This Guy -

Jason Glover was the first person that showed me how to mix polyester resin, fill a surfboard ding, and how to fair it in with a Random Orbital Sander.  Almost 20 years later, getting together is just like we hadn't seen each other since yesterday!

Time can and will go by, but for some friends that doesn't really matter!  Looking forward to the next time Jase!!!

Gotta Go

I'll just leave this one right here...

Not "G" Rated - You have been warned

There is a distinct culture among US Navy Divers. Diving ain't easy - and it ain't for everyone. The Navy Museum has a small section displaying diving gear in the back corner (fitting place to put the rifraf). This is a close up of the previous picture. Divers always seem to have a blue and gold tshirt on with some saying that other divers before them have immortalized. One tshirt that stands out in my memory is one with a diver wearing a watch cap, suited up with the copper collar on, but no MK V helmet on yet. He has a cup of coffee in his hand and a smile on his face. The caption on the tshirt says "How about a good cup of shut the fuck up!!!" - a nice way of saying "get to work you sniveling piece of shit - if you want to complain go out and be a sillyvilian - if you want to be a Navy Diver, man up, jump in and turn two" The look on this little model's face and the way he is holding the lantern says what that tshirt has in writing. You can't be claustrophobic if you are going to be a diver. This must have sucked. Divers embrace suck. Oh and this guy is naked. Navy Divers do like running around naked - at least in the old days they did. Or when no one is looking. No one that can put you in the brig. As I am closing in on my retirement date (74 working days left, and if you take what leave I'll have left over before going on terminal, I'm really down to 58 working days) I smile remembering all the diving, camaraderie, and tshirts I had. I am proud that I contributed to the Diving culture and will always snicker that I drink coffee too (now GET TO WORK)!!!

Cool Labeling

I'm trying to cut back on the calories (too much working and not enough surfing) so I didn't buy this. But the label is about as cool as it gets don't you think??? HOOYAH DEEP SEA!

Working Hard - Hardly Working

Last working dive of the year (THANKS TEAM TWO DET A)!

KM37, lots of tools and tons of elbow grease.

There are times that I truly LOVE MY JOB!!!! It's too bad that is the 1%...

The funny thing about work - when you enjoy it, it isn't work anymore...

In case I don't post anymore this year - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Stay safe and we'll see you on the other side!

Qual Diving

Man I miss this stuff (clean for the kids)!!!!!

HOO-YAH!!!!

Drilled a bunch of holes and locked down equal amounts of bolts with hydraulic tools.

NOW THAT'S A GREAT DAY AT WORK!!!!

Did I say how much I miss this???

Amphibious Saturday

Fun Saturday!!!

UCT 1 is down here in Gulfport supporting Seabee Day and conducting other business. I can't turn down any opportunity to dive (and didn't even though the water was more than a little bit green). HOOYAH Seabee Divers!

Then, without much turnaround, it was off to Long Beach Harbor for yet another race on Roger Evans' F28. Four boats raced today and we came in second only by a few boat lengths (and a few minutes based on corrections).

For the record - MONOHULLS SUCK! Why sail slow when you can BLAST! Check out the spray flying off the starboard ama!!!

We started about 35 minutes behind the other boats (staggered start based on correction factor) and after having to go downwind on the first leg (not a trimarans favorite point of sail), we ate up the course on the second (nearly a beam reach) and third (close reach) legs. Got up to 14 kts (my GPS ran out of battery power, but that was the highest speed I got) on a NE-N-NW breeze.

Saw more than a few dolphins - and NO OIL. I'm not going to talk about it for fear of jinxing the Coast....

Tomorrow is Mother's Day!!! If the weather cooperates, SUPing! Stay tuned!

Seabee Divers Association Reunion weekend (35th Anniversary)

This weekend's reunion was awesome!!!

Of course we had the jolly jumper (to help burn off the extra energy the kids always seem to have when they are around each other) - only this one had a slide and a jumping section - one word - AWESOME.

I got to meet some really interesting people who were instrumental in shaping the Underwater Construction Teams (Thanks all!!! I definitely feel my roots got stronger).

One of the events we sponsored was allowing guests and family members to try on our MK-21 hats (also known to the civilian diving community as the Kirby Morgan Superlite 17) to get an appreciation for how heavy the gear is.

I had to bribe both Big M and La to wear the neck dam so I could take these pictures.

Last Deep Dive

The last known deep dive I am likely to make. My line of work after this job will have very few opportunities - much less than I have now - to make really deep dives.

