Descending
Again
PLUS
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Adventures & Training Above and Below the Water!
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PLUS
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Advanced Open Water, Bainbridge Scuba Center, Sep. 24, 2008 Jim C. (Divemaster in training) joined me for this class to finish up Scott B's AOW training, specifically Deep and UW Digital Photo adventure dives. This was coincidentally BSC's last Wednesday Night dive so we got an early start to try to beat nightfall setting in around 7:30pm. Scott's UW Photo Dive was executed first to grab as much ambient light as possible. He started with my Sony DSC-P10 in the Sony Marine Pak housing, shooting off hand with only ambient light, to depths of 25'. A few adjustments were made to the camera settings to improve the UW pics (you have to "fool" the automatic "point-n-shoot" just a bit for better UW exposure). I then added a Sea & Sea 16mm wide angle lens to change the pic composition via angle of view and available light (the wide angle lens just "grabs" light). No further camera adjustments were made. Last, I dropped the camera with the wide angle lens onto my Ultra Light pivoting tray with an Ikelite DS-125 strobe with manual EV controller. Here, the flash was "forced" on and the camera EV was set to its minimum, -2.0, so the image would not be overexposed after being bathed in strobe light. Scott did a nice job with the camera, snapping pics continuously, while working on his positioning and buoyancy control. His pics are shown below, separated by camera configuration. This was a nice relaxing dive around the platforms, dolphin tower, water tower and solo spool, finishing up around the west wall and the steep path exit. 46 min., 29' max depth, 72F.
The second dive took us a little deeper for the Deep Adventure Dive. We completed the "nuts & bolts" timed task on the surface then surfaced out to the 60' platform barrel. The descent to the platform was uneventful except for bracing through the thermoclines. Scott did a fine job with the "nuts & bolts" at 60' but took a full minute longer to do it compared to his surface time, and so goes the lesson that "things are different at depth". We followed the line off the platform to the deep cruiser at 85' for a lap around, to adjust buoyancy and experience the effect of using a light at that depth and darkness, versus letting your eyes adjust and take in the natural landscape. Our ascent was slow and controlled and after a three-minute safety stop we naved back at 20' to the road exit for a leisurely walk back up to Upper A. A nice dive but chilly after our previous 45 minutes of exposure...29 min., 85' max depth, 43F.
(To save a copy of any pic to your PC: right click on the image and select Save Picture As...) Pics with camera only.
Camera with wide angle lens
Pics with camera, wide angle lens, tray handle with strobe and manual EV
controller.
Here are two good comparison shots, camera w/wide angle lens vs camera w/wide angle lens and strobe:
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