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Dive Logs for Vance Stevens PADI open water scuba instructor #64181 Dives 515-516 September 26, 2003 Abu Dhabi Ludwig and looking for the Jassim

Diving with: ADHFC
Dive buddies: Calvin
Others in dive party: Amy and Susan Fromm
Conditions: a little choppy but not too bad
Visibility: very good for the Ludwig
Wetsuit: yes
Weight: -
Diving from: -

September 26, 2003

My 515th Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: Ludwig
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: 10:43
Max depth: 27.0 meters
Time started up from chart: 42 min
Dive time from computer: 45 min
Min Temp: degrees 32 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 2 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

My first time leading a dive on the Ludwig. It was a challenge to find the wreck, and we dropped anchor a little late so we were a bit north and west of it. But the ship was clearly visible as we descended, and unusual that we could see the whole wreck clearly. We finned over to the deck side and went along the bottom to the bow I believe then along the steel plate side to the stern. Turning the stern I missed the point where you can duck down and then up into the wreck. I had hoped for a penetration. Persevering in that direction we were fighting current and air depleted rapidly. We arose and hung out in the rigging area but reached the point where we needed to get out of there. Problem was the anchor line was out of sight, so I beelined to it across open water at 20 meters depth. I never found it plus the current was shifting our playing field. I do recall coming upon a huge structure I'd never seen before and trying to get over to it and have a better look. At about that time Susan tapped me on the shoulder and indicated that Amy was almost out of air. I had a pony bottle so I shared and we hung out at 5 meters for at least three minutes and waited for our computers to calm down. We surfaced far from the boat, having been swept south. Ashraf tried to pull anchor but ended up leaving the line attached to a fender and came and got us. Back aboard we went back and retrieved the anchor. After this dive I insisted we keep a grapple anchor and a huge buoy with a shot line on board.

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -

My 516th Logged Dive since 1991

Dive site: south of the Jassim
Training conducted: none, fun dive

Interval on computer from previous dive: 1:58
Pressure group in, from tables or wheel: n/a

Time down on dive computer: 13:28
Max depth: 25.9 meters
Time started up from chart: 33 min
Dive time from computer: 36 min
Min Temp: degrees 33 centigrade
No-stop time left on computer: 2 min
Nitrox 21% (normal air), no deco

Description of dive:

The dive on the Jassim was in the area of and not actually on, as it were. There were no surface indicators of where the wreck was. We went to the site indicated by my gps. Had we had a shot line we could have dropped it there. Without a shot we looked at random but didn't find a wreck so Ashraf tried the site on his chart loaded into his GPS which was a bit south of my point. We found nothing there either so in the end I had him motor back to my point slowly checking the fish finder and we dropped anchor when we reached it.

Once underwater we found ourselves right on the pedestal of a buoy that we imagine once marked the wreck. Susan wanted to go to the North. Later Calvin mentioned debris in that direction, but I was following the compass in a 50 to 120 degree arc from that buoy ( the directions to the Jassim according to known GPS coordinates) .

. I played out 50 meters of reel to the west and another 30 after that but found nothing but sand. This did not put us on the wreck, and as we were diving at 26 meters and fighting a current, we had to abort.

By then Susan and Amy had turned back. Calvin and I were not far behind. We found them on the anchor line. Amy was pointing to the north, barracuda, a sure sign of a wreck. By then we had no air or deco left to pursue it, but to make a long story short Calvin and I returned to the spot a few dives later, dropped in at the same point, played out exactly 100 meters of line to the north, and found the wreck. So now we know where it is.

Pressure group out, from tables or wheel: -