I hit 174' on this one.

I got NO2 narcosis really good towards the end of this one -

Have I said I love my job????

Hoo Yah!!!

Whitey

If you look closely, you will see a creature that demands complete and utter respect. Anything that stops 23 Hooyah Deep Sea divers and a crew of 5 hardened sailors on a 120 foot vessel in their tracks, make a tight U-turn and stare with awe is one of several politically incorrect human-object scenarios or something big that can eat you.

The estimates ranged from 12' (most probable) to over 25' (estimates from the known embellishers) - this fish was scared of no one...

I've got a race that hits a stretch of open ocean on Saturday... hmmmmmmm.....

Respect to the fish -

Diving Day

Training day pierside.

Any chance to jump in the water makes the day better.

HOO-YAH!!!

On another note - minishreadzilla is not doing so well - I majorly messed up the centerfin box - so bad there was a meltdown. I'm going to have to graft in some new foam to fix it.

Minishreadzilla has been a tremendous exercise in patience... but the twinzer setup does look sweet!!!

The class I'm giving is moving along. I'm trying to get everyone through so I can focus on other things (my family and spending time with them in our last days in southern California, finishing some deliverables I have for work and I'm getting the bug to relearn the ukulele, and maybe some kiting...). The first student has his finboxes in and his bottom deck laminated. Two others are finishing their paint jobs - ready to cut boxes and get to lamination. The fourth is rapidly coming through the rough shaping and the last is way behind - so behind I may have to start shaping his board for him. Anyways...

Pictures tomorrow.

San-O Field Trip

I spent the day down at San-O.

I had a crew working doing some training, but if you look closely you'll see something else cool...

The SUPers were ripping it up! I saw a few Hobie CP Stingers and a couple of PSH All-Arounders being ridden at Dogpatch.

Have I said I love my job???... ;)

Promotion

I just came back from San Diego where I visited with some of my troops and I had the distinct honor and privilege of promoting my senior enlisted leader - Senior Chief Koelbel - to Master Chief.

In what is seeming to be the new standard, the pinning ceremony was conducted underwater. The bay was 62 degrees, so we wore 7mm wetsuits beneath the camouflage uniforms.

This is a great way to recognize the achievements of a great American hero!

Hoo-Yah Master Chief Koelbel!!!

MK-20 Diving

I LOVE my job!

Gratuitous Head Shot

I just got back from visiting two of the Dets -

I won't say where but some interesting places.

Here is a picture of me waiting to make a dive - I reenlisted one of my seabees 134' below the surface. Good fun!

Seabee Divers Association - 35th Anniversary of the UCTs

HOO-YAH 35 Years of Underwater Construction Technicians!!!

The Seabee Divers Association is holding a 35th Anniversary (of the commissioning of the Underwater Construction Teams).

Dates are starting to settle in - June 26/27/28.

Some activities will be held at UCT2, others at other restaurants/venues around the local area.

The group planning the event asked me for help in getting a commemorative coin designed/made (I re-did the UCT2 command coin recently). I unveiled the idea I had for a tattoo - the picture is a really rough sketch, but if it would make a good tattoo, it would certainly make an awesome coin.

More test shots

Got a dive in with Det ALFA yesterday. They were shaking down their gear from all the maintenance they've been doing and in preparation for some upcoming training.

Perfect opportunity to test the GoPro underwater (supposedly waterproof to 100'). The fisheye adapter on the waterhousing is pure genius! As you can see, the camera worked great!

I also found out that you should under no circumstances press any of the buttons underwater (tiny leaks everytime I pressed a button to change the camera functions or activate the shutter). The camera did not suffer any damage, but the potential is there (especially if you go deeper - I only got to 34').

I'll try to test it surfing (maybe tomorrow on the SUP) shortly...

Sage Advice

From a good friend of mine who is in Baghdad for another 11 months (God Bless you Trevor)...

Daddy-O Diver

To diverge from the surfing for a short bit, here is a picture of me getting ready to dive up at Thule Greenland. We were 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle, but still another 900 miles south of the North Pole. Yes it was cold. Yes there were icebergs. No polar bears.

We used hot water suits that pumped 110 degree water through tubes - but anytime your hose kinked, you knew it in a few seconds - any exposed skin, like your neck or parts of your hands felt like it was being slapped and pinched at the same time.

Typical Navy dive other than that (can't see anything and there is nothing but mud and junk all around).

HOO-YAH DEEP SEA!!!