Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, Cruise Ship Excursions, Private Charters, Cayman Scuba Training Class. Website Created in 1996 - New Content Added Weekly
: Marine Awareness
Artifical Reef Awareness Texas Artifical Reefs Oil Rigs: How to Dive them and Observe.
Diving Profile: Rig diving can be relaxing
and an enjoyable dive experience. Most of the dive sites of rigs and wrecks
are in depths of 90 feet to 120 feet. The structures have nice levels
of concentration of fish at three distinct levels. These are located at
the bottom around 80 to 110 feet and extends from the bottom 5 to 20 feet of colder and murker water.
The middle zone ranges from the 30 foot to 80 foot of depth. and has the best visibility with schools of
pelgic fish swarming in and out as if an underwater marching band.
The surface zone of 40 feet to the surface is affected by surface waves and currents.
With these distinct zones of marine life the dive profile can be established using the PADI
Wheel for planning multilevel dives. This pre-dive planning allows the
diver to review the marine life located at the different levels before the
dive and be able to recognize the distinct distribution of corals, sponges,
shellfish, crabs and reef fish.
Most of the dives that I plan are as follows:
First dive, 100 to 110 feet for 10 minutes, then second level of 60 feet for 15 minutes,
then third level 40 feet for 10 to 15 minutes with a safety stop at 15
feet for 3 minutes. At the first depth, a diver can observe the bottom dwelling marine life like the octopus,
the rare red cone shell (warning this is a no touch deadly sea shell), the freshwater eel's which burrow in the
oyster shells, flounder, schools of 50 to 100 Glass eye snapper and then the carnivorous Ivory Coral.
In the next 15 minutes in the middle zone, encrusting sponges cover barnicles in boldness of colors with
cleaner fish and arrow crabs hiding in its cover.
The pelgic fish overwelm you with the shear numbers and speed
as they march rythmatcily about the divers. The parade of the French anglefish, Queen Angle fish, Gasby's and Coney type
groupers reveals that a closer look reveals the wonders of a complete reef community.
In the last fifteen minutes of the dive at the upper zone, the smaller reef fish of Warsse, Sergent Majors, Damsels,
and filefish intrigue the diver with the scurry nature of these cleaner fish always being a busy swarm of bees.
Watch where you place your hands, there are three real dangers in this zone. First is the Soapfish which lays
still and in a lazy attitude. The skin produces an irrantant chemical which burns the skin. Second is the well hidden
mater of camaflouge, the stone fish with its posinous spines of nerotoxins. And lastly the barnicles are razor sharp
and can cut a thick Scuba Diving Texas Open Water with ease and the infections from these cuts are rapid.
Remember to wear gloves, maintain your bouyancy and don't touch anything to prevent injuries.
Diving Profile: Rig diving can be relaxing
and an enjoyable dive experience. Most of the dive sites of rigs and wrecks
are in depths of 90 feet to 120 feet. The structures have nice levels
of concentration of fish at three distinct levels. These are located at
the bottom around 80 to 110 feet and extends from the bottom 5 to 20 feet of colder and murker water.
The middle zone ranges from the 30 foot to 80 foot of depth. and has the best visibility with schools of
pelgic fish swarming in and out as if an underwater marching band.
The surface zone of 40 feet to the surface is affected by surface waves and currents.
With these distinct zones of marine life the dive profile can be established using the PADI
Wheel for planning multilevel dives. This pre-dive planning allows the
diver to review the marine life located at the different levels before the
dive and be able to recognize the distinct distribution of corals, sponges,
shellfish, crabs and reef fish.
The pelgic fish overwelm you with the shear numbers and speed
as they march rythmatcily about the divers. The parade of the French anglefish, Queen Angle fish, Gasby's and Coney type
groupers reveals that a closer look reveals the wonders of a complete reef community.
In the last fifteen minutes of the dive at the upper zone, the smaller reef fish of Warsse, Sergent Majors, Damsels,
and filefish intrigue the diver with the scurry nature of these cleaner fish always being a busy swarm of bees.
Watch where you place your hands, there are three real dangers in this zone. First is the Soapfish which lays
still and in a lazy attitude. The skin produces an irrantant chemical which burns the skin. Second is the well hidden
mater of camaflouge, the stone fish with its posinous spines of nerotoxins. And lastly the barnicles are razor sharp
and can cut a thick Scuba Diving Texas Open Water with ease and the infections from these cuts are rapid.
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