Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Hola
Greetings from the Country of South Korea at the coastal city of Busan. This is my second visit to this beautiful city. It is the 5th largest and busiest shipping port in the world. The N SEALS told us yesterday we will be staying here until September 7th. Really cool. I am going to do some sight seeing on my off time. Yippe Kai Yeah!
Today on my offtime I visited the International Shopping area of Busan and viewed the city from an incredible view on a observation tower. Photos on my FACEBOOK.
We arrived Monday afternoon after a seven-day voyage from GUAM.
My week in GUAM was good as I was able to do five open water dives.
They were GAB GAB Beach #2 reef located about 200 meters offshore from GAB GAB Beach. This reef is used by a tourist shallow water submarine as there is a school of seven trevelly (jacks) fish averaging about 25 lbs each, two nice size snapper, two turtles and a huge variety of reef fish to view.
A Thursday night dive at Gun Beach located on the north side of Tamron Bay diving with John Schubert and Jonathan Duboise. The first minute we had a huge Manta ray swim underneath us. It was an enjoyable 80 minute dive and afterward a great chicken & ribs at the Jamaican Grille in Hagatna.
A late Friday afternoon beach dive at Dadi Beach located on the south side of the Navy base. I shot over 125 images on that dive.
On Saturday I took a two dive boat trip on the MDA (Micronesia Diving Association) dive store diving in the ARPA Harbor (because of bad weather on the outer reefs). We dived the Hidden Reef located near the Ammunitions Pier and the Navy Seebee junk pile containing three bulldozers, a few trucks, pipes and other debris from the 1940’s. In truth, it was a very interesting dive and for the day I shot over 200 images.
I was quite satisfied with the five dives I was able to do.
On January 9th, 2009 I sent to the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center located at Martinsburg, West Virginia my Third Mate Unlimited license application along with my Doctor’s signed physical exam and drug testing papers. No word for three months. I called the NMC and they had no record of my application and my 70 assessment papers. Frustrated, I had a bad feeling that my application and assessment papers were lost. That was a sick feeling as I spent two years getting all the assessment papers signed off and, as a dummy, I did not make copies (I usually do). While I was in Japan at the Naval Base of Yukosaka during June I faxed a letter the NMC with a copy of my original letter asking again if they could find my application and the assessment papers. I was pretty much resigned to the fact that I would have to start all over with the assessment papers. Very depressing.
When I returned to GUAM on Saturday night, August 15th the Captain had mail for me from Hawaii. Sure enough I had three letters from the USCG NMC dated June 30th, 2009 and the letters acknowledged that USCG NMC did receive my application and my assessment papers. I tell you…that was some of the best news I have received in a long time. Six months of total frustration now gone.
Anyway, there were eleven more assessments they wanted me to have signed off. There particular assessments should have been signed off from my ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Assessment) course that I took in Ft. Lauderdale in June, 2006. I have written a letter to the Maritime Professional Training School requesting that these assessments be signed off and be sent to the NMC. Hopefully and soon…I will finally have everything checked off to be approved to take my exams and earn the Third Mate Unlimited tonnage Officer license.
I am beginning to see little bit of “daylight” at the end of a long tunnel pursuing this goal. This process has involved over 21 courses ($20,000+ including hotels, rental cars, etc), 81 assessments and six years of fortitude.
In regards with the continuing saga of “SAFE” lines for cave diving in the Rivieria Maya I was informed that my article … “SAFETY IS ALWAYS #1” … had somewhat of an effect. Several people tended to agree with my points and suggestions. Though Steve Bogearts still insists that a #18 twisted guideline was better and safer most folks like the #45 lines and/or the gold lines. It seems that a compromise was agreed upon using a #24 braided line. What will be implimented remains to be seen. I do know and always have (35 years of cave diver egos teaches you this) that getting everyone on the same page cannot happen in cave diving.
I do know this. At Cenote Pet Cemetary (Mystic River) to the “Blue Abyss” Room the #45 line was not compromise and the land owner – Arturo Vargas – wants it to stay that way. At Cenote Taj Mahal the line to the “Waterfall” and the Chinese Garden area remains being the #45 line though I am told there are a few people who want to change it to a colored line. At Cenote Minotauro the #45 line was replaced with a #18 twisted line for the third time for the upstream circuit dive. With the help of Tommy Harden on one dive I changed it all back to a braided #45 line. Yes, I am stubborn but I am making a point for safety. At Cenote Cristal (Naharon) I changed the #18 twisted line back to braided #45 (for the second time) all the way to Chac’s Room and 400 feet beyond. Cenote Jailhouse I replaced the #18 twisted line with #45 braided at the two shortcut passsages to the downstream saltwater power passage for the third time.
I will be sending out my second SAFETY article in a few days. The contributors for GOLD LINE at this time are the following:
Doug Chappell $10.00 Darryl Harris $ 50.00
Steve Gerrard $500.00 Dan Hartman $200.00
Jim Horvaka $50.00 Dr. Harry Marinakis $100.00
Dan Orr $50.00 Richard Yost $100.00
John Delaney $50.00 Michael Menduno $ 50.00
TOTAL so far is: $1,110.00
I thought I was getting donations from three other inviduals but nothing has been received yet. I am hopeful they will come through. I am still asking for donations as the GOLD LINE is expensive.
PLEASE SEND TO; 2828 South McCall Road – Suite 32 PMB 33, Englewood, Florida 34224.
I have ordered the first boxes of GOLD LINE spools from the E. L. Wood Braiding Company (same company the NACD orders their gold line). I will receive them in October. The first requests for GOLD line is Cenote Mystic River (Pet Cemetary) and Cenote Dreamgate.
Oh, I now have my very own STICKER. Bogearts and little Robbie Schmittner made up an eight sided STOP sign with the same message as the T-shirt. The money spent on this is incredible. I have only seen three stickers and I autographed two of them and placed a heart on it. No one is wearing the T-shirts. When Larry & Debra Green were visiting and conducting the NACD IEC the first week of August I gave them one T-shirt and they got two T-shirts from Robbie. The publicity from this is priceless from a marketing viewpoint. My FACEBOOK friend list spiked and several local folks have expressed taking specialty courses from me or diving with me. Man…I LOVE IT!
I return to Puerto Aventuras, Mexico around October 8th. I am teaching a cave diving course with a student from Finland during the week of October 10th. I will be diving with Bob Thorpe and Ken Bosko of Traverse City, Michigan during the week of October 25th.
I have asked to take one hitch off from my vessel for this coming winter of 2010. I was granted permission from my coordinator. Therefore, I will have FOUR months available to teach and/or guide cave divers. I have set up THREE DAY specialty cave diving courses – with SIDE MOUNT and DPV. JANUARY – MAY 2nd, 2010. These specialty courses may get several folks interested in coming down to the Riviera Maya for the winter of 2010. Let me know ASAP if you know of anyone who may have an interest.
I hope all is going great!
Be safe,
STEVE
stevegerrard@cavediver.com
LA COSTA #103
PUERTO AVENTURAS, Q. ROO
77750 MEXICO
sg