Quick Links
Dive Log
May/June, 2014
Well I skipped over a few things between the last few posts regarding diving. After battling the Cape Breton for the fourth attempt, I headed over to China Creek in Port Alberni, with Sundown Diving for a shop fun day of diving.
I had dropped off my tanks the night prior to get a quick fill in the morning, since their shop is in Nanaimo..Read more
Published November 29, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Well, it has been some time since I've dove last, 2 1/2 months or so to be exact. Work had been pretty busy, and I was able to sneak away back to the coast for a few days.
I thought I would be smart, and take off in the evening from Calgary, and 'avoid' Vancouver morning traffic. Leaving around 9pm had me into morning traffic around 6:30..Read more
Published August 26, 2014
Battle of the Breton, Take 4?
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Well the fourth time trying to dive a particular wreck is the charm? In this case it is!
The first two times back in the snowy spring expedition with Liz and Drew, we couldn't get on the wreck due to lines, and the last time, I made it to 3m and thumbed my dive.
But this time would be different. Meeting up with Liz and Drew, a..Read more
Published June 23, 2014
Invasion AKR The Aftermath
Monday, May 26, 2014
After a fabulous week of diving with Anthoney's Key Resort in Roatan, Honduras, I learned a few things for future dive vacations.
Published May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
I woke up at about 1am with a very disturbing feeling in my belly. Not good.
Turns out maybe I shouldn't have chosen a white russian at happy hour. Something about unpasturized milk in a third world country, or something like that.
Very bad idea indeed.
Well, I made it through the night with little sleep, and made i ... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
I had breakfast with a few members leaving that day, said goodbye and headed to my boat with a grin on my face. While they are flying, I'm DIVING!
I would have left today, but with how flights were, I'd spend a night in Houston, probably for more money (hotel, food, etc) than staying here another day and DIVING!
Tough life I h... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
Our diving has been in the same groups (8 or 9 groups of divers) rotating which boat they are on every 2 days or so.
Today we could dive any boat that we liked. Unfortunately there was one small hiccup. None of the boards had any of the sites listed, or the DM's.
I really wanted to go back to the Aguila to actually check out the wr... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Oh crap. When I woke up, I decided to look at the pics I took on the night dive (I didn't the night before, leaving the camera in the housing on the other bed).
I went to grab out the camera, and noticed there was a fair amount of water pooling in the lens area of the housing. Luckily, I thought, putting the housing lens down would help ...Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Well today is the day to start using my drysuit.
I decided against it. I really wanted to take it out, but at the chance of not getting my weighting right, going down to 33m to go see the Garden Eels on the Aguila wreck (the only dive that I've wanted to do down there), I didn't want to chance it.
So I didn't, at all for the t... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Today we were scheduled to dive the Aguila wreck, but due to the morning shark dive, it was postponed.
Instead we dove Fish Den, White Hole, Pillar Coral, and a night dive at Mikes Place.
I can't remember too much about the day dives, but I've found out that I generally hang back on the first dive, as everyone is excited to gr... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
I'm noticing a trend at nights. Any where from 8-9:30ish, while I'm working on a few write ups, photos, etc I'm already half asleep trying to get things done. It might just be better to do them in the morning, as I get up when the sun goes up, which is a few hours before anything happens for the day….
Today starts a little earlier in the... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Well, after having a very long day of travelling, and little food (finally at a diner), and a good time at the orientation gathering, its off to start diving!
I started a little early, to make sure I had some equipment. I checked into the dive shop, acquired a locker, and most of my equipment. The only things that I can use that I brough... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
After organizing ordering and building parts for a new camera rig, packing, double packing, unpacking, and repacking everything down into 2 carryon and 2 checked bags, I departed for the airport.
The lineups were minimal like last time (maybe 20 minutes to get all the way to security). The longest part of the pre flight experience was s... Read morePublished May 24, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
After a quick spot of tea and toast at Ron & Annettes, I headed off to the ferry to try to catch the 9am, and fill up on fuel (I made it a good 10km past the computer telling me I had 0km left ...)
Try I did, and failed. a dozen cars in front of me tried as well.
All the while I'm thinking, hmmm, I have a tank ready to go, jus... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Wednesday 19, 2014
Getting up in the morning and looking in the mirror confirmed what I thought. My worst hicky yet from my neck seal.
