yeah.. so i haven't updated for over a week.. busy leh.. lets see.. it was scuba again on sunday.. (the 17th) this time, to the tex edwards barge.. its a large, intact deck barge which was intentionally sunk in 1982 as an artificial reef. It lies in 65 feet of water about 6 1/2 miles east of Pensacola pass.. it was my bc's virgin dive.. boy do i love my zeagle scout.. the only problem was.. the scubapro twin jets i was using.. a $300+ pair of fins.. a piece of crap.. lucky for me it was a rental.. i miss my jet fins so much.. the twin jets kept trying to float to the surface.. so awkward.. the next dive site was the Three Coal Barges.. In 1974, three 300-foot long coal barges were sunk to form an artificial reef.. the best part of that dive was the huge school of Great Atlantic Spadefish! they were too shy.. i swam up to them.. close enough for them to brush by me as we swam.. i was actually swimming in the midst of the school! i felt totally enclosed by the school.. each of them are about 2ft long.. this i guess.. is what they mean by 'being one with nature'.. watched 'flyboys' late sunday night.. pretty good show, coming from an aviator.. haha.. not sure if its in singapore yet.. the show's about the lafayette escadrille in france during WWI.. more specifically, the handful of american aviators in there.. ground school and sims are over for me.. its off to flight line again.. its to tearing up the skies again.. we're dangerous..

chiyu

its been 2 weeks of bumming about for me.. too short.. but if its any longer, i'll take me forever to get my wings.. its about another 100 days before i get back.. should be enough for me to complete intermediate phase and vt-4.. its off to scuba again tml.. i got my own bc.. brand new zeagle scout for USD$250.. that's just under S$400.. way cheaper than if i were to get it in singapore.. haha.. good deal.. back to work soon.. lets get it on.

chiyu

alrighty.. pics up.. headed for yes you guessed it.. SCUBA! Patrick and i embarked on the 'Down Under' 20 miles off the gulf coast of Alabama.. sweet.. did 2 wreck dives.. 1st was Pete's tide.. a small cargo ship which sank decades ago.. next was US Navy Tender YDT 14.. a US Navy ship that was sank to build an artificial reef in april 2000..




Me on the left.. Patrick floating about on the right.. lots of silt.. visibility was about 30-40 ft..




a giant barracuda in the ship's bridge..




a pair of butterfly fish on the deck..




the ghostly silhouette of the YDT 14.. its a relatively new wreck thus the lack of coral growth.. but the sea urchins and fishes are already in abundance..




US Navy..




Pat on the right, me on left.. on the ascend from the safety line..




me goofing around on the safety stop.. depth 15ft..

the lovely thing about wreck diving is the history involved.. i could almost imagine the sailors walking about on deck, bringing up the anchor.. and the captain giving directions to the first mate on the wheel.. but what remains now is the rusted, coral and urchin covered wreck of what used to be.. a transition from man to nature.. fasinating..

chiyu