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Post by SeaRat on Sept 25, 2015 9:23:49 GMT -8
I dove again with the Dacor Nautilus CVS in the Clackamas River at High Rocks yesterday. I had a good dive, although I did get tangled again several times with my diver down buoy line. These were minor tangles, involving a line on my leg/fins and not the scuba itself. That made it much easier to untangle; but I did a second dive without this line (not a Nautilus CVS dive either), and enjoyed the freedom of not attending to that line (this was a Para-Sea BC dive, and a clean-up dive to get trash out of the river). The Nautilus CVS handled well in the current, and once balanced the neutral buoyancy was great. However, I found that I needed to reduce buoyancy at shallower levels (say ten feet) as apposed to the deeper depths due not to the constant volume aspect, but to the expansion of my wet suit (from about 22 feet to ten feet). It appears to me that the constant volume aspect of the Nautilus CVS is most effective from about 25 feet down; once buoyancy is established at about 2 atm absolute, going further down will not need much adjustment. But upwards, at ten feet, some small adjustments are necessary.
Now, I did have a problem on exit. I need to do some climbing out of the river and up the rocks, and yesterday I had a problem involving the Nautilus CVS. As I went around a rock, I stepped out and turned. Because of the 16 pounds of weight along my spine, and the scuba tank being some three inches further from my back, the CG (center of gravity) is further away from my feet. As I turned, I got into a situation where a fall was inevitable. What happened is that I had my right hand on a rock, and stepped out around this rock with my left foot. In my left hand were my fins, mask and float. The act of stepping started the momentum of the Nautilus CVS going, with about 60 pounds of mass away from my spine. That momentum could not be stopped as the CG went beyond my left foot. Once that happened, I knew a fall was coming, and so moved my left arm in as I went down on the rocks on my left side. I went down on my side, with the Nautilus CVS taking the brunt of the fall (without damage, by the way), and onto my back on the rocks. I suffered only a slight cut on my elbow (through my 7mm wet suit, by the way--the water temperature is colder now), but if there were further to fall, it could have been bad. While I did not try to break my fall (this could lead to a broken arm--from my judo training years ago), my elbow did contact a sharp part of a rock. I didn't know I had a cut there until I took off my wet suit, after the second dive.
With this in mind, it is not a good idea to walk the Nautilus CVS up steep slopes and around rocks. My route decisions will need to be made with this in mind when I dive the Nautilus CVS again (which I will do). I had turned off the GoPro, and so did not record this fall, but I wanted to mention it here so that Don (the only other user of the Nautilus CVS that I know of) is aware of this limitation.
John
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Post by diverdon on Sept 25, 2015 14:04:36 GMT -8
Hey John, sorry to hear about that fall. I'm glad both you and the Nautilus are ok. Hopefully your cut heals without incedent. I have noticed that the Nautilus is ungainly, but haven't had it in a river or anywhere else that requires too much finesse. Sad to say my Nautilus is off line for the time being as my inflator is leaking pretty bad. I'll address that issue a little later this fall. I did get a few dives in today, two with my Olympic and one with my Mistral. I'll have to bore you guys with all that later Good to hear you still enjoyed yourself my friend.
Diver Don
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 7, 2015 15:52:18 GMT -8
I am so far behind in my videos that I've started again on the Trieste-Nautilus video. I've made good progress and it should be available soon (I'm trying to figure out how I import those audio files into GoPro Studio now). But as a teaser, here's a still of me in the Trieste-Nautilus combination getting ready for the dive way back in March, I believe. I had one last dive with the Nautilus CVS-Dacor Pacer 900 combo last Thursday. This video is still in the camera. But it was a great dive, with water visibility the best I've seen all year at 20+ feet. This was a great dive, and the unit handled very well both in and out of the water. John
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Post by diverdon on Oct 7, 2015 17:42:55 GMT -8
John yer killin me with these teasers
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 7, 2015 17:48:57 GMT -8
Well, Don, it's been killing me too with technical problems. I completed the audio using Quicktime Player, had the files ready to put into GoPro Studio, and they would not go! I tried many, many different ways today. Finally, I figured out that I needed to get they opened, then export them to iTunes. From there I could go to GoPro Studio and use their Media Import feature to import the audio files to their side edit strip. From there, I could drag the files onto the template, and arrange them in sequence until they were synched with the video. Now, NOW, I am ready to Export the entire thing and finally make the video live! That will happen tonight.
