Ocean Wreck Divers left the Manasquan Inlet on the Blue Fathoms, with overcast skies and a 3-4 ft forecast. We were hoping to get a little farther out for better visibility but as the forecast was actually milder than the conditions, we decided on the Middle Barge. As we hooked the wreck, we saw seas coming from both the northeast and the southeast, with the wind out of the west. We realized it was officially nautical out but as OWD are salty dogs, we continued. An elaborate system to communicate the bottom conditions was worked out before I descended to tie in. Unfortunately, after I tied in, probably due to narcosis from the extreme depth of 76 ft, I could only remember "one if by land, two if by sea" so I signalled two. This luckily, was the pool's open signal. The vis was at least 5 ft. The water was warm tho, 61F. The first dive was a mix of too deep lobster holes, eggers and shorts. After the first dive, we decided to further explore the Middle Barge. Before the second dive, the sun came out and the swell became more regular. With the sun, the vis opened up to at least 7 or 8 ft. More eggers and shorts but one "alleged" keeper came up as well as a blackfish. A fun day on the water, but if you decided to sleep in and have breakfast in bed, I wouldn't criticize your decision. www.oceanwreckdivers.com
|