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Post by tomcatpc on Jul 20, 2017 9:10:22 GMT -8
Update on the Healthways SCUBA Reg. I just opened it up and not a drop inside!!! An hour underwater and Egypt dry!, I'm happy with it! Mark
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 20, 2017 14:22:44 GMT -8
As well you should be sir! I know you're still learning, but everyone here is. You've mastered a regulator that a lot of people are terrified of--BRAVO MARK! JB
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 22, 2017 15:29:02 GMT -8
Update: I dove twice more last week, Wednesday and Thursday. I just haven't had time to write about it.
Dive Number: 2017-4 Date: July 19, 2017 Dive Site: High Rocks on the Clackamas River
Dive Plan: I wanted to take the Dacor Nautilus CVS back into the water, using my AL 80 with it and the Dacor Pacer regulator and see whether it behaved the same as the last dive, when it leaked air. I dove my full wetsuit, even though it was getting pretty warm. I had my mask with the SeawiscopeEY, and my scoop fins, this time with spring straps on them. I did not have the Cobra computer, as I'm having trouble downloading my dives after upgrading to DiveMaster 5 (DM5) on my iMac. It won't download my dives now.
Observations: My first observation was that I was too light, and I realized that I didn't have any weights in the Nautilus weight chute. I thought they might be in the car, so I got out and went back up there to get them, but no Nautilus weights. I had taken them out at home, and forgotten that I had done so. So I came down with my normal weight belt. The Nautilus was harder to get into without weights in the chute while it the water, as it didn't want to sit straight up. But I got into it, went down and decided that I needed to surface again to adjust the straps. Without the weights, the unit needed to be tighter to my back. Then, down again, and had a great rest of the dive.
I looked at the depressions again to see whether I could find any lamprey larva, but could not. I watched the fish, and went downstream without problems. The Nautilus functioned normally.
I found a golf ball, a set of glasses, and then some sunglasses. Then I found a dollar bill in the water. When I got out, I found a family with small kids, and went over and said, "I have a present for nino," (it was a Hispanic family). I then unzipped my left sleeve zipper with the dollar bill in it, and handed it to the child. The father came over and wanted a photo with me, and I gave him the sunglasses. The other set of glasses, I gave to the lifeguards when I went down to tell them I was out of the water.
Special Problems and Solutions: Well, I'm snake-bit by the Nautilus; it seems that every time I take it out, I have some sort of problem, this time with the weights. But the unit did not leak. I'm thinking that my problem with the other dive where it leaked air was due to a higher interstage pressure setting on the Mossback Mk 3 than on the Dacor Pacer. I'll have to confirm that sometime, but that's how it looks now. Short story, if you change regulators with the Dacor Nautilus CVS, be sure that the interstage pressure is not set too high, as I think it then leaks, and when it leaks it goes through the system, as this probable is a downstream valve on the Nautilus regulator.
The spring straps worked very well, but one slipped off the keeper on the fin. So I'll have to look into that too.
Dive Number: 2017-5 Date: July 20 2017 Dive Site: High Rocks on the Clackamas River
Dive Plan: Dive my twin 53s with my Mossback Mk 3 regulator, and simply enjoy the dive. I was diving my Atlantas mask by USD, with the SeawiscopeEY on it too. I also dived some more recent Mares Plana fins, without my "scoop" modification.
Equipment: I wanted this to be a "fun" dive, without the problems of the Dacor Nautilus, and so it was doubles with my own Para-Sea BC. I did not wear a full wetsuit this time, as it was warmer. I did dive my Suunto Cobra computer, in the hopes now that I can get the data off it (Suunto has answered my request for help on Facebook).
