Mini Dive Report - October 15th

Just got back from diving - this one was absolutely fantastic

Dive Site : Jalousie (means Jealous in patois)
Time in : 10:57
TBT : 49 minutes (one of my longest!!)

This is the first time I have dived this site (only another 2 sites that I haven't done as yet).
The wildlife was just teeming. Saw massive barracudas (4ft!!!), yellowtail snapper, two spotted moray eels, fireworm, trumpetfish, yellow arrowline crabs (about six on the same piece of purple barrel sponge), banded coral shrimps, harlequin bass, creole wrasse, fairy basslet, banded butterflyfish and about a dozen sea cucumbers (which i've never seen before) on the sand near the edge of the reef.

I felt really relaxed during the dive and my buoyancy was spot on, I didn't hoover up my air and it was a small group (only 6 of us plus the DM).

Next time I do this site, I'm definitely taking a camera...

and on that note, i'd better get back to reading the rescue manual :cool:

Just done the same dive site today and hired out a camera. Didn't see any morays, lobsters nor fireworms. Typical! :( :(

So for those of you that are interested, here's a link to the pics
(I'm quite pleased with the one of the blackbar soldierfish :))

I like that one the best as well. I also like the Vase Sponge with the stuff growing out of it. Really cool Lottie.

Looks like you need a strobe for the cammera. Do you remember what type it is that they rent? Do they also rent strobes. It looks to me like you are a great underwater photobug, but you are lacking equipment that can showcase your work.

Keep up the good work!

the hire camera did have a single strobe on it and once i got them copied onto my PC - the camera is a Sealife DC600.

I got my buoyancy a bit better with using the camera this time - but it ain't 'alf difficult..especially trying to get a pic of something that friggin moves!, plus it was a drift dive and i didn't want to get too close to the reef (which i did on one occasion!!!)

The blackbar soldierfish were quite stationary and i think they were quite camera shy (or trying to hide from the 8 divers floating past, hence why that pic came out quite well.

I've got a Nikon L11, just need to get the UW Housing and I might get the strobe for that as well. It'll just be a case of seeing how the pics turn out without the strobe.

I don't know that particular camera, but just about every camera will not be worth anything underwater without a strobe. Consider a strobe just as important as the UW housing, because without it you might as well leave the camera at home.

Unfortunately U/W Photo is not an inexpensive intrest.

Anyway I do love you pics.

Nice pictures Lottie. I like the arrow crab in the sponge.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lottie

the hire camera did have a single strobe on it and once i got them copied onto my PC - the camera is a Sealife DC600.

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Now I just looked up that rig, and you should have much better lighting in your photos. I think there is some type of problem. I think the strobe is not pointing exactly where it needs to be. I am under the impression this is a difficult thing to get perfect. I would ask someone with more UW photo background that I.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Publisher

Nice pictures Lottie. I like the arrow crab in the sponge.....

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Thanks. I did try and get closer to get a better pic of it, but it didn't come out too well.
Practice makes perfect :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acelockco

Now I just looked up that rig, and you should have much better lighting in your photos. I think there is some type of problem.

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Yeah, I think there is a problem - it's called user error :D
I think most of the time, i'm not in the right position to make the most of the light coming down for the pic, and, like you said, the strobe isn't in the right place.
I'll figure it out one of these days :D

Once you get your own system, you will have a chance to really get everything dialed in. I don't think it is user error, I really think it is an alignment problem with the strobe.

Anyway, they still came out nice and now you can share your dive with friends and family.

Speaking of family, does you mom still dive? You said she was a freediver? Maybe you can convince her to go with you sometime, that way she can take the camera and get you in some of those photos.

Ace, my mom isn't a freediver, she did just 'normal' recreational scuba diving back in the late 70s. We went snorkelling at one of the nicer beaches down in the south of the island a couple of weeks ago, and she panicked abit as she wasn't used to using a snorkel. So we're going to go snorkelling a few more times so she'll feel comfortable and take it in baby steps. Hopefully she'll take the plunge and do the OW course.

Awesome!

It is so great to have family involved in the same sport. Sounds like you are taking the best approach as well.

At least you have a great place to do it too!