I hope to then publish it onto YouTube, and then I can attach it here.
Wow!
John
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Post by diverdon on Oct 8, 2015 4:19:14 GMT -8
Hey John, Please let me know when you find an easier way I have videos to dub too. DD
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 8, 2015 7:10:14 GMT -8
Don,
Guess what? The video, such as it is, is completed. I hope all of you enjoy it.
John
Don, I've found that GoPro Studio is a rather difficult program in that it has many options, but only accepts files in certain formats. I have to produced in Quicktime Player, but GoPro Studio does not directly accept those files. I had to export the files to iTunes, and then import them from iTunes into GoPro Studio. I've found iMovie much easier to use, and dictation can be done directly into the program. But iMovie probably is not as refined as GoPro Studio, so you sacrifice some to get better results with GoPro Studio. 'Hope this helps.
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 21, 2015 23:05:03 GMT -8
Date: October 21, 2015 Dive Site: High Rocks, Clackamas River Entrance Time: 1:04 PM Exit Time: !1:35 PM Bottom Time: 31 minutes
Dive Plan:
Use the Dacor Nautilus CVS, dive flag/float, and sandwiched Force Fins (one tied on the back of the other) along with my scoop fin to test the Force Fins in this configuration. The Force Fin does not have any push against the water in the “up-stroke,” and so looses all momentum on that part of the stroke. I want to test it as if it were a double-fin, with the two fin blades matched to provide power on both the up- and down-stroke.
Observations: I had my knife just in case the tied Force Fins caused any trouble, and put on my scoop fin first, then the Force Fin combo. That was because I was basically standing on one of the foot pockets, and I didn’t want to trip. The float’s line was out, and I tied it to my waist belt brass buckle, then put my mask on, gloves and was ready to dive. I went about flooding the Nautilus CVS, which took about a minute, then from a sitting position simply leaned forward with the river current (which was an upstream current here) and submerged. I turned on my left side, and purged the remaining air out of the Nautilus CVS by opening the water intake valve, and pushing up on the overpressure relief valve’s lever to open that valve. I felt myself getting heavier, and so started swimming.
Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, the Force Fin in this configuration performed very well. It had “heft” on both the upstroke and downstroke, and was at least equivalent to my Scoop Fin. I noticed that the freshwater sponge is breaking up for the winter as I passed over the rocks into deeper water. I had complete control with the Force Fin combo on my right foot and my scoop fin an my left foot. I swam with the current under the rapids (the current travels at 90 degrees to the overhead rapids), and only felt the line of the float tugging at me, and so let out more line from the carrier in my hand.
I went deeper, approximately 20 feet down, and knelt on the bottom as I was heavier with the depth. I opened the water intake valve of the Nautilus CVS, added air to the unit until I was neutrally buoyant, then closed the valve. I then checked my tank pressure; it was at about 1200 psig. I started out with 1500 psig, as this was the second dive on this tank and I wanted to use it all down to just a few hundred pounds. I will store that tank for a while now with only a few hundred pounds, as I am leery of these AL80 tanks.
I was downstream further than I wanted, and visibility was about 20 feet. I started swimming upstream, and testing different kicks with the Force Fin combo. I did some frog kicking, and found that the Force Fins worked well on both styles of this kick. I did a dolphin (not ideal with the Nautilus CVS, due to its different weight characteristics), and that worked well too.
As I was going upstream, I came across a school of fish, probably shad, that were at least a foot long. There must have been several hundred of them in front of me.
I was kicking against the current, which was at least two knots at that point, and get up to the car wreck. I held onto the wreck by gripping a tree that was over the wreck with my knees, then tightened the left shoulder strap on the Nautilus CVS. The unit, especially when in the dolphin kick, tended to move a bit.
Turning downstream, I decided to do some kicking with the current to see what this fin combination would do, and I went quite fast forward. Then, I slowed down and hovered in the current, letting it take me downstream. The Force Fin combo again performed very well.
I had been underwater about 20 minutes now, and looked at my pressure gauge; it read 500 psig. I decided to swim just a bit further underwater, then surface. I didn’t see much else interesting, and so after a minute or so swam to the surface. The Nautilus CVS doesn’t change volume as the pressure decreases; the excessive pressure simply vents out of the overpressure relief valve. Once on the surface, I again looked at my gauge, and had about 300 psig left. I switched to my snorkel, then opened the water inlet valve and used the Nautilus regulator to add air into the unit, displacing the water, until bubbles were emitted from the water inlet valve. This let me know that almost all the water was out, and I closed that valve.