Observations: I had a great dive. At one point, I surfaced to find the lifeguards on the surface in their surfboards, and swam over to them. I had just put my float line with the dive flag on it attached to the cross-chest strap of my military harness. I asked them to do a little training, as I wanted to know whether the line on my float was heavy enough for them to get me to the surface. So I told them I would go to the bottom, signal with five pulls on my flag/float that I was ready, and go inert to see whether they could pull me to the surface. So I did that, but when I got to the bottom, I found a card on the bottom; it turned out to be someone's driver's license! I then pulled the float five times, and went inert. I had cautioned the lifeguards to pull me up slowly, and one of them, the gal, was a diver and she said they would be careful about that. It took a moment for them to get to my float, and start pulling on the line. But they were able to get me to the surface fairly easily, so my line is strong enough.
When I was at the surface, we talked and I asked, "What do you want me to do with this?" and showed them the license. She said, "I'll take that, and we'll give it to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) after our shift." So I gave her the license. The DMV building is close to the dive spot, and very close to where I parked.
After the dive, we (the lifeguards and I) talked a bit, and they said that my pulling and the exercise was very helpful to them. The pulling was much different than the normal movements of the dive flag, and very distinctive as I actually pull.d the flag and float completely underwater! I did not know that.
Special Problems and Solutions: I decided to dive the Atlantas mask because my normal one had a small tear in the strap, and I wanted to try out a mask with a purge on the faceplate. But the darned thing kept fogging up. In low visibility, I needed all the vision I could have, and had to continually flood and purge the mask to see things.
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Post by tomcatpc on Jul 26, 2017 17:52:45 GMT -8
I'll give more detailed report about tonight's dives, but I wanted to share that once again I took my Healthways SCUBA down for a 50 minute dive and it performed flawless. It was also completely dry on the inside when I got it home... Mark
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 29, 2017 22:23:13 GMT -8
Marion (Starman) and I again dove at High Rocks on the Clackamas River today. This was a vintage dive, as he was diving twin 72s with a Phoenix Royal Aquamaster as his primary. I was diving my twin 45s with my Healthways Hybrid regulator as my primary, and a Scubapro AIR I as my alternate regulator. We both dove out dive computers on I found a debit card, 3 golf balls, and we found a large cooler, co,plate with about five beers. We left it in the shallows, with the thought that we would come back and get it after dive, but decided that neither of us wanted it. So I told the lifeguards where it was in the shallows on the other side of the river, and assume that they recovered it. I will try to find the owner of the debit card tomorrow, or give it to the bank (Wells Fargo).
Not only did my Healthways Hybrid SCUBA perform flawlessly, but tonight when I opened it up the inside case was dry. My non-return diaphragm worked extremely well.
John
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Post by tomcatpc on Jul 29, 2017 22:41:00 GMT -8
It seems that the report "Healthways SCUBA performed great and had no water inside" is becoming a well used phrase with quite a few of us on this forum? Mark
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Post by vance on Jul 30, 2017 2:48:14 GMT -8
I certainly hope to do so in the near future!
I'm a bit frustrated: I'm sitting by the Mediterranean and I can't dive. I'm with a non-divers and have a full schedule of sight-seeing ahead of me for the next 4 days. I knew this was the case, but seeing that water is hard to take!
