Day 1 - Final arrival and gear prep.

Well, it’s basically day 1 of the expedition and all the members have finally arrived. The day has been spent dealing with gas needs and equipment preparation for both the CCR and OC teams.




Some of the team members are waiting for last minute shipments of the gear that seem to get side tracked whenever we entrust our kit to the airlines.

Dive planning and talk of what’s to be done and how the line is to be laid took place in an informal meeting. Some members were prepping the lines that are to be placed into the mine, which included marking and cutting the line to length. This will make the placement easier on the teams laying the line later on in the week. A couple of the members, including myself, got into the pool to insure no leaks in the hoses and suits. Some got in to insure the weighting was just perfect, which is critical in this type of diving.

Of course what kind of trip would it be if things were too serious. We had to have a few some silly things.

Like those taking pictures of someone taking pictures.

Of course you have to test the dry suit to really make sure that you're not affected by the cold. Because lets face it, the water in the mines will be cold. So, by testing thermal factors in this manner should be good right?

And the best, is when someone gets into the mind to make faces at the camera, thinking that just maybe the picture won't be put on the internet.

We even had a couple of silly buggers thinking, while sitting a hot room, that cold was only a frame of mind. And proving this by going out playing in the snow was a good choice?

I must say, that if today is going to any indication of what's to happen over the next two weeks, this is going to be a great time.

The day ended with a fabulous turkey dinner prepared by Rick and Debra Stanley of Ocean Quest Charters. What a fantastic meal!