GWENDOLINE STEERS

It was a sunny, cool, Sunday morning. My dive instructor came to pick me up. We were going to a new dive site and new location. This time we were going to dive on the North Shore which is known for it's muddy, merky bottom. We were told that there was a barge dropped in sand so we wanted to check it out. It would be about an hour boat ride to the site. We were on our way, almost out of the channel into the Long Island Sound. Weather forecast was for a slight South wind which turned into a North wind. The seas were rough. Our boat was already over booked. Water was coming in over the bow of the boat and also over the stern. Captain decides to abort our original dive site and try plan B- dive on the Gwendoline Steers Barge which was about 5 minutes away but still in very choppy waters with 4 to 5 foot swells.

With the boat being over booked, nine of us, me being the only female, it was hard to gear up. New waters, new dive site, rough seas, crowded boat, and now an advance dive would make anyone a little nervous. But, I was determined to finish my course and get my wreck certification. The season was coming to an end soon.

We all had to do a back roll off the boat into the waves. Now, we are doing a complete tumblesault into the water. The force of the water threw me right under the boat and my head and nose slams into the bottom of the boat. I make my way along the line to the bow where the boat anchor line is. I hang onto the ropes and moaring, waiting for the other divers. The hugh swells are tiring me out. I am breating hard and trying to stay calm. I can feel my heart pounding. I try to breathe through my snorkel to save my air. My dive buddy shows up and is hanging on the line with me. We are both waiting for the rest of the divers. We like to go down as a group even though we will lose each other within 2 minutes once we are down there. We still try to go down and up as a group. I try not to show my anxiety.

Now we are all together and descend one by one down the rope. Bottom was about 50 feet. Visibility as we descend was about 3 feet. Easy enough to lose site of the diver below and above me. All I cared about was trying to equalize my ears, take my time, and reach the bottom. If you can't do that, your dive is over before it started! I reach the barge, land on top of it. I could tell it was down there a long time (since 1962). It was covered with rust and sea life. Lots of silt was floating in the water. Visibility was about 1 foot now. This barge is dropped in mud. But, I was at the top of the barge.

Now for training-the course required me to learn and handle a wreck reel. First thing was to secure one end of my reel to the anchor rope. Sounds easy. It is not easy with 7mm gloves on. Plus, all the extra heavy gear. I was carrying a top of the line light. I was trying to stay in one place while the current wanted to push me in another direction. I had other divers coming down on top of me. Once that is secure, that is my life line! Without it, I would be lost in one minute. With the poor visibility I could not even see my dive buddy next to me. My job was to let the line out and navigate around the barge which is 97 feet long. As I explore the barge and let line out, I am suppose to wrap it along anything I can find. This takes time and alot of control. All of a sudden it gets BLACK down there. Can't see my hand in front of my face. Like being in a closet with the lights out. Heart starts pounding. All of a sudden I feel all alone. Spooky. I try to stay still so the silt settles some. I hang on to the line and try to reel it back in. All kinds of thoughts are going through my head. Just get me out of here is one thought! My line gets all tangled. It's a birds nest now. Everything is going wrong. I wonder how much air I have left. I want to check my gauges but can't see it. My computer blacks out on me but I can read the air pressure left. I think I better get out of there. Can't see my dive buddy. Guessing he is somewhere on the line I let out. Reel is jammed now. I take the rope and just wind it anyway I can around the reel. Make my way back to the anchor rope. Am kind of disgusted. Too many things went wrong. I am on the rope now, making my way up but my computer is not working right. Have no way to judge the 15 foot mark to do my safety stop. I wait a little for a diver to show up. My dive buddy finally is in view. He doesn't know that I can not judge depth. I point at his guage. I struggle to read his depth meter. He points upward. We all make it back to the boat. My dive instructor said I did what I had to in extreme conditions. He said that was smart to wind the rope around my reel. He helps me fix it for the next dive. I know I have to do it again in order to finish the course. Will I finish it? Do I deserve to? All the guys were great, making me feel like a winner instead of a loser. I fix my reel, my gear, eat something, do some surface time. Am wet and cold with the wind blowing on me now.

It's time for the next dive. This time I am lucky enough not to get thrown by a wave into the boat but it was a close call. I make it over to the anchor rope and wait again. I secure all my gear. Once again, I am on the bottom of the barge, struggling to secure the reel. I was told to head north so I look at my compass and get a reading. I go over the side of the barge and let line out. I wrap it alone as I go. I see my dive buddy and instructor following my lead. I find the stairs of the barge. Very cool. I follow them up and over the other side. Visibility is not good. I just pay attention to what I am doing. I reel in and back to the anchor. My dive instructor shakes my hand. I passed the course. I smile. I do at least two more test runs, working the reel back and forth. I am having fun now exploring the barge, working the reel and having them follow me! It was nice to have them in site, too. My computer was also working again!

The second dive was great. Everything went smooth. I felt so good when I was up on the boat again and knew how hard I worked that day to finish my wreck diving course!

diverDestiny