Dive Bum Okinawa-Dive Log 2007

Expeditions

Dive Bum Okinawa

Dive Log 2007

18 May '07

I finally completed my Tec certification!! I would like to thank Chuck and North of Nago Boat Charters for their outstanding support and professionalism. I have learned more about SCUBA diving in these last few months in my Tec class than I have in the past 20 years of diving. On our final dive we went back to the USS Emmons. We started our dive on the aft end then surveyed the debris field and worked our way up to midship where we stopped at the Memorial Plaque. What an awesome way to complete a dive class!

12 May '07

Tec Dive number 11, conditions were nearly perfect when we descended towards the USS Emmons on the 12^th. On this dive we planned 20 minutes of bottom time. This gave me plenty of time to get some great shots of the Emmons with out rushing. As we started our decent midship, she almost immediately came into view. What an awesome site, It almost looked as if she were still on patrol with here guns still pointing skywards scanning for enemy planes. As our bottom time came close to 20 minutes we started our assent and mandatory decompression. This gave us plenty of time to reflect on the dive and to start planning the next dive to this great historic site.

Hard Core Dive Bum!

On 14 May 2007 John C-N immortalized Dive Bum Okinawa by getting the first ever known Tattoo of the DBO Dive Flag on his right calf and I was right there to capture the event for everyone to see. Congratulation John and thanks for the free advertisement.

6 April 2007

In honor of the men who served and died on the USS Emmons, six divers laid a wreath on the waters and on her hull to commemorate the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Emmons.

On April 6, 1945, the USS EMMONS was on patrol between Ie Shima Island and the northwestern tip of Okinawa. In one of the largest Kamikaze attacks ever, the Japanese launched over 350 suicide planes. At approximately 1730 the first of five Kamikazes hit the USS Emmons. Casualties were very heavy that day: Seven officers were either killed or missing in action, six wounded, fifty enlisted sailors were either killed or missing in action and sixty five were wounded. Although the USS Emmons was severely damaged and the remaining crew was ordered to abandon ship, she refused to sink. Her burning hull drifted all night towards Ie Shima Island. Ie Shima Island was still held by the Japanese and early on the 7th of April the order was sent out to scuttle the Emmons before she could beach on the island. Currently she rests in 145 feet of water off of Kouri Island.

On 24 February 2007, Kadena Marina held the awards ceremony for their Annual Wet Shoot Underwater Photo Contest. I wore my lucky shirt and it paid off!! I would like to thank everyone who helped and especially my family who had to put up with all of my wet dive gear on the porch and letting me spend so much time underwater.

Best Over All 1st Marine Animal 1st Abstract 2nd Abstract

Feb 5-13

Once again, when you send some Dive Bums to Hawaii we are not going to pass up a chance to get wet!! Although we had a busy schedule we managed to get in a few dives. During our dives we got to see, Sharks, Turtles, Rays, and a huge pod of Spinner Dolphins. I missed the shot of the Dolphins because our illustrious Dive Master lost his surface marker and did not have a back up so he needed me to shoot my SMB… so I had to hand off my camera…maybe next time.

February 2007

The deadline for the Wet Shoot Contest was the 31^st, so I can finally show you my entries.

The categories were:

People

Fish

Macro

Wide Angle

Abstract

Happy New Year!!!