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Post by tomcatpc on Jul 30, 2017 7:48:11 GMT -8
I started a prayer post about this on Facebook, because this what I imagine what Hell would be like!!! Hang in there! I meant that as tongue in cheek joke, but that situation does sound like a version of Hell in my eyes... Then again the Med. is not going anywhere and you can return just for diving. Mark
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 30, 2017 9:57:13 GMT -8
I started a prayer post about this on Facebook, because this what I imagine what Hell would be like!!! Hang in there! I meant that as tongue in cheek joke, but that situation does sound like a version of Hell in my eyes... Then again the Med. is not going anywhere and you can return just for diving. Mark BWAHAHAHAHA! OK Mark, this one's for you buuuudy: I'm only going to post a link because I know people would get really bend out of shape if I posted my image www.flickr.com/photos/graypine/23623773630/in/dateposted-public/JB
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 30, 2017 12:06:55 GMT -8
I certainly hope to do so in the near future! I'm a bit frustrated: I'm sitting by the Mediterranean and I can't dive. I'm with a non-divers and have a full schedule of sight-seeing ahead of me for the next 4 days. I knew this was the case, but seeing that water is hard to take! I felt the same way when Chris and I traveled to New Orleans, then drove to Florida. We arrived a bit early to Ft. Walton Beach, and so went to the beach and walked out on the longest pier in Florida. Down below, were six inch waves, 30-50 foot visibility, and we even saw a sea turtle from the pier. Chris doesn't dive, and I couldn't as we were due to see a friend in about an hour. But, WOW!, what snorkeling that would have been (let alone taking a steel 72 down there). People were fishing off the pier, and I asked how they landed the fish. Well, they have that worked out, and have a horizontal net on a long rope that they put down and put the fish on, then pull it up to the top of the pier (about forty feet). John
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 1, 2017 7:39:27 GMT -8
I dove again yesterday, and this time I was diving White Stag!
Dive Plan: Dive High Rocks using my White Stag equipment. I dove a single 72, with my DEEP 1 single hose regulator, White Stag vest, and White Stag hard shell BCD. I also had my White Stag Super Stag fins, which were rubber fins from the late 1970s, which are still very flexible, and are non-vented (DRW, there are Super fins, very nice compared to the plastic fins of today, but fairly heavy). I also dove my SeawiscopeEY mounted on a Scubapro three-window mask (one of their last ones). I wore minimal wet suit, which was just a shorty and hood too.
Observations: The mask worked well, especially since I used a anti-fog on it. That stuff actually works well, with no fogging throughout the dive (my last two dives had extreme fogging problems). I was able to use the SeawiscopeEY to watch small fish fry on the rocks and in the shallows staying well camouflaged against the flauna of the rocks and bottom detritus.
The wet suit was adequate, but I did get a bit chilled toward the end of the 43 minute dive (timed on my dive watch). I actually wanted to get a bit chilled, as it was a warm day, and that felt good once I got out of the water.
I found three golf balls (recovered two, one fell out of the pocket in my White Stag vest). I also found a very expensive lure almost six inches long, and put it into the vest.
The White Stag hard shell BCD worked extremely well, and is much more compact and streamlined than the main competitor, the Dacor Nautilus. White Stag took a different approach to a hard shell BCD design, in that they used a simple displacement system with holes in the bottom, allowing air to leak out if the diver descends head-first. The design is such that in normal diving positions, the air in the BCD is "trapped" within the device. I had set it up to use an LP line for inflation, but decided to disconnect that and connect the LP line to my vest instead, and used only my exhalation to displace the water in the BCD by oral addition (no inflation with a hard shell device, just displacement). It worked extremely well throughout the dive.
Special Problems and Ideas: I really had no problems during this dive. I was using my dive flag, and was able to keep the lines from any tangle problems too. I gave the lure and the golf balls to two women who were picnicing under the shade of a tree as I was walking back to my car (actually climbing up to the trail from the river).
I did change from my primary to my secondary regulator, as I think the DEEP 1 first stage is set just a bit too high, and in some positions the primary regulator leaked (the breaking resistance was less than the distance between the center of the diaphragm and the exhaust). So I should check that out before diving it again, and maybe back off the interstage pressure a few psig.
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 1, 2017 16:56:23 GMT -8
I did two dives this evening. First off...I was a naughty lad...I dove solo. I know I'm not supposed to do that, but I could not get anyone to come out tonight and today was my only day off... If I did not dive today, I'd go insane by Friday...
OK, being serious. Once again, the place I went diving was the same old quarry in Ohio... Only game in town...
