Underwater Photography

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

I'll see if I can dig any up from the bowels of this beast meantime. As to knots… you know I was winding you up rather on that, eh? I agree the zep is good, and the sheet bends suspect, but it's hard enough to teach the latter on the RYAs. The former would likely result in black confusion among the masses.

Merely "good"?
Wash your mouth out

This is an appropriate time to repost an underwater shot of the magnificent Zep in action joining our snubber together over from what I recall was a couple of days of 30-40 knot gusty conditions last year were we were jerked viciously around.

The Zeppelin Bend held our boat without any sweat despite the constant loading and unloading underwater (the downfall of many knots) and it could still be undone easily with just one hand afterwards. It won my undying admiration after that feat

Check out the narrower diameter of the nylon rode showing it is under a fair load:

[SailingJeeper]

Awesome photos. I especially like the Sharks and the one of the old bike. good Stuff. Keep it coming.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Three centimetres of miniature beauty!

Thanks to Reach, when it came to making an ID, the cilla on the forehead alerted me that these may be a species of blenny. Sure enough, loads of photos on Google confirmed that these were the Black headed blenny (Microlipophrys nigriceps):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_blenny.

Dots ranging from white to bright blue on a black head with a vibrant red body qualify this fish as being gaudy enough for the South Pacific or Caribbean . A couple of these little guys were playing in the shadows under a rock ledge only about a metre down. They obligingly froze for photos, just as the camouflaged blenny had, making them ideal subjects.

The swell surging both me and and fish didn't help capture a sharp image (note the depth of focus is not much more than a few millimetres), nor did the dark location. Reach, your tip of steading myself with a gloved hand worked very well - thanks for that.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Three centimetres of miniature beauty!

Thanks to Reach, when it came to making an ID, the cilla on the forehead alerted me that these may be a species of blenny. Sure enough, loads of photos on Google confirmed that these were the Black headed blenny (Microlipophrys nigriceps):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_blenny.

Dots ranging from white to bright blue on a black head with a vibrant red body qualify this fish as being gaudy enough for the South Pacific or Caribbean . A couple of these little guys were playing in the shadows under a rock ledge only about a metre down. They obligingly froze for photos, just as the camouflaged blenny had, making them ideal subjects.

The swell surging both me and and fish didn't help capture a sharp image (note the depth of focus is not much more than a few millimetres), nor did the dark location. Reach, your tip of steading myself with a gloved hand worked very well - thanks for that.

Brilliant red coloring! These are nice blenny shots ~ you captured that cool spiky first dorsal fin in profile.

Again with your inspiration, thought it'd be fun to share a few photos of the black-headed blenny's Caribbean cousins (I detect a few bars on the back), the saddled blenny and rosy blenny.

For certain a gloved hand for steadying is key and shallow waters can sometimes be more challenging with flotation. I also use "spot" focus mode on my camera that helps get a crisp shot with good depth of field & also pinpointing these small subjects... Of course, I also take tons of shots hoping one or two turn out well!

Loved your OCD octopus pics (haha)... what a tidy garden she has.

[LakeSuperior]

Shot of the Rose Castle in St. Johns Newfoundland.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Reach

.... Of course, I also take tons of shots hoping one or two turn out well!

That first shot is so sharp! I can see the blenny's lips so clearly.

I follow the same general principle as the idea of a monkey typing Shakespeare: given infinite time and an infinite number of shots, one will show the subject smiling at the camera and in focus .

I took dozens of photos of these red blennies and only three were vaguely useable. Anchors are much more obliging than fish .

SWL

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

Shot of the Rose Castle in St. Johns Newfoundland.

Wrecks are fascinating. I am amazed what good condition some of them stay. Hard to believe that shot is of a boat sunk in WWII.

What depth was the Rose Castle? And what thickness wetsuit do you use in these waters?

SWL

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

Shot of the Rose Castle in St. Johns Newfoundland.

Magnificent clarity and colour, and well done for the cold water diving. I did all my quals in either Scotland or off the coast of Nova Scotia. Some beautiful stuff if you have patience and skin for it!

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Three centimetres of miniature beauty!

Thanks to Reach, when it came to making an ID, the cilla on the forehead alerted me that these may be a species of blenny. Sure enough, loads of photos on Google confirmed that these were the Black headed blenny (Microlipophrys nigriceps):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_blenny.

Dots ranging from white to bright blue on a black head with a vibrant red body qualify this fish as being gaudy enough for the South Pacific or Caribbean . A couple of these little guys were playing in the shadows under a rock ledge only about a metre down. They obligingly froze for photos, just as the camouflaged blenny had, making them ideal subjects.

