Main Homepage: http://www.vancestevens.com
More Scuba: Back to Vance's Scuba Page | Return to Vance's Logbook contents
Navigate logbook: Logbook for 2003 | previous dive | next dive

Dive Logs for Vance Stevens PADI open water scuba instructor #64181 Dives 499-502 August 1, 2003 Oman, Musandam: the Stack, Lima Headland, and Lima Rock south and north

Diving with: arranged by 7 Seas
Dive buddies: Bob Symonds on most dives, and Edwin the Dutch guy on half
Others in dive party: Edwin just walked on - Nickie & Jaque & Michael Ibraheem, Michel & Natalie & Alain
Conditions: pleasant, seas much reduced
Visibility: decent
Wetsuit: -
Weight: -
Diving from: one of Ali's boats

August 1, 2003

We had an ideal crew, all advanced divers, and we planned out day out accordingly with challenging dives planned at The Stack and Lima Rock. The boat was loaded, all divers settled back for the ride, and we launched to what should be a glorious day, and we went ... across the harbor, where we stopped at a dhow and picked up another rider - a very pleasant but corpulent fish out of water beginning diver just certified named Edwin. Talking to Edwin on the way out we saw that he would not be diving the dives we had planned, limited to 18 for one thing, so we agreed to take him diving during our surface intervals. We wondered at the irresponsibility of people who would have sold him a dive package and left us to cope with the extra pax. In the end, it worked out, but you never know what'll happen in this part of the world (not unlike other parts I don't guess).

My 499th Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: The Stack
Training conducted: none, fun dive

Interval on computer from previous dive: new
Pressure group in, from tables or wheel: n/a

Time down on dive computer: 10:49
Max depth: 30.1 meters
Time started up from chart: at 45 min started 3 min safety stop at 5 meters
Dive time from computer: 48 min
Min Temp: degrees 27 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 7 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), briefly in deco

Description of dive:

Funny I don't recall the dive that well. I remember we went deep to the south and then round the base of the stack to the north and back west, the usual pattern. Don't remember seeing anything of note except a lot of fish. Oh yeah, I remember now rottating the stack and being caught in current when trying to push over to the south face, struggling around to the north side, and then finding it rough going after a free ride, the usual Stack dive. Nicki had a camera and caught this guy giving a lift to a hitchhking mollusk at Lima Rock later

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -

My 500th Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Lima Headland
Training conducted: none, fun dive with Edwin

Interval on computer from previous dive: 45 min
Pressure group in, from tables or wheel: -

Time down on dive computer: 12:25
Max depth: 14.1 meters
Time started up from chart: 25 min
Dive time from computer: 26 min
Min Temp: degrees 27 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 59 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

We tried to take Edwin down at the stack, lots of pretty fish in the shallows, but he wasn't able to submerge quickly and got swept off the rock. We realized we'd better take him to calmer water so we went to the headland and he and I dived the face in perfectly still water while the others had lunch in anticipation of their second dive. Edwin ran out of air quickly so my own nitrogen time was not particularly compromised. Another of Nicki's camera conquests from Lima Rock

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -

My 501st Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Lima South
Training conducted: none, fun dive with Bob Symonds

Interval on computer from previous dive: 59 min
Pressure group in, from tables or wheel: -

Time down on dive computer: 13:53
Max depth: 18.6 meters
Time started up from chart: 47 min
Dive time from computer: 48 min
Min Temp: degrees 24 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 18 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

Need I say more? The leopard shark was just one of the nice things about Lima South, our favorite of all Musandam dives. Why do we even bother with the other sites, I sometimes wonder. Nicki got video footage of this dude

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -

My 502nd Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Lima North
Training conducted: none, Bob and I took Edwin on his second dive of the day

Interval on computer from previous dive: 45 min
Pressure group in, from tables or wheel: -

Time down on dive computer: 15:35
Max depth: 15.6 meters
Time started up from chart: 31 min
Dive time from computer: 31 min
Min Temp: degrees 27 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 41 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

This one was pleasant but anticlimactic after the brilliant dive on the south side. The north doesn't seem to be as good ever, but then I've only dived it a few times. In any event, Bob and I kept it shallow and even at that depth Edwin made short work of a tank of air. Nice enough guy, and we hope he keeps his diving up.

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -