Post by SeaRat on Mar 30, 2015 22:08:55 GMT -8
Don, my older Dacor Nautilus CVS has been changed back to a simple inflator system, which worked for me as long as I kept the water intake valve open upon descent. And I now have my complete Nautilus CVS back, and took it into the water today. Last Christmas I got a GoPro for my Christmas present, and took it into the water too today to document the Nautilus CVS in the water. The dive was at High Rocks on the Clackamas River, and at some point in the not to distant future, I hope to put the video I have together so people can see my dive. Here is my dive log:
John
Dive Plan:
My plan was two-fold: 1. To dive the complete Dacor Nautilus CVS in current to determine whether it was still working (after an extended loan), and 2. To use my GoPro camera for the first time in the water. I wanted not only to test this gear, but to record it with the GoPro. I have finally figured out how to use it, and have a mount now on my helmet for the GoPro.
Observations:
I first observed the current, and videoed it too. I got shots from three different locations, then went up to get my gear ready. Instead of putting everything on at the car (I have a Jeep Compass rental car), I videoed the Nautilus CVS in the car, and then me taking it down to the river, where I deposited it in shallow water. I then went back up and got into my wet suit. I filmed me getting into gear, then walking down to the river. I put the GoPro onto a rock, and got into my fins and mask. Then I pulled the Nautilus CVS into the water, and got a shock. My Suunto Cobra dive computer's high pressure hose was leaking, badly. And it wasn't at the O-ring; the leaks were through the hose's lining. I recorded them with the GoPro, then put on the Nautilus CVS by flooding it to a vertical position, strapped on the helmet with the GoPro, and finally was ready to submerge. I needed to get all the air out of the Nautilus CVS, and I submerged. I went into the current, and hoped to swim below the main rapid. That wasn't successful, as the main current hit me pretty hard, and rolled me at one point. This is a problem of the Nautilus CVS, in that the 16 pounds of weight are above my spine, and not wrapped around my waist. This means that I was top-heavy, and when the cross-current hit I could not remain horizontal and supine. I rolled. In the process, the GoPro became loose in its mount, and was coming off. I'm not sure how I knew, but I grabbed it, and the rest of the dive I was holding the GoPro in my hand.
Surfacing in the calmer, but still heavy current below the rapids, I got my bearing and again submerged. The current was strong, and I was clipping along, at times bouncing off rocks. I surfaced a second time, and there was a boat load of fishermen below me. I told them that the only fish I had seen was a dead steelhead, and visibility was only about 3-5 feet. I surfaced again, trying to test the buoyancy characteristics of the Nautilus CVS. I was just above the foot bridge, and so waved to a person watching from the bridge. Because I was slightly buoyant, I needed to remove the air from the Nautilus CVS. Once removed, I was able to submerge again and drift downstream.
I finally surfaced near my take-out point, and used the GoPro to show the buoyancy characteristics of the Nautilus CVS by swimming on my back mostly out of the water. I then put the GoPro on the shore, and submerged, then swam again on my back with the Nautilus CVS ballast again blown out.
A Sheriff's jet boat came by, and seeing my dive flag immediately got off a plane and proceeded upstream of me at a very slow pace. I at first waved, then gave the "OK" signal by placing my hand on my head for several seconds. Another jet boat came by (I think also associated with the Sheriff's Department), slowed when it saw my diver's flag/float, then went by.
I also filmed my exit (it's funny saying "filmed," as there is now no film in the video, only a chip). As I got up to the road, a fellow on a bicycle stopped me to ask about diving, how expensive is the equipment, and expressed a desire to dive. I told him I was diving very old equipment (from the 1970s) that is currently unavailable, but for a BC, scuba tank and regulator, it was about $500. Add to that a wet suit, and another $200 or so. He asked whether he needed to swim well, and I told him that underwater swimming was different, but he needed to be comfortable in the water. I also told him that the old standard was swimming non-stop on the surface 400 yards, and underwater 25 yards. I also told him that some dive shops had introduction courses that he might check out.
Special Problems and Ideas:
--That was the last dive on my Suunto Cobra dive computer until that hose is changed out; the hose is leaking air badly. What is so surprising is that this hose is failing, and I have analog SPGs that are still good after over twenty years.
--The Nautilus CVS needs more weight. By that, what I mean is that it is a submarine, and without air in the Nautilus CVS, it only has those top-heavy weights. Therefore the current hitting me sideways turned me over. Had I been ten pounds heavier (as I was the last dive), there would have been enough air in the upper part of the chamber to balance the weight.
--I forgot my dive knife; this is I think the first time in decades I've dived without a knife, although when I discovered it in the Jeep I decided to put my pocket knife into my dive float. It would not have done much, but it made me feel better that there was a blade available if I got tangled.
--It appears that the Suunto Cobra is not correctly showing my dive time. It shows only about nine minutes, and yet I have some 25 minutes of video underwater. I was surprised also that I had made it to 25 feet depth.
