Dive Report: RBJ
Date: Sunday Morning April 15, 2001
Boat: Miss Conduct
Captain: Conrad Nix

By: Mike Rodriguez

Five local divers arrived at the boat early in the morning for a dive
on the RBJ, a double wreck in 260 feet of water off Ft. Lauderdale.
The two ships, a dredge and a barge, actually landed by accident on
top of each other when sunk as an artificial reef.  The combination
makes for a unique and interesting dive for those with the training
and experience to dive this site.

The gang loaded up the boat under a beautiful, sunny sky.  It was
already warming up past 80F, but the light breeze kept us cool.  The
ride out to the site took only a few minutes on the fast boat.  The
captain checked with a few other dive boats in the area and was told
that the current was 'screaming'.  Fortunately, at the site we found
the current was barely shouting; it was less than a knot.  The water
temperature was about 78F on the surface and we'd later find about
75F on the bottom.

The divers geard up while the captain rigged our floatline.  I sat on
the transom with the line in-hand waiting for the drop.  When we were
ready, everyone splashed into the water together.  The drop was good,
and we hit the wreck about 90 seconds after splashing in.  I was
diving trimix 15/49/36 with 50% heliox and 100% oxygen for
decompression.

After wrapping the line securely on the wreck, I took off for a look
around.  The visibility was up to its usual outstanding 100+ feet.
The current on the bottom was light.  I followed one of my buddies
around as he fiddled with his HID light.  One of his E/O underwater
connectors which he uses for video was breaking the connection
intermittantly.  He'd mess with it and it would turn on, then just
as he settled down to explore, it would shut off again.  I giggled
watching from a distance as his frustration mounted.  He finally
managed to get the light to stay on permanently, so I took off to
look for something else to amuse myself with.  :)

I swam down to the intersection of the two hulls and under the the
swim-through passing two other divers along the the way.  Next I swam
around the wrecks and up to the top of one of the cranes where I held
position for a while watching the divers below.  I felt like a bird
flying in the clear water.

I dropped back to the deck, then swam slowly back toward the
floatline as all the divers converged there.  I was last off the wreck
and after a quick head-count to confirm everyone was on the line, I
unhooked us and we drifted off.

Decompression was pleasant in the warm, clear water and the ride
back to the dock was quick.  Several of us would be going back out
that afternoon to dive the Hydro Atlantic.  Unfortunately, as we
exchanged our doubles for the afternoon dive, Gretchen and her
side-kick Brunhilda, the over-zealous parking nazi witches at the
public park where the boat picks us up, showed up to harass us tax
payers.  I had already switched out my tanks, so I decided to rile up
the two nazis a bit then I drove off to get lunch leaving the gang to
deal with the Gretchen and company.  I heard later that it developed
into quite a scene.  :)  Fortunately, by the time I got back, the
parking nazis were gone and everyone was able to finish loading the boat in peace for the afternoon dive.