The swell surging both me and and fish didn't help capture a sharp image (note the depth of focus is not much more than a few millimetres), nor did the dark location. Reach, your tip of steading myself with a gloved hand worked very well - thanks for that.

Marvellous little find. Never seen one quite like that.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Wrecks are fascinating. I am amazed what good condition some of them stay. Hard to believe that shot is of a boat sunk in WWII.

What depth was the Rose Castle? And what thickness wetsuit do you use in these waters?

SWL

Depth of the photo was about 110 - 120 ft approximately. The wreck is in 160 ft of water. Sunk in the Bell Island anchorages by a German U-boat in November of 1942.

The water was about 36 deg, F if I recall correctly. Was wearing a Viking Pro dry suit with 400 gm thinsulate underwear.

Physics can't explain it but there is 100 deg. difference between 36 deg. water and 42 deg. F water. That day I felt cold on the dive.

Thanks for asking have attached a couple more pictures of the Rose Castle.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

Depth of the photo was about 110 - 120 ft approximately. The wreck is in 160 ft of water. Sunk in the Bell Island anchorages by a German U-boat in November of 1942.

The water was about 36 deg, F if I recall correctly. Was wearing a Viking Pro dry suit with 400 gm thinsulate underwear.

Physics can't explain it but there is 100 deg. difference between 36 deg. water and 42 deg. F water. That day I felt cold on the dive.

Thanks for asking have attached a couple more pictures of the Rose Castle.

Great shots! I have just been reading about the two sinkings at Bell Island by a U boat. My knowledge of WWII is sketchy. I had not realised there had been German attacks in North America.

I have never done any truly cold water diving, though would be tempted with a wreck like that to check it out. I guess a little more natural padding would make it more tolerable though .

SWL

[JPA Cate]

Lake Superior:

My hat's off to you, sir! Too cold, too deep for this wimp!

Thanks so much for sharing the pictures.

Ann

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

Depth of the photo was about 110 - 120 ft approximately. The wreck is in 160 ft of water. Sunk in the Bell Island anchorages by a German U-boat in November of 1942.

The water was about 36 deg, F if I recall correctly. Was wearing a Viking Pro dry suit with 400 gm thinsulate underwear.

Physics can't explain it but there is 100 deg. difference between 36 deg. water and 42 deg. F water. That day I felt cold on the dive.

Thanks for asking have attached a couple more pictures of the Rose Castle.

Great shots! So are you diving trimix? 48 meters is plenty deep. I always get narced below 40 meters but then I dive air (I know, I know… ). Deepest ever dive on air for me was to the stern of the Calvin Coolidge in Vanuatu, at 65 meters, and there's a shot of that earlier in this thread. I'll attach a few more here from different dives which were wreck penetrations there, 30 to 45 meters. Much warmer though!

The shots are of the first class dining room, some tight spaces in the corridors, a blast hole in the hull through which we were ascending (made later for salvage), the grand staircase (the rather curved structure) and the illuminated football like things were aircraft drop tanks which were used as an early delivery system for Napalm.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

Depth of the photo was about 110 - 120 ft approximately. The wreck is in 160 ft of water. Sunk in the Bell Island anchorages by a German U-boat in November of 1942.

The water was about 36 deg, F if I recall correctly. Was wearing a Viking Pro dry suit with 400 gm thinsulate underwear.

Physics can't explain it but there is 100 deg. difference between 36 deg. water and 42 deg. F water. That day I felt cold on the dive.

Thanks for asking have attached a couple more pictures of the Rose Castle.

… and I have yet to do any technical diving for depth. Somthing that is an ambition of mine. As is diving more coldwater wrecks. I have done a few in Scotland, including the Karlsruhe in Scapa Flow, but would love to learn more and you look like someone who knows plenty!

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

Great shots! So are you diving trimix? 48 meters is plenty deep. I always get narced below 40 meters but then I dive air (I know, I know… ). Deepest ever dive on air for me was to the stern of the Calvin Coolidge in Vanuatu, at 65 meters, and there's a shot of that earlier in this thread. I'll attach a few more here from different dives which were wreck penetrations there, 30 to 45 meters. Much warmer though!

The shots are of the first class dining room, some tight spaces in the corridors, a blast hole in the hull through which we were ascending (made later for salvage), the grand staircase (the rather curved structure) and the illuminated football like things were aircraft drop tanks which were used as an early delivery system for Napalm.

That is history close to home. As a former cruise liner (and it wasn't that old when it went into military service) the Coolidge arrived in Melbourne not long after Pearl Harbour. I take it that it sank near intact later that year. With many of the original interior fittings would be an absolutely fascinating wreck to dive on.

Scarpa Flow holds less appeal for me. It is not just the cold. That patch of water is a graveyard .

SWL