Pheonix DA earning it's keep

[sitkadiver]

Some pics of my PRAM working on the Sea Life Discovery in Sitka.

Here's the Pheonix doing some underwater video work. We take everyones picture so they know it's a live feed





After a 20 minute dive show, I come back to the windows with a critter to give people a close-up view. In this case it was a Sunflower star.

[DaleC]

Lookin good. Love those yellow hoses. Now, what is the Sea Life Discovery and what are you doing there?

[JES]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing this with us.

[sitkadiver]

Lookin good. Love those yellow hoses. Now, what is the Sea Life Discovery and what are you doing there?

Dale,

The Sea Life Discovery is a semi submersible here is Sitka. I've diving been diving for Ken and Debbie for about 10 years now. It's called a semi-sub becuase we have ballast tanks we flood in order to draw the boat deeper in the water. I never actually submerges. (unless there's a big swell - and those are FUN!!)

The website can explain things better than I

http://www.sealifediscoverytours.com/about

We cater mostly to cruise ships in the summer months: A two hour tour through the ell grass flats, then a cruise through the kelp forest and then a 20minute dive show with a camera.

Here's the kelp forest:



Here's the inside of the passenger area, only 1/2 capacity on our 2nd trip yesterday. The girl standing on the bench is Dawn, the other diver. She was narrating the tours yesterday, so I did a couple of solo dives and she took the pictures on my camera.



Let me know if you ever heading this way and I'll try to get you on board, or we can always cruise out to our dive station and poke around, I have an extra Pheonix you can borrow. There are two decent wrecks right under our station. Both are small fishing vessels.

Also, if anyone's looking for seasonal dive work, keep these folks in mind next year. All the contact info is on the site.

[Drado]

Let me know if you ever heading this way and I'll try to get you on board, or we can always cruise out to our dive station and poke around, I have an extra Pheonix you can borrow. There are two decent wrecks right under our station. Both are small fishing vessels.

I think it's a given that if any of us ever head your way, we'd rather be in the water with you than on board...

Wait a minute... what's the water temp here? I might have to rethink that!

Great hoses though The Phoenix rocks!

[Bryan]

I am cold looking at the pictures....I think it's a fantastic idea having the divers interact with the folks in the windows. When I was a kid I would have been going nuts seeing dives up close...Just a suggestion, speed past all the windows at the end of the show being pulled by your U/W scooter that has a couple of SMG 6 barrel spearguns mounted to it.

[Aileron]

If the water temp ever gets to 80*, let me know and I'll head right up there!

Looks like a ton of fun!

[DaleC]

That boat looks awesome! I've always been intrigued by UW habitats and observation stations and that looks like a great way to introduce non divers to the subaquatic world. Like a mobile aquarium.

I also know that coastal Alaska shares the same current as British columbia (it sweeps up from northern California) so the temps aren't too far off from ours. If I am ever heading up that way I definately plan on doing some diving. I've actually skin dived off Ketchikan and loved the flora and fauna.

If anyone asks why you are diving the old gear just tell em you order a new set of equipment every year but it takes forever for it to get shipped to you.

[sitkadiver]

I think it's a given that if any of us ever head your way, we'd rather be in the water with you than on board...

Wait a minute... what's the water temp here? I might have to rethink that!

Drado, if anyone from the board comes to Sitka and doesn't go diving with me - I'd be offended. You folks are always welcome.

If the water temp ever gets to 80*, let me know and I'll head right up there!

Our air temperature rarely gets above 70 - right now the water is a balmy 48.

Just a suggestion, speed past all the windows at the end of the show being pulled by your U/W scooter that has a couple of SMG 6 barrel spearguns mounted to it.

That would be awesome!! I usually put the big star fish on my head and let the kids take a picture of me with dredlocks!!

If anyone asks why you are diving the old gear just tell em you order a new set of equipment every year but it takes forever for it to get shipped to you.

Dale, although I have way too much gear, my working reg for many years was Conshelf I bought used in the 80's from a dive shop rental department. Kinda wish I hadn't sold it. That thing was totally bullet proof.

[SurfLung]

What a wonderful ambassador you are for double hose diving!