The first dive was with a Healthways Scubair. I went to 45 foot-ish at the start of the dive and found some interesting things. One of which was dead frog on the bottom... Also saw a couple large concrete cubes that I've never seen the before. I also cut up some fishing line that had been caught on a submerged dead tree. I'd rather cut the line into smaller pieces as opposed to leaving it as a long length that is more of a snag hazard. I need to consider finding a mesh bag or something to pick up all the chingaderas and rubbish I see. I did end up finding and bringing up a couple lengths of rope I found. I sort of use them as decorations in my workshop room...getting a collection of dumb things I've found on the bottom.
Also someone put a large mirror underwater and looking at me in my Pinocchio mask was interesting. Went along a wall of the quarry and got out of the water with 700 remaining after 40 minutes.
Second dive was with my Healthways SCUBA. This dive was a shallower one with maybe breaking the 35 foot depth. I went along another wall, this one which gets sun at that time of day. I had fun looking at fish lurking in the many grottos along the wall.
I ended the dive at exactly the One Hour and One Minute mark. The restrictor plate had just started to kick in and I pulled the J-Valve rod. When I put a gauge on the tank, I had exactly 500 PSI left. I was able to make it to the dive shop 15 minutes before they closed and dropped off the two depleted Steel 72's. The SCUBA performed flawless. And now I am here typing this... Mark
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 2, 2017 17:33:01 GMT -8
I had another dive today, this time with my Sportsways Hydro-Twin (which is actually a Hydro-Twin II in a Hydro-Twin label). It had an SPG and a LP line on it, and I dove my single 72 with the Para-Sea harness and BCD. I dove a minimal wet suit today (shorty with a hood). My mask included the SeawiscopeEY, and was a Scubapro tri-window mask.
Dive Plan: It's been hot, so today was just to get wet, to enjoy the water, and use the Hydro-Twin. The dive was again at High Rocks on the Clackamas River. I had my Hammerhead Unit too, and did some Hammerhead-Dolphin swimming underwater, wearing Cressi fins.
Observations: Lost my weight belt early in the dive, couldn't find it (it was a wire buckle, like the Healthways ones), and so I simply used a large rock to stay neutral. During the dive I found two pair of sunglasses too.
It was a fun dive, but tomorrow I need to go back and recover my weight belt.
Special Problems and Ideas: Broke the plastic on the backpack. Lost my weight belt.
Other than that, good dive.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 11, 2017 18:11:17 GMT -8
No diving this week. My wife, Chris and I had four long walks, and one bicycle ride. We do things together whenever possible. If any of you decide to dive this weekend, lease post it here.
I am way behind in my new videos. In June I made two dives (see above) in which I documented on GoPro video the spawning of Pacific Lampreys in the Clackamas River. I have been editing it and will finish soon about a half-hour video documentary of these events. I think I have some unique video of this event, and hope it is useful to fisheries biologists. This will not be a razzle-dazzle short video, but instead a way of documenting extended behavior of these ancient fish.
I have video of Marian and me diving at High Rocks too, and also hope to put that together.
My plan is to dive my Dacor Nautilus CVS again Monday.
John
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 13, 2017 17:59:38 GMT -8
This weekend was the annual vintage dive event in my local area. I went both days and did four dives. Dove my Healthways SCUBA twice, both dives were about 45 minutes. The SCUBA performed flawless, actually the best it ever breathed. After the better part of two hours underwater, I took it apart this evening and it was totally dry inside. Are you lot getting bored with me saying that "my SCUBA performed great again" yet? Anyway, I have a great time diving this reg. I took my other working double hose along (US Divers Mistral), but it never got put on a tank this weekend, which is sort of a shame because it is a great reg., but I loving diving the SCUBA just because...
I also installed the new duckbill that Vance made. I will give a report on how that worked next time. I'm under the impression that if my rubber glove finger worked as a duckbill, odds are this one will work just great.
I also burned up the remaining 900 PSI of a tank with my Voit 40-fathom. I really love that little regulator as well.
And I took my Healthways Scubair out for a 50 minuet dive today as well. Mark
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