Today is a good day to DIE! (Dive 110)

Sunday, August 26 – 2007
11:00 – 12:15
Dive Number 110
Start: 11:00
Roads: Dry / clear
Visibility: 24km
Temp: +22C
Water Temp: +18C
Area: Welland, Ontario
Vehicle: Niva
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility: 6m
Divers: Wolf, Chuck
Maximum Depth: 9m
Plan: Equipment Check

The Klingons Say “Today is a g00d day to die!”

This will be a series of firsts for both Chuck and myself. He is using a new BCD vest which I had in my spare collection as his own BCD is damaged. He is using Brian’s Aga mask as it is has a Yoke Valve and we want to keep Brians mask in service so it does not get damaged through sitting. This will be the first time in my entire 17yrs of diving using a dry suit which I bought from a friend of mine a couple of years ago.

We kitted up near the bridge and entered by the steel dock. It was unusual as there were no children or adults around. This is a public park and we are usually always approached by people asking if we are going scuba diving. However one lady walked by with her friend and asked “do you do this for recreation?” We later thought we should have said “No ma’am – we rape and pillage for recreation. This is what we do for a living” We’ll have to remember that for next time!

We went down, I had some extra weight as I heard it was recommended for a dry suit – as well as ankle weights. I squatted down under the water with my left arm raised and released all the air out of the suit. I was surprised how well the suit seals worked to keep the water out!

As we descended we were amased at the visibility. The water was smooth as glass and we could see the fishes just suspended in the water, it was incredible. We did find a chair on the bottom stuck in the silt and took turns sitting on it. Chuck and I got separated – but we are both very familiar with this spot and it was no bother as we eventually found each other. Chuck had a few problems with his ear and decided to cut the dive short. I mentioned to him I would just go into some shallow water and burn off the rest of my tank observing the fish. The big fish swam all around me it was quite the experience.

I did find a large metal bin which resembled a plant holder. I decided to try and raise it to take it home. I grabbed it and tried to get it to move. Somehow it was lodged beside a shopping trolley. The water was only about 3m deep so I decided to grab the metal plant holder very hard and inflate my BCD until I started to surface. No avail. I decided that I could inflate my dry suit and get some extra buoyancy – maybe that would get it to work. Still nothing.

There I was sitting on the bottom in 3m of water with a completely inflated BCD and inflated dry suit. Unfortunately I couldn’t let go of this metal plant pot to release all the air in my BCD and my dry suit before I let go. I looked up and realised directly above me was a large concrete bridge abutment. I let go of the steel plant pot and swam as hard as I could away from the abutment as I was carried towards the surface. To be sure I didn’t get any air trapped in my lungs I screamed all the way up. Defiantly not the safest or smartest thing to do, but the water was shallow – I’ve ascended faster from deeper depths before today.

I broke the surface so hard I flew up out of the water up to about my waist, then splashed down again. Chuck was sitting on the dock laughing and said “Dude, what the fuck?” I tried to explain to him I was in shallow water, and what had happened. We had a big laugh and then put our gear in the car. We returned to the dock where we met three young girls who were laughing and giggling and having fun. As we filled out our dive logs we talked to them about tattoos and piercings and such.

We had to rush home afterward as it was Tori’s birthday party at 14:00hrs. We made it home just in time.