete the dives for his Normoxic Trimix certification. John Rydman was able to complete his SSI Wreck Diving Specialty and Chuck Gerlneuch completed his 1,900th dive on the Nippo Maru
– a truly impressive feat.
Those of us who had been here before all noticed the deterioration that has occurred since our last trip.Some ships have faied better than others, a testament to the quality and care of her shipwrights. Some, built during the years just before the war are after the conquest of Imperial Japan began, were not so fortunate and they are showing a faster reclamation by the sea.
During our week on the Odyssey, we visited the following wreck sites:

  • Kiyosumi Maru,
  • Yamiguri Maru,
  • Fumizuki,
  • Shinkoku Maru,
  • Unkai Maru,
  • Goesai Maru,
  • Hoki Maru,
  • Fujikawa Maru,
  • Nippo Maru,
  • San Francisco Maru, and
  • Kenso Maru

Each site offered a mix of traditional wreck diving and reef diving Of course, depth played a hand in determining if one thing or another dominated the site. And of course, there are the engine rooms — tempting holes beckoning divers to explore. Be sure to ask Alex about them, I do not think he missed one of them!
Of course all of our rebreather divers wish to send a special thanks to the California Trial Lawyers Association and to the judiciary system in California. With the loss of the Teledyne cells due to frivolous lawsuits in the “great” state of California, we experienced more cell failures and issues than on any trip I have ever run. The new AP Diving cells were not very reliable with at least three failures of brand new cells requiring me to ask other divers to bring more cells with them from the states. The Max Tech R22D cells did not like moisture and the AI cells did not like doing more than 2 dives a day. Fortunately, the new Vandegraph cells performed well throughout the two weeks. The lesson learned is that until the cell manufacturers learn to make a reliable cell similar to the old teledyne cells, rebreather divers must invest in a lot of spare cells; especially when they are diving in remote locations.
Also, for the rebreather divers, I am also happy to announce that the Odyssey is now a complete rebreather friendly location with the addition of rebreather cylinders left by our divers. They now have both 2L and 3L bottles! Diving a rebreather in Chuuk is an ideal way to see and explore the wrecks. Thank you for letting us help complete the circle!
Today you will find our happy crew scouting out old Japanese military sites, catching up on email, connecting with friends or family or just trying to entertain themselves. Ann’s favorite four year old, Jess, is probably causing trouble somewhere, while others are trying to figure out how to get their luggage repacked to conform to the United Airlines baggage restrictions. Lest we forget those civilized pursuits some of the group have elected to have a massage or a pedicure and manicure. Both prneuded on site for a reasonable fee.
Drinking is also an option but with a 50% tax on liquor and beer it is an expensive one.
Of course there is breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pam and I already spent the breakfast and lunch hours together – straight with no break, in the dining room. Of course Ann and were texting via Skype and Pam was doing her best to delete all of her work emails!
Our journey home begins when we gather in front of the hotel at 11:00 for our 2:30 am flight to Guam then it is on to Honolulu continuing to various points in the US. Where is Scotty when you need him? Beam me up Scotty!
Our Journey home begins…