--I lost my snorkel off of my helmet, but with the video I know where, and may be able to go back later this week and get it back.
--The GoPro came off my helmet, and that means before I put it back into the water I need to figure out what happened. I don't want to loose this wonderful camera.
My plan was two-fold: 1. To dive the complete Dacor Nautilus CVS in current to determine whether it was still working (after an extended loan), and 2. To use my GoPro camera for the first time in the water. I wanted not only to test this gear, but to record it with the GoPro. I have finally figured out how to use it, and have a mount now on my helmet for the GoPro.
Observations:
I first observed the current, and videoed it too. I got shots from three different locations, then went up to get my gear ready. Instead of putting everything on at the car (I have a Jeep Compass rental car), I videoed the Nautilus CVS in the car, and then me taking it down to the river, where I deposited it in shallow water. I then went back up and got into my wet suit. I filmed me getting into gear, then walking down to the river. I put the GoPro onto a rock, and got into my fins and mask. Then I pulled the Nautilus CVS into the water, and got a shock. My Suunto Cobra dive computer's high pressure hose was leaking, badly. And it wasn't at the O-ring; the leaks were through the hose's lining. I recorded them with the GoPro, then put on the Nautilus CVS by flooding it to a vertical position, strapped on the helmet with the GoPro, and finally was ready to submerge. I needed to get all the air out of the Nautilus CVS, and I submerged. I went into the current, and hoped to swim below the main rapid. That wasn't successful, as the main current hit me pretty hard, and rolled me at one point. This is a problem of the Nautilus CVS, in that the 16 pounds of weight are above my spine, and not wrapped around my waist. This means that I was top-heavy, and when the cross-current hit I could not remain horizontal and supine. I rolled. In the process, the GoPro became loose in its mount, and was coming off. I'm not sure how I knew, but I grabbed it, and the rest of the dive I was holding the GoPro in my hand.
Surfacing in the calmer, but still heavy current below the rapids, I got my bearing and again submerged. The current was strong, and I was clipping along, at times bouncing off rocks. I surfaced a second time, and there was a boat load of fishermen below me. I told them that the only fish I had seen was a dead steelhead, and visibility was only about 3-5 feet. I surfaced again, trying to test the buoyancy characteristics of the Nautilus CVS. I was just above the foot bridge, and so waved to a person watching from the bridge. Because I was slightly buoyant, I needed to remove the air from the Nautilus CVS. Once removed, I was able to submerge again and drift downstream.
I finally surfaced near my take-out point, and used the GoPro to show the buoyancy characteristics of the Nautilus CVS by swimming on my back mostly out of the water. I then put the GoPro on the shore, and submerged, then swam again on my back with the Nautilus CVS ballast again blown out.
A Sheriff's jet boat came by, and seeing my dive flag immediately got off a plane and proceeded upstream of me at a very slow pace. I at first waved, then gave the "OK" signal by placing my hand on my head for several seconds. Another jet boat came by (I think also associated with the Sheriff's Department), slowed when it saw my diver's flag/float, then went by.
I also filmed my exit (it's funny saying "filmed," as there is now no film in the video, only a chip). As I got up to the road, a fellow on a bicycle stopped me to ask about diving, how expensive is the equipment, and expressed a desire to dive. I told him I was diving very old equipment (from the 1970s) that is currently unavailable, but for a BC, scuba tank and regulator, it was about $500. Add to that a wet suit, and another $200 or so. He asked whether he needed to swim well, and I told him that underwater swimming was different, but he needed to be comfortable in the water. I also told him that the old standard was swimming non-stop on the surface 400 yards, and underwater 25 yards. I also told him that some dive shops had introduction courses that he might check out.
Special Problems and Ideas:
--That was the last dive on my Suunto Cobra dive computer until that hose is changed out; the hose is leaking air badly. What is so surprising is that this hose is failing, and I have analog SPGs that are still good after over twenty years.
--The Nautilus CVS needs more weight. By that, what I mean is that it is a submarine, and without air in the Nautilus CVS, it only has those top-heavy weights. Therefore the current hitting me sideways turned me over. Had I been ten pounds heavier (as I was the last dive), there would have been enough air in the upper part of the chamber to balance the weight.
--I forgot my dive knife; this is I think the first time in decades I've dived without a knife, although when I discovered it in the Jeep I decided to put my pocket knife into my dive float. It would not have done much, but it made me feel better that there was a blade available if I got tangled.
--It appears that the Suunto Cobra is not correctly showing my dive time. It shows only about nine minutes, and yet I have some 25 minutes of video underwater. I was surprised also that I had made it to 25 feet depth.
--I lost my snorkel off of my helmet, but with the video I know where, and may be able to go back later this week and get it back.
--The GoPro came off my helmet, and that means before I put it back into the water I need to figure out what happened. I don't want to loose this wonderful camera.
John