I was a damp drive down to Victoria, and I guess Dan overheard me talking the day before about wanting to take the TDI Solo Dive course, and brought along some extra AL40 stage tanks to play with on the dive at Willis Point... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
With cell service being slightly amis the night before, a text sent out by Paul (head of the rebreathers) at 6pm, equated to my phone figuring out to receive it at 1am.
The message equated that it was going to be an early boat out to the Cape Breton in Nanaimo. Well that changed my plans a little, as I left Campbell River a little earlie... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Well, I was lucky to spot that there was a monday charter going out with Pacific Pro Dive happening out of Campbell River, and was able to join up with them to dive some sites up there.
There was a class of 4 Hollis Explorers happening, and a pair from Ottawa that I joined up with to dive the HMCS Columbia and Copper Cliff
On ... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Well, after looking at the work calendar, and trying to keep up with my self appointed, 'Go diving once a month', I looked as if I had a few days that I could skip out for a bit and do just that.
After working what seemed like a 100hr work week, I was able to grab a few hours of sleep and start driving out in daylight to BC. I normally d... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Well after a goods nights rest, I headed back on my journey to Calgary. Starting with the ferry. It was still snowing, and was very icy driving down to the terminal. Luckily I was able to get on the scheduled boat with a few minutes to spare!
The Cocquihalla was now opened, but after looking through the pages of snow warnings on the Driv... Read more
Published May 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
I got up exceptionally early for today, as well, the olympic gold medal game was on, and what kind of Canadian would I be if I didn't watch us win? And after the very early game, I went back to bed for a quick nap before heading back down to Nanaimo.
After yesterdays excursion in the snow and cold water, what could today bring? In Parksv... Read more
Published April 7, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
No flippy floppies, but quite a bit of snow in the morning in Parksville.
I had to dig the car out of it!
It was snowing in Nanaimo, but nothing sticking as we met up at the Sea Dragon boat, and the 4 of us loaded up. Liz, Drew, David and myself.
Drew was using a set of doubles, and the rest of us were on single tan... Read more
Published March 24, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Liz had mentioned she was planning on doing some wreck dives for a course in Feb up in Nanaimo, and my schedule coincided to leave from work in Banff for that weekend.
After working a long day, and getting a little bit of sleep, I headed out early heading west down the highway. I could have left later, but didn't want to have to deal wit... Read more
Published March 20, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Waking up early to an insistent meowing cat, got up, had some toast with the relatives, and some wonderful Pear White loose leaf tea, and headed out to Wilson Diving to meet up with Liz for our second round of dives.
She texted the night before, after a dive, saying viz was good and that we would head out to Henderson Point in Brentwood.... Read more
Published February 15, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
I woke up abruptly in Parksville from a dream that I was going diving today! And luckily around the time that I was going to get up, not like other times, right in the middle of much needed rest, and can't get back to sleep. Almost like a kid on christmas morning. That must be why most people have stockings, to keep the kids entertained at random h... Read more
Published February 8, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Every few times out the year, I get to make the journey out to Vancouver Island. I like visiting Vancouver Island, and the family that is on said Island, and lately it's been via driving the 1000km journey between Calgary and it. When driving to Vancouver Island, I like to start the trip early in the morning.
2AM early.
It usu... Read more
Published February 1, 2014
Thursday, February 7, 2013
With day 1 of my AOW dives over, It's time for day 2!
We headed out to Glover's Reef, which is further away from Placencia to the NE, so they make it a 3 tank dive day, and leave quite a bit earlier than usual to get 2 dives in the morning, and then a last one after lunch before coming back in.
We went on their larger boat (sa... Read more
Published January 12, 2014
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
One of the great things about doing vacation dive training, is Online courses. The week prior to coming down to Belize for my AOW, I was doing the online classes at the pub (hey, I don't have internet, or TV, or a phone ....) So that means, as soon as I get down there, I start right away diving!
I was paired up with James for my first di... Read more
Published January 10, 2014
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Well, after the winter of not diving, the temperature dropping, sunlight disappearing and days needing some pick me ups, I decided to play hookie from work for a few weeks and head down to Belize to go diving with SPLASH out of Placencia.
