Dive #63 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log
© Copyright 2010 Rich Torkington Mesa, Arizona

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Bottom Time to Date:

50h
17m


Dive Info:

Dive Start:
9:15AM

Bottom Time:
39 minutes

Maximum Depth:
24 feet

Safety Stop:
n/a

Beginning Air:
3000 psi

Ending Air:
1500 psi

Weather Conditions:
Sunny 95°F

Surface Conditions:
Choppy

Surface Water Temperature:
81°F

Bottom Water Temperature:
81°F

Visibility:
2-3 feet
63
TITLE
*
June 1,
2001
MARTINI COVE
SAN CARLOS - SONORA, MEXICO
PADI Advanced Open Water Certification Dive No. 1 - Underwater Naturalist
TRAINING DIVE
VIDEO
Linda (buddy), Feliza Rios (Instructor)
El Mar Diving Center
http://www.elmar.com/
Photo
Starfish clinging to rock in Martini's Cove
Vidcap by Rich Torkington in Mexico 2001  
Dive Journal: Linda and I are excited to be diving again after a long layoff since last fall. As a refresher activity, and because Linda and Janel have hounded me mercilessily about it, I have signed up for the PADI Advanced Open Water certification with the El Mar facility in San Carlos.

Linda and I enjoy a wonderful long drive down south into Mexico, through Nogales and Hermosillo on Mexico 15. We get plenty of smiling looks at our 2001 New Beetle, a bit of a novelty in Mexico.

My instructor is Feliza Rios, a very pleasant employee at El Mar. Our first dive is a boat dive in what is usually an easy and popular site called Martini Cove. Feliza suggests I get re-acquainted with my gear by doing the “Underwater Naturalist” dive. I am instructed to locate and identify 2 plants, 4 vertebrates, and 4 invertebrates during this dive.

Linda and I suit up. My new Oneill wetsuit fits me like a glove – I really like it. I am also diving for the first time with a new Top Dawg video camera housing outfitted with my Christmas present from Linda, a Sony DCR-TRV11 digital Handycam.
Photo
Yeah, I can see you great.
Vidcap by Linda Torkington in Mexico 2001  

Submerging into the warm water, we get our first glimpse of what will be a weekend long battle with visibility. It is terrible! My hands appear to be fuzzy glowing spots, and I cannot see my fins at all. Linda separates from me only a small distance - - and disappears! Incredibly bad visibility.

Nevertheless, we head out of the cove towards an area known as the Aquarium, and we encounter a few lifeforms on the rocks. For purposes of my certification, my official sightings included: Plants: seaweed, palm tree (upon surface); Invertebrates: starfish, scallop, anemone, nudibranch; Vertebrates: sergeant major, Cortez damselfish, diver Linda, diver Rich.

The video housing was very easy to use, and the video quality is actually better than the sights we gathered through our masks.

More
Dive
Info:
Fins:
Mares Avanti Quattro
Computer:
U S Divers Matrix
Tank:
80 ft3 Al
BCD:
SeaQuest Spectrum 4
Dive Type:
BOAT (Granny Slick)
Body of Water:
Sea of Cortez
Mask:
U S Divers
Protection:
3mm full wetsuit
Regulator:
SeaQuest
Spectrum XR2
plus Oceanic
Slimline octopus
Weight:
13 lb
Water Type:
Salt
Video Equipment:
Sony DCR-TRV11 digital Handycam in Top Dawg housing