I was now very buoyant, and tested the fin combinations on the surface. Again, the Force Fin combo performed admirably, both surface swimming face-down and on my back with the Nautilus CVS lifting my upper body out of the water. I snorkeled down to my exit point, removed my fins (I like the Force Fins for this aspect, as they are easier to take off than the Mares Avanti foot pocket, which is what my scoop fins are made from), and climbed out of the water.
The trip back to the car was uneventful, but a good exercise as I needed to pack all that weight up from the river to the road over 100 feet above me.
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Post by diverdon on Oct 22, 2015 2:18:37 GMT -8
Very nice John. Glad to see your still getting some dives in using your Nautilus. Are the lifeguards and beach goers gone now? The there are very few people in my area still playing in the lakes. We did have students in last weekend and the air was in the low 40s, so they obviously wanted their c-cards. And of course I cannot use the Nautilus during cert dives so I doubt I'll get to use my Nautilus again this year. Which is one of the reasons I so enjoy reading your dive logs. Be well!
DD
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 22, 2015 8:11:26 GMT -8
Don,
No lifeguards since Labor Day at the High Rocks area. So I am alone in my solo diving now. But because of the low water, and cool weather, the visibility is about 20 feet.
Have you had a chance to see my newer video above? I wanted to show people how to doff and don the Nautilus CVS while on the surface.
I am getting very used to the Dacor Nautilus CVS, and enjoying this unit.
John
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Post by diverdon on Oct 22, 2015 9:43:31 GMT -8
Hey John, I have, twice now. I think for donning and doffing we need a second person perspective as we are left to imagine what it looks like to get in and out of it. If you can't get another to tape you I may just have to pack my Nautilus up and join you for a dive or two next year. I am currently replacing o-rings as I have experienced a leak and want to repair it before using it again. My o-rings just came in and I'm pleased to find that the lp seat is the same as the Olympic second stage regs. I like what you did in the video switching from your DH to the octo. This should help many understand some of the appeal of DH regs. Those who are unable to experience it anyway. Perhaps you could put a video together using that and other footage for the Vintage Equipment Diving thread at the "other" site. There would probably be more reach to those who have not yet found vintage diving... Anyway, great video! Please keep them coming DD Check out where the parts came from...
Sorry about the poor photo. I was in a hurry to snap a pic of the label my buddy used to ship my parts. Nice touch
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 22, 2015 16:57:57 GMT -8
Don,
I actually shot on the previous dive a segment of donning and doffing the Nautilus CVS from the rocks slightly above me. But I wanted to finally get this video out (after all, I shot this one last spring). The one from off me of the donning and doffing is still in the camera, but I'll download it soon, and hopefully put together another video (or combine the two). I did this last one with the Nautilus CVS equipped with a Dacor Pacer 900 regulator, so I'd have to explain that if I combined them.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 22, 2019 7:49:03 GMT -8
I dove one of my Dacor Nautulis CVS units last Tuesday. It was a pretty good dive. It was configured without the regulator, and I used the Trieste II regulator on it. I'll add more a bit later, but wanted to resurrect this thread so that people can see it. You can see my unit in the new avitar I'm now using.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 22, 2019 11:23:13 GMT -8
Date: June 18, 2019 Dive Site: High Rocks on the Clackamas River Time: ~11:30 PM to 12:15 PM Equipment:—Full wetsuit, hood, boots but gloves. —Knife (absolutely needed on this dive). —Scubapro Supervision mask, with no purge valve. —Float—new (to me) inner tube float with a nylon outer shell. —Force fins —Watch —Scuba: Dacor Nautilus CVS, outfitted with a 71.2 cubic foot steel tank, but pressure at 1500 psig. The Trieste II double hose regulator was used on this dive. --GoPro video on my helmet. Dive PlanUse the Nautilus CVS for the first time this year. I was using the one without the regulator, and therefore needed upon submerging to keep the Water Inlet Valve open. I was diving the normal profile for High Rocks, getting in above High Rocks, drifting through, and then getting out below the railroad bridge. The DiveI had brought the Nautilus CVS down separately, figuring to get into it in the water, which I did. It did not go as smoothly as I had hoped, as the water was shallow and positioning myself in shallow water was difficult. But I finally got into the unit. My float kept wanting to float downstream in the current, and finally I had to bring it back and ground it is some stiller water. I submerged, and apparently had not let all the air out. I checked the water inlet valve, and sure enough it was closed (water can only