Divetalking » Artificial Reefs
Your Contribution Is Needed For Marine Conservation
Reef Environmental Education Foundation Our year-end fundraising campaign is well underway, and we would like to thank those of you have already donated. If you haven’t had a chance to make a contribution yet, it’s not too late to get your donation in for the 2010 tax year – just click here now to donate securely online. You can also call REEF Headquarters (305-852-0030) to make a contribution over the phone, or mail your check to REEF, PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037. Thanks to thousands of volunteers, as well as financial support from members like you, REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey database now has over 143,000 surveys! REEF’s database – the largest marine life species database in the world – is frequently used to address marine conservation issues and has been featured in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Events, Fish, Photography, Reefs, Reference, Report
TUFF-E-NUFF U.S. Coast Guard Scheduled Inspection Update
Today, Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010 Joe Kistel with TISIRI is making a personal visit to the U.S. Coast Guard in Mayport Florida to assure the inspection promised Monday will occur. Here is the link to the Monday Dec. 6, 2010 US Coast Guard Inspection. Tim, our Tug Captain from the placement of Spike and Culverts off Jacksonville, Florida coast line last year is our Captain for this adventure. He is on 24 standby, waiting for our call today after today’s inspection, if all goes well to prepare his tug to tow TUFF-E-NUFF to Port St. Lucie, Florida. Check back later today for an update to this post as to how the day went and what comes next. —– UPDATE as of 11:15AM EST I just got off the phone with Joe Kistel with TISIRI. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Photography, Reefs, Report
Fractured – Update
I was thinking that it has been awhile since I posted any update on the condition of my fractured vertebrae. To update you, back at the end of August, 2010 I was heading off shore with some fellow adventurers, Joe Kistel and Ed Kalakauskis, along with our captain Steve Shaw to film the state of Spike, a vessel we placed a year earlier. On the way out, we hit a pot-hole, for lack of a better picture and fell in and against this hole. Twice I was bounced from my seat and within seconds I was on all fours in agony and nauseous. Upon arrival at the ER and a CAT, it was found I fractured my T12 vertebrae and have a number of discs popped out of alignment. August 26, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Emergency/FirstAid, Report
TUFF-E-NUFF
The saga continues and TUFF-E-NUFF is proving to be TUFF but not E-NUFF for Joe Kistel, Ed Kalakauskis and I, Larry Davis. The three of us made TUFF-E-NUFF our home this past weekend. What a cleaning she got. Cutting more wires than we cared to, we cut and cut, pulled, snipped, sawed, unbolted, tugged, snipped and a few choice words. Here are some of the pictures from this past weekends, 12/4-5/2010 efforts. The slideshow [slideshow id=8] The images. Click on an image to enlarge the image. Click on the enlarged image to enlarge the enlarged image . [nggallery id=8] Individual pictures I thought I would elaborate to give you the sense of the reasons why the pictures exist. This first picture is the view the three of us had as we disembark TUFF-E-NUFF. The joke was unless we get back to shore … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats
TUFF-E-NUFF
Work on TUFF-E-NUFF, the 19th century tug (1895) is making great strides. Coast Guard inspection is coming this Monday December 6, 2010. We continue to remove loose debris, remove port holes, hatches, glass windows, cable, piping, porcelain (the thrown), wood, water, diesel, oil, mud and gunk as well as patch holes. So far the rudder has been removed and the screw is coming off this weekend. Hopefully by Sunday, she will be moved to a location off the sand bar and into deeper waters, where she will need to float for the inspection. Once she is certified for towing, off towards Port St. Lucie she will be heading as one of Florida’s last artificial reefs for 2010. If you live in or Near St. Mary’s Georgia and are willing to assist in preparing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats
TUFF-E-NUFF
Saturday November 20, 2010 Joe Kistel and I, Larry Davis drove up to St. Marys, Georgia to TUFF-E-NUFF, the 105 year old tug built in 1895. We spend about 5 hours on the vessel, cleaning, removing stuff, and inspectiing the engine compartment. Here are some pictures from that day. You can see the amount of work there is and needs to get done. If you or anyone you know would like to get involved with creating an artificial reef, we would love to hear from you. Get a different perspective of what goes on to ready this vessel for her new home. This picture shows the amount of rust and silt built up. You can just make out the bolts in the center. In this next picture, you are looking aft, starboard side. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Reefs, Reference, Report, Videography, Wrecks
Chat Shut Down
Update to divetalking.com. The Chat feature that was found at the lower right corner of divetalking.com has been turned off. I found it not to be as convenient or as animated as I hoped for. I will continue the effort for a chat. Thank you for hanging in there with us. Larry … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Events, Photography, Reefs, Reference, Report
Florida Dive Show Dec 3,4 2010
Mark your Calendar December 3th & 4th, 2010 Question Email info@divechronicles.com Palm Beach County Convention Center Show Hours: Friday 5 PM – 8 PM Saturday 9AM – 5 PM Seashepherd will be coming to the show aka Whale Wars! Tickets are avialable at the show. Cost is $ 15.00 at the Door Stop by your local dive center to get a discount coupons saving you 50% off the gate admission … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Convention, Diver, Emergency/FirstAid, Events, Master Diver, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Rescue Diver, Specialties, Training, Travel, Videography, Wrecks
Buggery on the High Seas
I loaned out my video camera to a team member for todays dive offshore florida. When they returned the camera, they unknowningly left it recording while out at sea. Unfortunately there is no video because it is facing something that made the video dark, BUT the audio came out. Here is what the camera recorded. Sounds like a rough ride back for a few… 🙂 Listen to The Buggery No one on any boat was harmed during the making of this audio. Cheech and Chong: Pedro and Man at the drive in. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Reefs, Reference, Report
Manta Ray filmed off Jacksonville
This film clip of a manta ray was taken Friday October 22, 2010 off the coast of Jacksonville Florida. The divers reported the scale was at least a 20 foot wing span. This is a first. I never knew they came this close to our coast line. October 22, 2010, a Friday to remember for these divers who not only saw the Manta Ray but filmed her. The TISIRI team was once again working on the environment. Out collecting trash as part of a grant by West Marine. The days events were being documented on film. Joe Kistel, as the last diver to enter the water explains the story to me like this: I was just about the enter the water when Ed pops up yelling “hey big bam rayjama smellow.” The captain … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Events, Fish, Reefs, Reference, Report, Trip Report, Videography
A Concrete Boat
The TISIRI Team once again is out looking at material for it’s candidacy as an artificial reef. We are contacted by Carl Blow,who informs us there is a concrete vessel parked outside his door. It didn’t take long for the team to assemble, head to St. Augustine, Fl. and catch a skif over to this vessel. Here are some pictures from our visit 14 Oct. 2010. We figured we were driving by this vessel on our way to Whitney Labs, so we stopped. As Carl Blow, St. Johns County Waterways Commissioner, Joe Kistel, Larry Davis, Ed Ed Kalakauskis, with TISIRI approach the boat. From the bow, I snap this shot of Carl Blow and Joe Kistel discussing the opportunity of this vessel as an artificial reef of the St. Augustine, florida coast line. Carl Blow … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Photography, Reference, Report, Wrecks