dive #862-863 June 10 2012

*photo above was sent to me from Dive buddy Bill L . Don't you wish there really was scuba fins like this?

Dive #862 June 10 2012
Today was my first dive of the season.
For some reason I felt a little nervous. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe I'm afraid I'll forget how to do something or I'll suddenly get sick out of nowhere.
I really don't know why. I knew I had to get in the water.
It was a cool sunny day.The wind was blowing out from the SE.
We were going to "an easy dive site" -the wreck of the NH.
We had Fred, Chris, Pete, Lareint, Diane K, Bill L and a new guy "Vinny" from the Frogmen onboard
Water temp was about 52F so I was glad I had  my dry suit even though it takes a little time to get used to.
As soon as I jumped in the water I could feel a current. I kept drifting away from the boat. I descended down with Vinny. We spotted a couple of large moon snails "getting busy".
After just a few minutes of swimming around I knew something was amiss because my depth gauge was reading at 35 feet. The wreck which was suppose to be right next to the boat. My depth gauge should have reading at 20 feet tops.
 I surfaced to see where we were. We were nowhere near the wreck. As I tried to swim towards the boat the current was pushing me further away from the boat. It was impossible. I was getting exhausted. As I rested for a few seconds I still was drifting. As I put my hand to my weight belt ready to dump it Lareint swam out to help me to the boat..Lareint saved the day.
Oh my God that current was awful.
I was beat.
The only time I can recall swimming in a nasty current like that was off of Grand Cayman. I fought like hell to swim to the mooring. When I got there I said, "uh uh this is awful I'm aborting the dive". And I was glad I did. Two divers got carried around the bend and had to be rescued by a fishing boat.
Dive #863 June 10 2012
Chris moved the boat around to find a spot with less current. I was a little unnerved from the incident but I had to get back on the saddle again.I made a second dive. Pete was scootering around with his UW scooter so I stuck out my thumb in order to hitch a ride. That was pretty cool. Unfortunately like a dope I can sometime be I found myself disoriented of my location.I was in an area with some current so I just pulled myself along the ocean bottom towards the boat rather than to fight any current at the surface.There were some good sized lobsters poking their heads out of the rocks watching me.
Lareint made a third dive by loosening the anchor that appeared to be stuck or wedged. A 'keeper" lobster swam by him probably thinking "ha ha you missed me!" But he didn't miss him. Into the catch bag he went.
OK I'm done typing. I am beyond exhausted.