kodyb87
08-06-2007, 01:42 AM
We went to do our Nitrox checkout dives today on the Sherman tug. We put in at Port St. Joe so we had a good run to get to
the site. The first dive was good with 50+ft vis and a good show of small fish. I stoned a legal AJ just as i got to the wreck
with a 2.5 to 3ft cuda watching me the whole time. The Deathstick with three bands is deadly at 15ft, thanks Ken. Small black
snapper were everywhere and a few small black grouper were hangin out around the prop. Dustin managed to pick off a decent
sized black snapper on the outside of the tug and then a decent red out in the sand. We had a few bubbleblowers with us so
everyting was spooked in a hurry. Six divers on the same wreck meant everyone had to be super careful where they pointed
their guns. We did an hour interval before heading back down 80ft to the wreck. The Thermocline was about 10ft off the
bottom and thats where the AJs were hangin out. The captain had shot another legal AJ while we were doing our interval and
had it rip off. Luckily Dustin found it on the bottom and I strung it up much to Cpt. Frank's delight. Our instructor Corbett
Howell took his poke pole into the wheelhouse and the engine room and brought out a smallish black grouper. I scanned the
sand for any snapper or maybe a flounder before I decided to head back to the top. Just before I made it to the anchor rope,
the school of AJs swarmed me again. I lined up on one of the bigger ones in the school and missed the stone shot just low.
After a quick game of tug-a-war, I put another 60in peice of steel in his head. It was cool to see both shafts crossed through
the fish in a perfect X. Total for the day was 3 AJs, one black snapper, one red snapper, and one black grouper. Not a great
day but it was a fun, and Nitrox kicks ass.:smthumbup:
the site. The first dive was good with 50+ft vis and a good show of small fish. I stoned a legal AJ just as i got to the wreck
with a 2.5 to 3ft cuda watching me the whole time. The Deathstick with three bands is deadly at 15ft, thanks Ken. Small black
snapper were everywhere and a few small black grouper were hangin out around the prop. Dustin managed to pick off a decent
sized black snapper on the outside of the tug and then a decent red out in the sand. We had a few bubbleblowers with us so
everyting was spooked in a hurry. Six divers on the same wreck meant everyone had to be super careful where they pointed
their guns. We did an hour interval before heading back down 80ft to the wreck. The Thermocline was about 10ft off the
bottom and thats where the AJs were hangin out. The captain had shot another legal AJ while we were doing our interval and
had it rip off. Luckily Dustin found it on the bottom and I strung it up much to Cpt. Frank's delight. Our instructor Corbett
Howell took his poke pole into the wheelhouse and the engine room and brought out a smallish black grouper. I scanned the
sand for any snapper or maybe a flounder before I decided to head back to the top. Just before I made it to the anchor rope,
the school of AJs swarmed me again. I lined up on one of the bigger ones in the school and missed the stone shot just low.
After a quick game of tug-a-war, I put another 60in peice of steel in his head. It was cool to see both shafts crossed through
the fish in a perfect X. Total for the day was 3 AJs, one black snapper, one red snapper, and one black grouper. Not a great
day but it was a fun, and Nitrox kicks ass.:smthumbup: