Logbook Scuba Dive # 289 - HMS Hermes
| Logbook Scuba Dive # 289 - HMS Hermes |
Good| Cylinder Set #1 | |||
| Cylinder Type: | Cylinder Size: | Working Pressure: | Supply Type: |
| Alumimium |  20 litres |
200 bar |  Open Circuit (OC) |
| O2: | He: | Min. PPO2: | Max. PPO2: |
| 21% | 0% | - | 1.4 bar |
 EAN 21 |
MOD: | EAD: | END: |
| 56.6 m | 56.6 m | 56.6 m | |
| Start Pressure: | End Pressure: | Diff. Pressure: | |
| 202 bar | 36 bar | 166 bar | |
| Avg. Depth: | SAC Rate: | ||
| - | - | ||
| Cylinder Set #2 | |||
| Cylinder Type: | Cylinder Size: | Working Pressure: | Supply Type: |
| Alumimium |  11 litres |
200 bar | Open Circuit (OC) |
| O2: | He: | Min. PPO2: | Max. PPO2: |
| 50% | - | 0.19 bar | 1.6 bar |
 EAN 50 |
MOD: | EAD: | END: |
| 22.0 m | 10.3 m | - | |
| Start Pressure: | End Pressure: | Diff. Pressure: | |
| 140 bar | 80 bar | 60 bar | |
| Avg. Depth: | SAC Rate: | ||
| - | - | ||
| Cylinder Set #3 | |||
| Cylinder Type: | Cylinder Size: | Working Pressure: | Supply Type: |
| Alumimium | 11 litres |
200 bar | Open Circuit (OC) |
| O2: | He: | Min. PPO2: | Max. PPO2: |
| 50% | - | 0.19 bar | 1.6 bar |
| EAN 50 |
MOD: | EAD: | END: |
| 22.0 m | 10.3 m | - | |
| Start Pressure: | End Pressure: | Diff. Pressure: | |
| 190 bar | 120 bar | 70 bar | |
| Avg. Depth: | SAC Rate: | ||
| - | - | ||
| Avg. Depth: | SAC Rate: | ||
| 19.57 m | 17.82 litres/min | ||
| Gas Mixture: | |||
| Air - Back Nitrox 50% - Stage 1 Nitrox 50% - Stage 2 | |||
| WEDNESDAY MORNING: Everyone set out to dive on the HMS Hermes in the morning. Again we each had double aluminium 11 litre cylinders with air on our backs as bottom gas. However this time Richard, Allan and myself had two 11 litre aluminium stage cylinders with EAN50 for use above 21 metres on deco. I was diving with two stage cylinders for the first time. The current was quite strong so we dropped in a drifted down to the anchor line. Richard and Allan had hold of the line and down they went. I tried to swin the 30 cm to grab the line against the current but couldn't with the drag of all of the gear. I surfaced alongside the boat, made my way to the anchor line and then dragged my way down the line. It wasn't easy going and later calculations showed my SAC for the decent was 66 litres per minute! We gathered on the bottom. I'd already used quite a bit of air, but had now relaxed. Richard asked if I was okay and I signaled that I was. So we set off to explore the wreck. (My judgement was later confirmed when I calculated my SAC for the bottom section oif the dive. It was back to just above the SAC rate for the arlier dives.) Richard kept interupting with various task changes and skill requests. I signalled to Allan that I was down to 100 bar so he went over to Richard to get his reel so as to be able to deploy the DSMB from the bottom. Richard proceeded to ask Allan to do a switch to his backup mask and they both decended. Meanwhile I was at 80 bar with the two of them some distance below me. I started down towards them but then realised I was now at 70 bar and using my air fast. We had a minimum turnaround of 60 bar for the dive. I then made the dumb decision to start my ascent alone. Richard and Allan caught up with me at 25 metres. Richard was not happy with the dumb decision I'd made. Soon after we changed to our stage cylinders. At this point I had just 50 bar of back gas. We completed some skills during our deco period and then surfaced. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Once again the wind picked up at lunchtime. Eventually we decided diving was out and organised for the drivers to take us into Batty to do some shopping. This trip also involved us doing some site seeing. First stop was the old historic fort. The locals were doing a big cleanup there. Most of the fort is used for various government offices. We were startled by three large explosions off in the distance. Training exercises, we were told. Later we heard it was a Tamil attack. In town we purchaed some supplies and a microwave for our chef. If future dive groups want to have nibbles and snacks available to them at the dive resort, they should stop at the supermarket when they get to Batty when they come in on the first day. Helena also purchased some plastic foot baths for use outside of our rooms in order to help us keep from tramping the ever present sand into our rooms. I purchased toilet brushes with holders for each of the six rooms! THURSDAY MORNING: We all headed out to dive the HMS Hermes. This time Richard, Allan and myself had Trimix 18/32/50 as our back gas. Richard started our dive briefing with, "Hands up those that have previously dived on Trimix!" and sticking up his arm. On arrival at the dive site the crew announced there was no current and tied the boats off of each other. I was ready first, so rolled in, intending to make my way to the anchor line and wait for the others in the water. I surfaced about 2 metres from the boat and was being swept away in the current. Trying to swim against it was futile. Eventually a thin nylon line was chucked to me, but it just slipped through my fingers. Eventually I just said they should come and get me and drifted away. (Learning: Make sure there are good lines setup and ready for use before divers enter the water.) Back on the dive boat we waited for those in the other boats to start their dive, which gave me time to settle and relax. All of the crew came over to our boat so as to help us gear up quickly and get in together. But once again I was ready first and after waiting 5 or so minutes in the heat with the weight of all of the gear, I had had enough and called the dive. The others could go without me. The motor on the boat had been playing up again, so with all of the divers underwater, Vincent came over and proceeded to take the carby off of the motor and clean the jets. The tools he was using were rather limited and very rusty. I helped by freeing up the jaws of the pliers. Once the motor was back together and operational, I tied a line to the boat and went over the side to rest in the water. While in the water I heard machine gun fire and enquired about it. From the large training camp over there, I was told. Later I learnt it was a Tamil attack! When DSMBs started to surface I got back in the boat and watched as the divers were picked up. THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Once again the wind came in strong at lunchtime. Although it seemed just the same as the previous two days, Feli insisted we gear up and head out to the dive site. By the time we were half-way out I'd already decided there was no way I'd dive in those conditions from these dive boats. It was late and if anything were to go wrong we'd be finishing well after dark. The sea conditions were such that I'd have been hesitant diving from any of the much larger and better equipped Dive Victoria boats in similar conditions back home, let alone the boats we were in. And although conditions had moderated late in the afternoon the previous two days, there was no guarantee that this would happen again. When we arrived at the dive site I told Richard of my decision not to dive. He called out to Helena asking her what she thought. She replied that all of her instincts were warning her not to dive and she voted no. Allan agreed. So in the end the dive was called off. We headed back in and detoured to check out the boiler wreck. People started to grab stuff to freedive the wreck. Well we weren't going to waste Trimix on an 8 metre dive. Richard took the twin cylinder off of his harness, removed the wing, clipped a stage cylinder to his harness and went for a dive. At first I couldn't be bothered, but the great reports being given by the others convinced me to join them. It was a very interesting wreck site. Later we all agreed that diving the Boiler Wreck would be a great first day checkout dive. Newcomers would have the opportunity to get comfortable with their gear, the boats and the dive crew, before heading out to the HMS Hermes. Doing this would greatly improve the safety regime of the operation. |
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