WRECK PENETRATION: Today I spent the first dive practicing laying a line on the outside of the wreck. This is done so that if you get lost or visibility gets low you can find your way out of a wreck. Its done on the outside first so you get used to laying a line, tying it off and then having other divers follow it. You keep constant contact with the line switching hands every time you come to a tie off point.

We did an easy second dive at a shallow site just because another student needed to practice some other skills. We actually swam under water to another site where we saw a very small wreck. It looked like a small pleasure boat that was sunk as a dive site. Its in about 50 feet of water is really shallow for most wrecks.

We went back, had lunch and then went out to the Halliburton wreck again. This time we entered through a large vertical hatch on the main deck housing and I started laying our line. We went in about 15 feet and then up through a smaller hatch to the next level. There wasn’t room to turn around and no tie off point so we actually went back outside tied off and then went back inside. We went around a pillar and then up another level through and even smaller hatch. I got stuck on something several times. Its really hard to figure out what is getting caught and what its getting caught on. Its dark and there is little room to wiggle around. I finally freed myself and continued to the next level. I tied us off outside again on one of the deck rails. We then switched roles. The other diver took the reel of line and I turned around and started following the line to get back out. Getting out is much more difficult as you sometime go head first and sometime feet first. I got my fins all tangled in the line once. The other diver had problems getting the line reeled in too.

I think this is one of the most fun classes I’ve taken. It was challenging and very interesting.

Tonight is pub quiz night again. I’m hoping to get some pictures to post. Our dive shop should have a pretty good turnout again.