displace the air if this valve is open). I opened it, felt the unit sink more, and was able to get down to the bottom. I took some video, then turned the camera off. Continuing downstream, I got into deeper water, and after ensuring that the water inlet valve was open, blew some air into the unit and closed the valve. Now I was neutral in the water, and able to go anywhere. I came across a line that had a weight inside a pouch. This was a new line, and it went downstream quite a ways out of sight. I dislodged the weight pouch from a crack in the rock, and began coiling the line in my left hand. Then the line tightened, as the other end was apparently also anchored. The coils in my left hand tightened more, and one made a half-hitch around my thumb, so with my right hand I reached for my knife on my right leg, got it, and in one quick swipe severed the line as it was tightening against my thumb. Now with only about 4 feet of line, I first used a figure-8 knot to tie it to my float line keeper, then wrapped the rest around the keeper (my original plan was to wrap all of it around this line keeper). By now I was unsure where I was, and so ascended to the surface. My Nautilus CVS "honked" twice on the ascent as air vented from the overpressure relief valve. Then I dove back down, and was again neutral on the bottom. I took some video of me, then some of the bottom wizzing by in the current with the GoPro just off the bottom. I knew I was nearing my takeout point, and looked at my SPG--it read about 400 psig left. So I surfaced, and "blew ballast" with the LP inflator. I swam around that way for a while, and when I got to the rocky exit point, noted some very small minnows sheltering in the rock cervices, so I videoed them. Then I swam to the shallow area, and doffed the Nautilus CVS. Taking the camera, I swam across the river without scuba, then back to my exit on the north side of the river. My exit was easy without the excess weight of the scuba, and the Nautilus CVS was beached on the rock beside me. I rolled up the line to my float, then took off my mask and fins and placed them inside the float. I moved the Nautilus CVS up onto a rock where I could again get into it, and then headed up the rocky river bank to the path towards my car. When I got to the area where the roadway turn-around was located, I doffed the Nautilus CVS and my float, and walked a couple hundred yards to my car. There I got out of my wetsuit, got into my car and drove it to the Nautilus CVS and float with a flag. As I approached the equipment on the sidewalk in my car, I noted a gal on a bicycle got off her bike, and go over to my float. She had not noticed me yet, and reached down toward my float, looking to see what was inside. Well, my helmet with the GoPro was inside, so I drove nearer and she noticed me. She yelled out, "Are these yours?" I said, "Yes," and she replied, "Oh, sorry..." got on her bicycle and rode off with her boyfriend, who had a bunch of plastic bags on his handlebars. I suspect they were homeless, and looking for anything they could steal. Lesson, Don't leave my equipment alone, even for a few minutes. It was a "close call." Special Problems and Solutions: I try to do this with every dive, as I have never had a "perfect" dive. Always, things will crop up. So here's a few from this dive. --The Trieste II regulator works extremely well, but is not suited for the Nautilus CVS. This Nautiilus CVS system puts it high off my back, high in the water column, and when vertical also high behind my head. This causes it to breath harder than when I'm wearing my small doubles. Here you can see the positioning of the Trieste on a dive several years ago. --The SPG was coming off the wrong side, and therefore was not retained in the short retainer snap that is made for that. I could not help it with the Trieste II, but using the Dacor Pacer, with HP outlets on both sides of the regulator, that can easily be corrected. I have this Dacor Nautilus CVS now outfitted with the Dacor Pacer. I have also used the Dacor Olympic 400, and that is the regulator it was made for. Here is a photo from 2015 of the use of the Dacor Pacer regulator with the Nautilus CVS. Note that the hoses are routed better in this case. --I will probably wear the unit down to the water, rather than attempting to put it on in the water next time. In deep water, it is easy, but in current not possible at my entry point. Therefore, wearing the unit into the water seems best. --Always, always dive with a dive knife readily available. This was as close to an entrapment as I want to come (thumb tied to line which is anchored to the bottom in a 2+ knot current. Being very accessible on my leg allowed me to quickly cut that line. Also, keep the knife sharp. Mine is sharp enough to shave hairs on my arm. --Don't leave gear in a public area unattended. It simply invites pilfering, and with Portland's homeless problems, dive equipment needs constant attention when not in use. John
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 22, 2019 18:38:38 GMT -8
Here is what I looked like upon exiting last Tuesday, June 18th, 2019: Note the position of the Trieste II double hose regulator. John
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