I did my DS and OW with them back in the summer, the staff were great, the owners Ralph and Patty ar... Read more
Published January 8, 2013
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Well, it's a new year, and with that, some resolutions for it!
2013 (and part of 2012) was a great leap into the world of SCUBA, and what it could offer. Lots of friends and memories with diving, training and traveling to do such activities.
There are a few things I would like to do this year, and in no particular order... Read more
Published January 1, 2014
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
No, I didn't stop doing anything for 15 months, instead I've been posting my diving experiences on the days they have happened, I just haven't gotten caught up. So we will have some 'flashbacks' from now on in this blog.
To give a slight bit of timeline, I was offered AOW with SPLASH down in Placencia, and I completed that in the spring ... Read more
Published December 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Today is my last day of diving, and my second last day in Belize. It's been a fun two weeks of discovering diving, and what the Caribbean Sea has to offer. The GoPro worked, and had some nice deep and long dives.
During the safety stop of the first dive, we were hanging out above a large sand bar between two reefs. Just as some of our gr... Read more
Published December 16, 2013
Monday, September 10, 2012
Today marked the first time returning to a dive site, it also marked the first equipment failure we had as well, a computer with a low battery, which I found out on a descent you don't really want to find out on, as the bottom was well below our cruising depth.
After the first 10 feet, the computer started flashing all of its digits and ... Read more
Published December 15, 2013
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Today was a morning dive with over a dozen or so Med-Large sized Nurse Sharks, and to some depth in some areas navigating around the deep finger reefs.
Quite a few of the nurse sharks followed us through the finger canyons, almost like herding us through actually. It was a little surreal, but pretty cool. When we hit the outside of the w... Read more
Published December 14, 2013
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Well after yesterdays fantastic entry, I was only a little skittish walking off of the boat for these two dives. The water was calm as can be for both, but still, you never know when the platform can disappear!!
One of the divers was doing a lot of Lion Fish hunting every morning on the dives, as they didn't seem to be out an about as mu... Read more
Published December 13, 2013
Friday, September 7, 2012
After an ice cream, some Belikin, and some much needed hammock time, It's back at it again, with heading out to Rock Beauty, and Margarita Canyon out at the reef.
There was quite a lot of wildlife on the dive, and even during the SI, there were southern rays and small nurse sharks around our boat, so I decided for a quick snorkel with th... Read more
Published December 12, 2013
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Well after tackling Lighthouse Atol, and its beautiful dives (including the Blue Hole), we resigned to the local reef that is less than 20 minutes away from BDS. Today there were a lot less divers, 4 to be exact, enough to outweigh 1:1 with the boat/diving staff!
Needless to say, this means that we were able to go and do a lot more than ... Read more
Published December 11, 2013
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
After spending a few days down in Punta Gorda (I don't recommend going down there in September ... there are absolutely no tourists, and everyone is back in school, so there isn't anything going on in the area) I beelined it up to Caye Caulker under Henri's advice to go diving with BDS and to stay at a place right beside the split.
So ta... Read more
Published December 10, 2013
Sunday, September 2, 2012
These are my first dives, being OW certified. After a few days of rain, with no boats going out, I can show off my skills! We were back at Silk Caye and diving different areas that I hadn't been to yet (as the OW dives were shallower).
They weren't longer dives, but deeper, both to 60 feet. Still a gas hog, but who isn't on their first h... Read more
Published December 10, 2013
Wed/Thurs August 29/30, 2012
Well after my day of Discovery scuba, I had to go and finish the OW certification, since I was half way done the practical dives!
Out comes the manual and a lot of cramming to try to get it all in before the next day of diving.
There was a little bit fo confusion on the first day, as I though we were going diving from the conv... Read more
Published December 9, 2013
Tuesday August 28, 2012
After a day of a guided Snorkel of Silk Caye with SPLASH Dive Center in Placencia, Belize, I was convinced to try out a Discovery Scuba in Glovers Reef slightly further north in the Caribbean.
My neighbour on the beach, Henri (from Denmark) help with the arm twisting to join them diving, and well, I was intrigued either way. The be... Read more
Published December 9, 2013
Created by BRad
This website is designed, conceived and maintained by me. All content is original (unless cited), and is not to be used by any other persons or parties without written permission.
2013